Pokemon Legends: Z-A Might Help the Series Branch Out into Other Genres
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A could push the series further into new genres with its Lumiose City setting, potentially featuring city-building mechanics.
- Players can expect creative gameplay in Lumiose City, including wild mon catching mechanics and potentially life-sim features, like Animal Crossing.
- The Urban Redevelopment Plan in Pokemon Legends: Z-A hints at settlement management mechanics, building upon the tension between people and wild Pokemon.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus was one of the most innovative Pokemon games in years when it was released back in 2022, so Pokemon Legends: Z-A has some big expectations to live up to. Not only did Pokemon Legends: Arceus shake up the series formula from the traditional Gym challenge storyline, but it effectively combined action RPG elements with the series’ classic turn-based battles. As such, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is in a strong position to further expand the series’ foray into other genres, and its Lumiose City setting could be the perfect excuse for elements of a few different genres to be included.
While some players are concerned that Pokemon Legends: Z-A being set entirely within Lumiose City might limit the game’s scale when compared to a game like Pokemon Legends: Arceus, there are some creative ways it could make the city feel like a more substantial world than players might expect. Catching wild mons within Lumiose City might seem like a difficult system to design, but Pokemon Legends: Z-A might balance this gameplay with elements from other genres. If this is the case, city-building mechanics, and even some life sim mechanics, could be on the table for Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
Related
Pokemon Legends Z-A’s Setting Goes in the Exact Opposite Direction of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Pokemon Legends Z-A will take place within Lumiose City, where its densely populated setting could bring about some interesting gameplay choices.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could Feature City-Builder Mechanics
Close
A core part of the information shared in the reveal trailer for Pokemon Legends: Z-A was the concept of the Lumiose Urban Redevelopment Plan. While there wasn’t any gameplay shown for this title, the Urban Redevelopment Plan implies that players will be helping to build parts of Lumiose City in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. With this idea in mind, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume the game could feature some degree of city-building or settlement management mechanics.
Although it’s unlikely Pokemon Legends: Z-A will feature as robust city-building mechanics as a game like Cities: Skylines, introducing some light features from the genre could be a great way to iterate upon the formula established by Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Depending on when in Kalos’ history the game is set, Pokemon Legends: Z-A could feature a system where players will need to build and fortify parts of the city to prevent wild mons from attacking or natural disasters from destroying it, similar to a game like Frostpunk. Pokemon Legends: Arceus has already established the tension between people and wild Pokemon, and this mechanic would help build upon that idea.
Fans Might Finally See Some Animal Crossing-Like Features in a Pokemon Game
Another direction Pokemon Legends: Z-A could take includes more life-sim-like mechanics similar to the Animal Crossing series. Fans have long requested a crossover between Pokemon and Animal Crossing, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A might end up being the closest thing players will get to that game if it includes life-sim mechanics. Given that the game describes the Urban Redevelopment Plan as a way to make Lumiose City a place that belongs to both people and Pokemon, the game could feature a mechanic similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s island rating system where players will need to accommodate the needs of certain critters within the city.
To this end, Pokemon Legends: Z-A could make great use of mechanics from a game like Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer or the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Perhaps players will need to build parts of the city to the specifications of certain types of Pokemon, such as a park for Grass types or a pond for Water types, in order to meet the criteria for a perfect city rating. The concept of building a city for both people and Pokemon to thrive may be somewhat vague, but it opens the door for the franchise to dip its toes into these other genres in a main series game.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
FranchisePokemonPlatform(s)SwitchReleased2025-00-00Developer(s)Game FreakPublisher(s)NintendoGenre(s)RPG
News Related
-
Anyone who’s purchased gift baskets to hand out to loved ones this holiday season might need to find a backup present after the latest food recall that involves festive cookies. Gift basket company Wine Country Gift Baskets just announced that it is voluntarily recalling all gift baskets that feature Acorn Baking ...
See Details:
Recall Just Announced For Popular Cookies Featured In Holiday Gift Baskets
-
LOS ANGELES: Quarterback Jalen Hurts ran in an overtime touchdown to give the Philadelphia Eagles a 37-34 NFL win over the Buffalo Bills Sunday (Monday in Manila) and move them to 10-1 on the season. The Eagles, who lost the Super Bowl to Kansas City last season, trailed at half-time ...
See Details:
Eagles rally past Bills in overtime as Chiefs win
-
Yen Makabenta First word WHILE UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other promoters of the climate emergency are preparing to convene the 28th conference of the parties (COP28) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the United Arab Emirates, starting on November 30 and stretching to December 12, ...
