Diving back into the Kalos region, “Pokémon Legends: Z-A” adds new, exciting experiences to the normal monster capture formula.

Using the same region introduced in “Pokémon X and Y,” released in 2013, the game takes place solely in Lumiose City.

The player arrives in Lumiose City and is recruited by a group of other teenagers, named Team MZ, to pacify the rogue mega-evolved Pokémon terrorizing the city. The player must climb the ranks of the newly founded ZA Royale and uncover the secrets of the city they call home.

Unlike other games in the franchise, “Pokémon Legends: Z-A” introduces a new way to battle with the Pokémon you catch. This new battle mechanic allows Pokémon to physically dodge attacks.

While it does take some getting used to, as with any new mechanic, once a player does it adds a challenging yet fun experience.

The game gives a player ample time to learn this new mechanic thanks to the game’s “battle zones,” which appear around the city randomly at night, during the “ZA Royale.” Story-wise, the player must climb the ranks from Z to A by battling trainers and winning promotion matches.

Early game, the “ZA Royale” is fun and challenging, with the city streets flowing with opponents to battle, but the further you make it in the game, it starts to feel like a chore to gather points to get the next promotion match. 

The promotion matches act as this game’s gym challenge, seen in the mainline games. The trainers, like gym leaders, specialize in one type of Pokémon. Unlike gym leaders, the characters you fight during promotion matches come back so often, forcing you to fight them again. This wouldn’t seem as bad if they didn’t use the same Pokémon each time.

The other big thing players will have to deal with during the game is Rogue Mega Evolution. Pokémon have popped up all around Lumiose and are mysteriously mega evolving without a trainer. These battles with these beefed-up Pokémon are reminiscent of the Frenzied Noble Pokémon found in the previous Legends game, “Pokémon Legends: Arceus.” The battles can vary in difficulty depending on your party of Pokémon. The Rogue Mega’s also target the player instead of the Pokémon, making you dodge some pretty huge attacks to save yourself. This is also used as a way to show some of the new megas created for this game.

The story is really where “Pokémon Legends: Z-A” shines. From cleaning up the alleys of the Pokémon Trubbish, to dealing with the literal mafia, you will find yourself sitting at the edge of your seat the further you get in the game. And the end will open the floodgates for any fan of the previous games.

The player’s central rival and leader of Team MZ, Taunie or Urbain (depending on the gender options you choose at the beginning of the game), often ends up being the voice of reason throughout the game.

Pokémon fans have been quick to point out that some textures on buildings are not fully rendered, making some doors and windows look painted. This has caused some division, with some fans calling the Pokémon Company lazy, while others love the game the way it is. While some buildings might not live up to the fans’ standards, each character and Pokémon model looks like it was created with heart and care.