I have just finished Pokemon Legends Z-A and have clocked in around 45 hours. But honestly? It kind of felt longer than that. Don't get me wrong, the game's toy-like but clean visuals, vibin' soundtrack, and battle mechanics were awesome, but some things about the game make it difficult for a replay.
If you have finished Pokemon Legends Z-A and have put in all the effort and the hours to enjoy it, I'm sure you'll find something here that you can relate to, because this doesn't just seem to be a "me" issue.
What Makes Pokemon Legends Z-A Bad For Replayability?
There are a lot of factors I have observed, but it mostly boils down to dialogue, hectic gameplay, and traversal limitations. I'm sure if you have seen the credits of Pokemon Legends Z-A roll, you are already starting to feel the bad times creeping in.
If you want to learn more and dig deeper, keep reading, and let's dive into what makes Pokemon Legends Z-A the Pokemon title with the worst replayability.
Too Long of a Tutorial
This is something that many players have complained about, some even expressing that the tutorial for them was 2 to 3 hours. And I cannot agree more because mine felt like 2 hours as well! I fully understand that Pokemon Legends Z-A boasts new and exciting mechanics, but does the tutorial really have to be a snooze-fest? The tutorial alone is already making my replay feel boring.
Games like Monster Hunter offer a training ground area for you to experiment with your moves, and it allows the player to learn the game by themselves. It feels like, as time goes on, Game Freak makes the tutorial segments of their titles longer and longer.
Run, Run, and Run Again?
My first 3DS game was Pokemon X and Y, and one part that made that game feel diverse and fun was the ride Pokemon, the roller skates, and the ever-so-present bike. In Pokemon Legends Z-A, it's just you and your feet, bud. Granted, you can ride taxis to roam the city, but those items on the streets, rooftops, and alleyways? Forget them.
Even the added "parkour" (which is a stretch to call it that) system is just you jumping an artificial hurdle over and over again without any of the thrill. I'd choose riding Gogoat around Lumiose over gliding the urban landscape using my Rotom phone any time of the day.
Dialogue? More Like Dia-long!
In relation to the tutorial, you know one thing that sticks with you from the start? The dialogue. It takes so long that a controller with a turbo function is just a necessity. If you think Pokemon Legends Arceus gave life to endless spoon-feeding of information, this title is an IV drip of redundant text clouds.
From the tutorial to the main missions, all the way to the supposed climactic finale, the lines are just a repetitive, uninteresting group of words, obviously targeted towards children. At least Legends Arceus had the stones to give us some of the realest, drama-heavy text speeches, but this? Voice acting starts to look good now, huh?
The Battle Feels Awesome But...
To be fair, I think everyone agrees that if there's one thing done absolutely right in Pokemon Legends Z-A, it's the new battle mechanic. The new combat gameplay allows and incentivizes you to move around the battlefield to look for a good position or to dodge incoming attacks. This was addicting, at first.
As the game goes on and enemy Pokemon become tougher, the battles last longer. In Pokemon Legends Z-A, staying still in battle is possible, but you're always at risk of losing. So the constant need to move means rotating those thumbsticks, triggering those shoulder buttons, and smashing those face buttons. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I miss the turn-based combat of older titles.
Almost Non-Existent Postgame
We all know by now why Pokemon Legends Z-A seems to have one of the most lackluster post-game experiences in all of Pokemon. If you say DLC, then you're absolutely right. It's scary to think that Game Freak might really be cutting off content just to wiggle it in front of us as paid content. So without the DLC, there's just no incentive to replay Pokemon Legends Z-A.
And to be completely honest? Even if I had the money and will to pay for the DLC, it doesn't really look that appealing. From what we know so far, it's just a mirror version of the city we already tediously explored, but with stronger Pokemon and some other minor changes.
Do you agree with this? No need to ask because I'm sure you do. Pokemon Legends Z-A is like one of those extreme and exotic foods you see abroad and on TikTok. Good for the first time, but never again.
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