What's always made Pokemon special, from first booting up the classics on Game Boy to the first episode of the anime, is how it sells us a dream of life in its magical world. That idea of befriending a whole host of loveable creatures, adventuring alongside them, and coexisting together. Finally, in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, it really feels like I can be a part of that world, and is the closest I've come since watching the anime.
12 years since the release of Pokemon X and Y, and as the second game to don the 'Legends' title after 2022's well-received Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Legends: Z-A has big shorts to fill. It fills them admirably, feeling comfier and easier to wear than ever. More importantly, it proves that the Legends moniker is more than a sub-series to the beloved turn-based series, managing to innovate and offer a totally fresh experience that pushes Pokemon as a whole forward.
