Summary
ThePokemoncommunity was shocked bythe sudden announcement ofPokemon Legends: Z-A. This is great news because it means that this is going to be a follow-up toPokemon Legends: Arceusand it confirms the creation of an entire subseries of games set in the past. But what canPokemon Legends Z-Aimprove upon its predecessor?
This is not going to be an easy task, seeing asPokemonLegends: Arceusis one of the best-received entries in the entire franchise. Nevertheless, it still had some glaring issues, mainly because it was the beginning of a new era of Pokemon. And now, this sequel has the potential to create an even better experience for all players.
1A True Open World
Pokemon Legends: Arceusgenerated a lot of hype before release because of the prospect of being the very first open-worldPokemongame in the series. But, sadly, this was not entirely true, as the region ofHisuiisdivided into five different areas(plus, Jubilife Village works as the main hub) and, while they’re pretty big, they’re not really connected.
The map of Hisui was truly impressive, but it feels outdated now. Especially afterPokemon and Scarlet and Violet, where Paldea had a true open world map with little-to-no load screens. Therefore, Kalos inPokemon Legends: Z-Aneeds to be designed as one singular map with areas that can be immediately accessed from any other. Game Freak could finally give longtime fans the open-world game set in the distant past that they’ve been asking for.
2A Less Empty World
Give Players More Stuff To Do
The world ofPokemon Legends: Arceuswas expansive, and it was really fun to explore, mostly thanks to theRide Pokemon. But the problem is that there wasn’t much to do once players found and caught all the Pokemon in the Pokedex. As big as Hisui was, the map was also plagued with places thatfelt empty and lifeless.
Pokemon Legends: Z-Ashould give players more options for stuff to do in the overworld, aside from catching Pokemon. They could add more NPCs, more mini-games, new items to discover, secret bosses, and much more. Considering that this game will most likely feature more trainers, a selection of challenging Pokemon battles scattered throughout the world would be another solid improvement.
3Bigger And Better Bosses
Improving On The Noble Pokemon
Pokemon Legends: Arceusintroduced a refreshing new take on boss battles in which the player has to face a very strong creature,known asNoble Pokemon, with their bare hands, dodging their attacks before weakening them enough to send a Pokemon of their own. This was a great idea and a clever way to make boss battles feel more personal and interactive.
However, many players feel like these boss fights could’ve been a tad better since the Noble Pokemon had some frustrating attacks that were unfairly difficult to avoid. Not to mention that there were very few of them throughout the adventure. But this new type of boss shouldn’t be removed in its entirety inPokemon Legends: Z-A, as they have already laid the foundation to perfect them to create some of the best bosses in the history ofPokemon.
4Better Graphics
Fixing Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ Most Obvious Flaw
Even thoughPokemon Legends: Arceuswas critically acclaimed for many good reasons,it was immediately criticized because of its lackluster graphics. While there was a lot of effort in the designs of the characters, locations, and new Pokemon, the environments themselves often looked cheap and unfinished, which was especially disappointing for a AAA game within a big franchise like this one.
Fortunately, it was confirmed thatPokemon Legends: Z-Awon’t be released until 2025, meaning that the developers will hopefully have a lot of time to polish the graphics to make the game look incredible. Kalos is based in France, so it should look really beautiful in a more modern, fully 3D video game.
5Voice Acting
Fully Voiced Cutscenes Will Make The Story Better
Pokemonfans have been asking for voice acting in the mainline entries for many years, especially after the franchise made the leap to 3D.Pokemon Legends: Arceuswas no exception,as it had an engaging narrativethat was filled to the brim with memorable characters. But the voiceless cutscenes felt awkward and left a lot to be desired.
It may seem like a superficial addition, but great voice acting from talented voice actors can often enhance the quality of a story, as it is the standard in most modern AAA games. Pokemon Legends: Z-Ashould definitely have some voice acting, even if it’s not in every single cutscene in the game. That’s how it was done inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and it worked perfectly.
6Less Frustrating Side Quests
Don’t Make Players Look For 100 Zygarde Cells
Pokemon Legends: Arceushad its fair share of side quests, something that was greatly appreciated because they extended the overall playtime of the experience. But, since a lot of them were also boring or frustrating, this is something that could be done better inPokemon Legends: Z-A.
The most infamous example isthe hunt for the 107 wisps that make upSpiritomb, which was relatively fun at first, but it got frustrating fast. And, worst of all, it was needed to unlock the true ending of the game. Considering that theZygardeis made up of around 100 individual cells, many fans are worried that a similar side quest will be implemented inPokemon Legends: Z-A. But the designers at Game Freak should try to find a more entertaining process to rebuild this Legendary Pokemon instead.
7Post-Launch Content
Don’t Leave Fans Asking For More
Pokemon Legends: Arceuswas released during a strange time for the franchise: right after the launch ofPokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and a few months beforePokemon Scarlet and Violet. Because of this, the game barely got any new content post-launch, like a brand-new DLC campaign. This led to many people feeling like Game Freak had completely forgotten aboutPokemon Legends: Arceusimmediately after its initial release.
This shouldn’t happen withPokemon Legends: Z-A, especially if it’s the only Pokemon game released in 2025.The DLC forPokemon Scarlet and Violetwas just released, and it added a lot of worthwhile content to that game, proving that this practice works. If Game Freak learned from their mistakes, they could create a DLC campaign forPokemon Legends: Z-Awhich would go a long way toward keeping the game alive.