See Details:
Reality bites the green energy agenda
-
Sandigan orders Marcos Sr. pal to pay workers The Sandiganbayan has ordered the enforcement of a July 2023 ruling ordering a Marcos Sr. associate to pay a lumber company’s workers P2.1 million in damages as well as return 60 percent of their company’s shares and pay all unpaid benefits. The ...
See Details:
Sandigan orders Marcos Sr. pal to pay workers
-
DSWD: Shear line, LPA affect 1.2 million people; over 18,000 families evacuated MANILA, Philippines – More than 18,000 families have fled to evacuation centers across flood-affected regions in the country due to the impact of the shear line and low pressure area. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) gave ...
See Details:
DSWD: Shear line, LPA affect 1.2 million people; over 18,000 families evacuated
-
-
MANILA, Philippines: The entire Luzon, including Metro Manila, is expected to experience isolated rain showers and thunderstorms as the northeast monsoon (“amihan”) and easterlies will be affecting the country over the next 24 hours, the state-run weather agency said on Tuesday. Weather specialist Patrick del Mundo of the Philippine Atmospheric ...
See Details:
Rain showers, thunderstorms over Luzon, including Metro Manila — Pagasa
-
Attention, Naruto fans! You can soon watch the famous anime’s live-action adaptation as it finally has a confirmed writer. According to a Variety report, the beloved manga and anime series is set to head to big screens for its live-action adaptation under Lionsgate. It will be written by Tasha Hao, ...
See Details:
'Naruto' live-action film adaptation is in the works
-
Attention, Naruto fans! You can soon watch the famous anime’s live-action adaptation as it finally has a confirmed writer. According to a Variety report, the beloved manga and anime series is set to head to big screens for its live-action adaptation under Lionsgate. It will be written by Tasha Hao, ...
See Details:
NASA Highlights Stingray Nebula
-
Attention, Naruto fans! You can soon watch the famous anime’s live-action adaptation as it finally has a confirmed writer. According to a Variety report, the beloved manga and anime series is set to head to big screens for its live-action adaptation under Lionsgate. It will be written by Tasha Hao, ...
See Details:
Manila's Lagusnilad underpass opens
-
Attention, Naruto fans! You can soon watch the famous anime’s live-action adaptation as it finally has a confirmed writer. According to a Variety report, the beloved manga and anime series is set to head to big screens for its live-action adaptation under Lionsgate. It will be written by Tasha Hao, ...
See Details:
China probes debt-ridden financial giant
-
Attention, Naruto fans! You can soon watch the famous anime’s live-action adaptation as it finally has a confirmed writer. According to a Variety report, the beloved manga and anime series is set to head to big screens for its live-action adaptation under Lionsgate. It will be written by Tasha Hao, ...
See Details:
China's VUCA situation
-
Attention, Naruto fans! You can soon watch the famous anime’s live-action adaptation as it finally has a confirmed writer. According to a Variety report, the beloved manga and anime series is set to head to big screens for its live-action adaptation under Lionsgate. It will be written by Tasha Hao, ...
See Details:
Unraveling the mystery that is diabetes
-
Attention, Naruto fans! You can soon watch the famous anime’s live-action adaptation as it finally has a confirmed writer. According to a Variety report, the beloved manga and anime series is set to head to big screens for its live-action adaptation under Lionsgate. It will be written by Tasha Hao, ...
See Details:
Bangladesh's nuke plant is not going to steal PH investments
OTHER NEWS
ALIW Awards Foundation Inc. President Alice H. Reyes has released the names of finalists for the 2023 Aliw Awards to be presented on Dec. 11, 2023, at the Manila Hotel ...
Read more »
WhatsApp Web gains the feature of single-view photos and videos (Photo: Unsplash) The WhatsApp Web, the desktop version of the popular messaging app from Meta, has received an update allowing ...
Read more »
Young athletes’ time to shine in Siklab Awards MANILA, Philippines — The future heroes of Philippine sports will be honored during the third Siklab Youth Sports Awards on Dec. 4 ...
Read more »
Graphics by Jannielyn Ann Bigtas A local government official said Monday that five to 10 barangays in Northern Samar are still isolated following the massive flooding in the area last ...
Read more »
DyipPay app lets you pay jeepney fare, book tricycles “Barya lang po sa umaga.” Everyone who rides jeepneys knows this rule: it may not be an actual law, but it’s ...
Read more »
Updated In-Season Tournament Bracket ahead of pool play finale Tuesday will mark the last day of pool play for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. From there, six first-place teams and ...
Read more »
PCG forms teams for maritime emergency response MANILA, Philippines — Recent incidents of fishermen lost in the waters off Southern Tagalog have prompted the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to form ...
Read more »