The official Pokémon account has posted this very simple message which is very hype nonetheless. And with three emojis that truly convey everything you need to know – Battle, Train, and Mega Evolve. The last one is what everyone is talking about as Mega Evolution hasn’t been a major feature since the X and Y era, right? And now it is coming back to what seems to be a completely new look for Lumiose City. The trailer presents this fabulous city in such a way that the detail level is much higher than anything we have seen in the most recent Pokémon games and, frankly, it makes the open world of Scarlet and Violet look a bit basic.
Although the replies section is already a battlefield, like some are super excited while others are not. One user named Chirag_S_kotian wrote in all caps “Mega Evolve is all I needed to hear!” which is like, same? The introduction of this mechanic along with what seems to be real-time battles can totally change our perception of Pokémon battles. But then there are Jadenfire-like individuals who consider the game to be “a lot of steps back” compared to their expectations. Lior_Solwen sought to clarify that “this is literally a spin-off game” but then Demon492 entered the chat to correct them with “Game Freak and Pokémon as a whole have told us that Legends Games are mainline games” so, I suppose, the discussion on what is mainline continues.
What is truly intriguing is that the urban-only strategy has divided the community. Some members like ryudabear have already pre-ordered the game and are “ready to explore the beautiful city” while others think that the classic paths and wild areas will be gone forever. One user even pondered if the players could actually go into the shops this time around instead of just dealing with the menus, which honestly, yeah that would be cool? The previous games have been somewhat careless regarding the interiors.
The pre-orders are now up through the Pokémon Store link in the tweet, but Darkburst_ was already asking when their pre-order would be shipped, which seems… early considering we are still a few months away from the release date. Then there is the whole language support issue with LFeler6 suggesting “Maybe the game would be better with PT-BR language” which is a valid point about accessibility.
Still, no one is saying anything about this game being the one that could determine the future of Pokémon on Switch 2? As the visuals in the teaser are already a lot more impressive than Scarlet and Violet, and if they are to use a gigantic single-city atmosphere, they might be exhausting the hardware limits right before the next console comes out. Not to mention the use of “real-time battles,” I wonder if we are going to get something nearly as interactive as Pokken Tournament or if it will be more Legends Arceus’s action-oriented approach.
Nevertheless, the timing is simply perfect – October gives the gamers just enough time to finish off any summer titles they were playing before delving into what might be the most significant Pokémon release since… well, since Legends Arceus actually. And now with Mega Evolution already granted, the speculations about which Pokémon will get new mega forms are already going haywire online. Apart from Mega Flygon and Mega Dragonite, who else could get mega forms? And what if we are also given some utterly shocking choices?? The imaginations are really crazy if you think about it.
Some of the replies are just pure insanity – ShySpinel all of a sudden asked for the Nekopara games in the comments? And David H Brown is telling people that they “don’t deserve” pre-orders for some reason, thus, he is out here. The Internet still prevails when it comes to the oddest comment sections.
In the end, however, Pokémon Legends ZA is still the difference maker for the franchise – an urban adventure that is concentrated and might actually satisfy the “living in a Pokémon world” fantasy that the games have been hinting at for years.
The hype has yet to be justified, but for the majority of the trainers, October 16th has already become too late! The return of Mega Evolution is already great news, but if the battle system and the world aspect also perform their roles? This could be a game that will be talked about for decades.
