Undeniably, fans are enjoying Pokemon Legends Z-A. The sales number and the reviews speak for themselves. The urban jungle storytelling and modern flair really worked and that's a good thing. But even though Pokemon Legends Z-A is an innovative marvel, there are features in this game that we seem to miss.
Features or mechanics introduced in its older sibling, Pokemon Legends Arceus. This list will talk about the Hisuian mechanics that still visit our memories while running through the streets of Lumiose City.
Mechanics In Pokemon Legends Arceus That We Miss While Playing Pokemon Legends Z-A
There are mechanics introduced in Pokemon Legends Arceus that gave the players that unique feeling of survival and technique. Features like using items to enhance the catching experience or making your own items to take full advantage of the situation are experiences that made Pokemon Legends Arceus a beloved game by many players and influencers.
That's why it's kind of sad that Pokemon Legends Z-A removed all of these and sacrificed that sense of thrill. Let's talk about them further.
Using Tools To Enhance Catching Experience
For those who didn't play Pokemon Legends Arceus and are enjoying the catching mechanic of Legends Z-A, you have no idea what you are missing. In Legends Arceus, you can fling Spoiled Apricorns, Sticky Globs, or Mud Balls to enemy Pokemon to discombobulate them and make catching easier.
Berries were also used to strategically lure and position wild Pokemon to make sneaking more meaningful. This mechanic is gone from Pokemon Legends Z-A and sneaking is all we have.
Crafting To Have More Useful Items
One more mechanic that really added a level of satisfaction and achievement in Pokemon Legends Arceus is the crafting feature. In Legends Arceus, you can craft your own Pokemon items like balls, medicines, and tools using the raw items you collect in the overworld and the Crafting Kit or Crafting Table.
There was an extremely rewarding feeling in re-stocking your satchel with items that you created yourself by exploring Hisui. The resourcefulness also helped you in saving money and incentivized trying to collect all items you see.
Multiple Zones With Unique Biomes
In Pokemon Legends Z-A, we are introduced to Wild Zones where each area may feel distinct in terms of environmental feel with some snowing or some filled with sand. The bad thing about this is that they don't feel like wilderness but more like unregulated petting zoos. Wild Zones? Maybe Mild Zones.
Legends Arceus, on the other hand, gave us access to five huge open zones each having their own lore, biome, and difficulty level. This is the risk of having the whole game in a single city and Legends Arceus was so loved, there's an entire museum floor in Z-A dedicated to Hisuian culture and history.
Having Regional Forms
One of the most exciting things when new Pokemon games are announced is the Regional forms introduction to some of the Pokemon we already know or love. These variants give a design revamp and story enhancements to existing Pokemon and revitalize our affection for these creatures.
Pokemon like Hisuian Lilligant, Galarian Meowth, or Alolan Exeggcutor were very fun and refreshing. How many Kalos forms were introduced in Pokemon Legends Z-A? Zero. The focus was given to Mega Evolutions, and although that maybe a good thing, it still makes us curious what Kalosian forms could've looked like.
Ride Pokemon
A common gripe that players of Pokemon Legends Z-A have is that traversal in Lumiose City consists of walking, running, rolling, and more running. Boring and repetitive!
Pokemon Legends Arceus allowed players to summon various Pokemon to ride and make traversal much quicker and frankly, more fun. These ride Pokemon were also used to access areas that you can't access initially. It's a mechanic we truly miss and obviously, a very meaningful one.
Trade Evolution Items
For the uninitiated, items in Pokemon Legends Arceus like The Linking Cord, Magmarizer, or Reaper Cloth, allowed players to gain access to trade Pokemon without actually needing to trade. If that sounds awesome and convenient, that's because it is.
No need to go online just to complete the Pokedex. That's all gone in Pokemon Legends Z-A so making new friends and paying Nintendo switch Online subscription are necessary to fully experience the Lumiose Pokedex.
Don't get us wrong, Pokemon Legends Z-A is a very fun and customizable game. The structure of Legends Z-A is obviously gearing towards battling and the density of content is highly addicting. But that doesn't mean we don't miss the level of raw danger we felt in Pokemon Legends Arceus.
Again, there's a reason or reasons, why many fans consider Pokemon Legends Arceus their favorite title despite the release of Pokemon Legends Z-A. That's because Legends Arceus dared to bring us a feel of thrill and wilderness. Maybe someday, we will be taken back out there and experience these epic mechanics once more.