Pokemon Legends: Z-Aseems to be taking some risks with the formula pioneered by its predecessor,Pokemon Legends: Arceus, and depending on how they are executed, could make or break the experience. One major change fromLegends: Arceusis thatPokemon Legends: Z-Atakes place entirely within Lumiose City. While the gameplay that has been shown reveals the ways the city has adapted to incorporate wild mons, it may still feel limited aesthetically compared toPokemon Legends: Arceus' vast Hisui landscape.
Despite being set withinLumiose City,Pokemon Legends: Z-Ahas been confirmed to feature Wild Zones as part of the project to make the city a place where both people and Pokemon can live together in harmony. Players can battle and catch wild critters within the Wild Zones, and it seems like there will be quite a few for players to explore. However, the nature of taking place entirely within a city meansPokemon Legends: Z-Amay be limited in the environmental design department, giving the game quite the challenge to live up to the diverse biomes ofPokemon Legends: Arceus' Hisui Region.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Will Need to Find a Way to Escape the Concrete Jungle
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumoise City Could Start to Look the Same Even with its Wild Zones
Although not a lot has been shown of the different Wild Zones players will be able to explore around Lumiose City, the official map of the game reveals what appear to be different districts with unique motifs. Even with different design motifs, architecture, and environmental features, the different Wild Areas ofPokemon Legends: Z-Amay not be able to replicate the level of diversity found withinPokemon Legends: Arceus' maps. The limitations of a city meanPokemon Legends: Z-A’s mapwill still likely be built around a cityscape backdrop, potentially hindering the game from achieving the same range of geographical features asLegends: Arceus' different areas.
Lumiose City does offerPokemon Legends: Z-Athe chance to stand out fromLegends: Arceuswith the more modern feel of a bustling metropolis compared to the untamed wilds of theHisui Region 100 years in the past. The advantage this city environment gives the game is the potential verticality ofPokemon Legends: Z-A’s map design, with players shown being able to climb atop buildings and find wild mons on rooftops. However, without different geographical features to break up the landscape, this type of level design runs the risk of feeling repetitive.
Lumiose City’s Wild Zones May Face an Uphill Battle Compared to the Hisui Region’s Map
Pokemon Legends: Arceusdoesn’t feature a fully open world, but several open zones for players to explore that each feature a unique type of environment. From the marshes of theCrimson Mirelandsto the beaches of the Cobalt Coastlands and the winding cliffs of the Coronet Highlands, each of the areas players can explore inPokemon Legends: Arceushas its own unique look and feel.
WhilePokemon Legends: Z-A’s map could theme the different sections of the city after a series of similar environment types, the ever-present features of a city like its buildings, roads, and inhabitants may end up feeling much more indistinguishable than the areas ofHisui inPokemon Legends: Arceus. A key part ofPokemon Legends: Z-A’s success will be how it manages to make the different Wild Zones throughout Lumiose City feel unique as the game progresses. The features possible in a city— such as fountains, canals, and parks—could form the basis for individual zone identities, but these may not feel as natural as the caves, mountains, and lakes of the Hisui Region.
