Closing out Pokemon Day today was a new trailer for Pokemon Legends: Z-A. The latest installment in the serieswas first announced last year, but we haven't really learned much about it since then. Today's trailer serves as our deepest dive yet into the highly anticipated game.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A will take place in Lumiose City, the largest city in the Kalos region. This actually isn't the first time we've seen Lumiose City as it first appeared in 2013's Pokemon X and Pokemon Y. But the city has changed quite a bit since then; an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place in which both people and Pokemon can cohabit. Buildings have a more cutting-edge feel to them, and there's more greenery as the city as been outfitted with "wild zones" where you can battle Pokemon and catch them with Poke Balls. Wild Pokemon can be caught in either wild zones or while out and about in Lumiose City.
After arriving in the city, players will meet the three starter Pokemon: Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile. As per usual, you'll select one of them to become your first Pokemon partner. And that's when your journey will begin!
Hotel Z will serve as your base and is where you will meet with your friends to tackle all sorts of incidents that happen in the city. One of the first friends you'll make in the game will be either Urbain or Taunie. The appearance you choose at the beginning of hte game will determine which one of them will appear. You'll also meet AZ, the owner of Hotel Z who stands over nine feet tall and claims to be three thousand years old. Other characters highlighted include Jett, the CEO of Quasartico Inc., a large corporation driving Lumiose's urban redevelopment plan, as well as Vinnique, Jett's secretary.
The trailer also gives us our best look at the revamped gameplay in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Whereas in previous titles, Pokemon took action once per turn, Pokemon Legends: Z-A makes it more real-time. Players and Pokemon now move around in real time during battles, and Pokemon will unleash their moves when their Trainers command them to.
There will also be other things to consider besides type matchups. Things like precise timing for swapping our your Pokemon or using moves, the different lengths of time it takes to launch a move, and how big of an area the moves will impact are all factors to consider during battle. In other words, combat is going to feel a lot more fast-paced, intense, and action-oriented.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is set to release on Nintendo Switch, and on the upcoming Switch 2, in late 2025.