Nintendo hasn't released much information about Pokémon Legends Z-A outside of its initial trailer and some vague plot details on the game's official website. However, that hasn't stopped people, including myself, from wildly speculating about what it may be like and what it needs in order to be good. Of course, decades of experience with Pokémon games does give me some indication of what has and hasn't worked. There is also Z-A's predecessor, Pokémon Legends Arceus, which also serves as a great reference point from which to set one's expectations and hopes for the latest entry in the Legends series.

Crucially, Z-A must carry over Pokémon Legends Arceus' best features. While this series is clearly intended as a way for Game Freak to experiment with the Pokémon formula and see what could work in the mainline games without ruining their reputation as kid-friendly RPGs, it should also adhere to its own rules so as to maintain a consistent level of quality and ensure that people buying into it know what to expect, at least, for the most part. Surprises are great, but there is at least one aspect of Pokémon Legends Arceus that Z-A must be sure to retain.

Pokémon Legends Arceus Was Approachable For Newcomers

You Didn't Need To Have Played Diamond And Pearl

One of the greatest selling points of Pokémon Legends Arceus, and likely a key reason for its record-breaking and enormous success, was that you didn't need prior knowledge of the Diamond and Pearl games to enjoy it. That seems rather obvious, especially given that every Pokémon game, outside of direct sequels, is its own separate entity, with its own distinct region, set of Pokémon, and narrative. However, for all intents and purposes, Legends Arceus is a prequel to Diamond and Pearl, with it being set within the same region and sharing the same legendaries.

While some prequels stand on their own, a lot are self-referential and overly indulgent, appealing more to fans of the original rather than newcomers. As Arceus was the first game in the Legends series, it needed to strike a balance between the two, and it did so successfully. There are plenty of ancestor characters in Arceus, many of whom fans will likely recognize, as well as notable landmarks that have stood the test of time, literally, such as Mount Coronet. The game's narrative also focuses on the formation of Team Galactic, which serves as Diamond and Pearl's main antagonists.

However, despite these references, Arceus manages to feel like an entirely new experience both narratively and mechanically. In regards to the former, it puts the player in the role of a character out of time with no understanding of this world or region, forcing them to learn everything from scratch. When it comes to gameplay, Legends Arceus offered a vastly different experience to any of the mainline entries, as well as a different tone and visual style, making it blatantly obvious that, beyond its surface-level references, it was a completely unique experience distinct from the mainline Pokémon games.

Pokémon Legends Z-A Could Alienate New Players

If It Relies Too Heavily On X & Y

One would assume that Pokémon Legends Z-A will do the same thing, bringing in newcomers who skipped X and Y on the 3Ds while entertaining those who did play them with fun references. However, there is a lot wrong with Legends Z-A, at least showcased in its initial trailer, that would indicate this may not be the case. Specifically, the aforementioned mechanical traits that made Arceus such a stand-out and unique experience - visual style, tone, time period - are absent in Z-A, with it instead looking more or less like the latest mainline Pokémon games.

It is featuring characters from those games. Pokémon Legends Z-A certainly feels like it requires significantly more knowledge of its predecessor than Arceus did, which could end up alienating potential newcomers.

There's little to distinguish Z-A from X & Y outside of its noticeable visual upgrade, which makes it a tougher sell as an independent product that doesn't rely on foreknowledge to enjoy it. Needing to play a game from 2013 just to understand the many references in Z-A could be a problem, especially if it does follow closely after those games' events. Naturally, I'm doubtful that its more deep-rooted connections to X & Y will substantially hurt sales. Still, they could be to the detriment of the overall experience and further Z-A's deconstruction of what made the Legends series so unique.

Pokémon Legends Z-A Should Appeal To Everyone

It Shouldn't Feel Connected To The Mainline Games

Pokémon Legends Z-A, much like its predecessor did back in 2022, should appeal to as broad an audience as possible. Arceus drew in the Breath of the Wild crowd with its contemplative tone, visual style, world design, more immersive gameplay mechanics, and even soundtrack. It also brought in an audience who didn't gel with the more restrictive nature of traditional Pokémon games, thus resulting in an enormous amount of success. It is, outside of the truly absurd spin-offs, the most un-Pokémon-like Pokémon game.

That is a good thing, as the entire purpose of a spin-off series is to differentiate itself from the mainline titles. Arceus managed to do this in more ways than one, but Z-A only has its real-time Pokémon combat as its defining feature. That will assuredly draw in a new crowd, but I'm not convinced it is enough to widen its appeal to a broader audience like Arceus did. Those who aren't fond of Pokémon's modern aesthetic, X & Y and their region, or even a semi-futuristic setting will likely stay away from Z-A, even despite its revolutionary gameplay changes.

As much as Pokémon Legends Z-A is attempting to be something new, it is ironically more stuck in the past than Arceus ever was.

It remains to be seen what effect this has on Z-A, but I doubt it'll be quite as successful as Pokémon Legends Arceus. The novelty of the spin-off series has worn off, and Z-A isn't doing enough to bring it back outside of its combat. I want Z-A to be a success, as much as I've endlessly lamented its many failings, but I don't see how it will grip me as Arceus did. After all, as much as Pokémon Legends Z-A is attempting to be something new, it is ironically more stuck in the past than Arceus ever was.