In my gaming life, there are two franchises that I’ll always be excited to play. The first is Sonic the Hedgehog, and the second is Pokémon. So it should come as no surprise that I’m extremely hyped for the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. However, even though I only have a little longer to wait for the October 18th release date, I’m getting very impatient. That’s why I took the opportunity at PAX Aus 2025 to try the game before release to see how this evolution of Pokémon is shaping up.
The big change for Legends: Z-A is the removal of the turn-based battle system. In its place is a real-time battle system similar to Final Fantasy VII REMAKE (without the pausing of combat). Instead of moves having PP (Power Points), they’re all on cooldowns of various durations. I was sceptical of this change, but after playing the demo, I kinda dig it. It forced me to actually use status moves (I usually ignore them completely), as they have shorter cooldowns. This change also makes the battles more dynamic, even if you can’t control where your Pokémon attacks from.
The best example of this new system is the rogue Mega Evolution battles that you can run into. These task you with taking down an enhanced Mega Pokémon in a way similar to the boss fights in Legends: Arceus, where you, as the trainer, can take damage as well. I can see these battles getting intense later in the game, and I’m here for it.
I didn’t get to experience much of the open-world gameplay in the demo I played, but it seems decent enough. The areas were fairly linear, but the map appears to open up significantly after the tutorial. I’m still curious how they can make one city feel big enough, but I will just have to wait and see on that front.
Pokémon games have never been known for their graphics, and Legends: Z-A doesn’t appear to be pushing the envelope very far. The game still looks good on the Switch 2, and I quite like the visual style this game is going for, but I can see why some people might be let down. I’m not one of those people, so my enjoyment with the game wasn’t hampered by the visuals. The game also runs smoothly with minimal load times and no frame stuttering. There were no awkward glitches or pop-ins either, which, if you’ve played Scarlet and Violet, will be a relief. Overall, I had a smooth experience with no concerns.
I had fun with the Pokémon Legends: Z-A demo, and I now have a better idea of what to expect when the game releases on the 15th of October. The gameplay is promising, and it’ll be nice to have a Pokémon game run smoothly on release.
Are you going to pick up Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Which starter will you choose? What’s your favourite Mega Pokémon? Let us know in the comments, and we can wait patiently together for the game’s release.
