Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais set to be the next mainline entry in the franchise, and with it comes changes that make it stand out from previous entries. Based on the information people can obtain about it, it will certainly provide a unique experience, given its new take on gameplay and a setting that has yet to be seen. However, it is also because of how different it is that it makes a case forPokemon Legends: Z-Ato providesomething thatPokemon Scarlet and Violetlacked, which could result in the game gaining more popularity and success.
During the February 2025 Pokemon Presents, people were given a glimpse of what they could expect fromPokemon Legends: Z-A. With what was revealed, the game is bound to have what was missing inPokemon Scarlet and Violet: landmarks and attractions that helped provide an area with its identity. In the previous mainline entry, with very few exceptions, players could barely distinguish one town from another, as they had almost nothing that would have helped do so. WithPokemon Legends: Z-A’s settingcentralized around a brand-new version of the sixth generation’s popular Lumiose City, that problem will likely be non-existent.
How Pokemon Legends: Z-A Makes Up for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Cities
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s iteration of Lumiose Citywill certainly be an interesting place to explore, as it seems to be the only area that can be traveled in the game. Still, even with the likelihood of the next mainline entry being set solely in one metropolis, it alone can provide more than the cities ofPokemon Scarlet and Violetever did, given what it already has or plans to have:
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City likely won’t be smalland will definitely have a lot of things going for it, which could be Game Freak’s way of making up forPokemonScarlet and Violet’s cities' lack of character. If executed well and meets players' expectations, people might even see the problem of the previous mainline entry as a good thing, since it likely played a part in the development of something better.
What Pokemon Legends: Z-A Can Do to Flesh Lumiose City Out Even More
While there areLumiose City locationsplayers wantPokemon Legends: Z-Ato bring back, perhaps instead of putting in something old, new things can be added. There is a possibility of underground sections within the game, as Paris, the real-world city that the setting is themed after, is known for having them. This opens up many opportunities to include more interesting places to explore, such as railway systems beneath the earth, bars or shops that utilize the darkness, or even catacombs. Such additions can further establish the metropolis as a place to be excited about and give it more depth than the inhabited areas of the previous entry and the ones before it.
One of theexpectations set for thePokemonfranchise in 2025is forPokemon Legends: Z-Ato be released as a fantastic title, and given that it’s set in Lumiose City, it has a good chance of being so. So long as more effort is put into the game’s structures, landmarks, and attractions than those found, or missing from, inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, then it should not have any problems when it comes to finding success with fans.
