Announced a year ago, Pokémon Legends: Z - A is set in Kalos and players will meet new faces as they explore Lumiose City.

It had already been shown that the capital of Kalos would undergo changes for its presentation in the title, but the newest information has shown even more details, including official in-game footage. Furthermore, some of the mechanics featured in the title have been shown, including a brand-new battle system that has never been used before, as well as the return of the Mega Evolution system in Pokémon Legends: Z - A. A lot has been revealed about the game by Nintendo and now players have a clearer view of what they can expect once the title is finally released.

How Battling Works In Pokémon Legends: Z - A

The Game Has Seemingly Removed Turns

One of the biggest surprises in the newest presentation showcasing the game is a modification to the battle system. Shown during the Pokémon Presents event, which was broadcast on the official Pokémon in Legends: Z - A will have varying reaches and areas of effect. This will be combined with a new movement system during battles, which should alter combat.

As seen in the footage, players will be able to freely move around the arena in which their Pokémon are battling, and, with it, move their creatures, too. This will allow you to have your Pokémon dodge incoming moves and position yourself accordingly to make your desired move land hits on the opponent. Movement and positioning will play an important part in the new battle system. Furthermore, it seems like the battles in Pokémon Legends: Z - A will not be restricted by turns but, instead, by move cooldowns. This is an unprecedented change in the franchise’s games.

How This Is Different To Previous Pokémon Games

The Previous Titles’ Battle Systems Were All Turn-Based

This is a drastic change to the approach in battles compared to previous games in the series. Previously, players were restricted to turn-based combat, where each Pokémon took turns using moves. Avoiding damage from moves was based on the attacker’s Accuracy and the receiving creature’s Evasiveness, but that may be removed almost entirely from the title. What seems to dictate if a move hits or not is its range, area of effect, and whether or not the target Pokémon moves out of the way or not. This should give Pokémon Legends: Z - A a more seamless battle experience.

In addition to the implementation of movement and positioning during battles, the game has also introduced a cooldown system for moves. This should help maintain a certain balance in combat, impeding players from continuously spamming the same moves and either choose different ones or focus on moving around. Based on the footage that was provided by The Pokémon Company, it seems like the PP (Power Point) system has been removed from Pokémon Legends: Z - A. As such, there may not be a limit to how many times a move can be used before its PP is fully depleted.

Previously, Pokémon games allowed its creatures to learn moves and each move had a certain amount of PP – meaning how many times it could be used before being restored at a Pokémon Center or with items, like Ether. The max PP a move had could be increased with items like PP Up and PP Max, increasing the limit of PP for the desired move. This entire system may have been entirely removed with the introduction of the cooldown system for moves, as there is no visual indicator of PP in Pokémon Legends: Z - A’s battle screen.

While it is not a new system, per si, Mega Evolutions are confirmed to return to the franchise. It should be the first usage of the system since 2018 when Pokémon Let’s Go! Pikachu and Let’s Go! Eevee, the last main series titles to use them, were released.

Another interesting point of interest in the renewed battle system presented for the title is that players can seamlessly swap their Pokémon. As seen in the footage, players can change their active Pokémon on the go, without being constrained by the previously used turn-based system. Because there are, apparently, no turns in combat in the game, players can change their Pokémon and immediately reposition them or command them to attack, without having to wait for the opponent’s turn. This should add an extra layer of strategic depth to the real-time battles in Pokémon Legends: Z - A.

Pokémon Legends: Z - A’s Renewed Battle System Is More Than Necessary

The Changes Could Be Extremely Fun

It’s too early to tell if the renewed battle system will be good, but the changes that have been announced so far showcase a much-needed change to the franchise. The old turn-based combat system still works well, so much so that official tournaments still thrive, but this new system seems to bring a fresh new experience for players, be they newcomers or veterans. One of the best features of Pokémon Legends: Arceus was how it tackled the open world. While still constrained by turn-based combat, the sense of fluidity with wild Pokémon encounters was extremely positive.

This feeling could be replicated with Legends: Z - A if the real-time combat works out. It feels natural and more appropriate with what we’ve been seeing since childhood in the Pokémon anime, for example. If it fails to reach the competitive level of turn-based combat, it would still bring a brand-new approach that is worth exploring for the sake of fun itself. Controlling Pokémon like this is something that most Trainers who grew up with the franchise have always dreamed of, and I’m particularly excited about the prospect with what has been shown so far.

Luckily, we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer before getting to experience this renewed battle system and seeing if it works as intended. While The Pokémon Company has not revealed an official release date just yet, it has revealed that the game is expected for “late 2025,” which indicates Pokémon Legends: Z - A will likely be released during this year’s last quarter.

Source: YouTube/The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel