Pokémon Legends: Z-A is an action RPG from Game Freak that fits the whole adventure into one city. In Lumiose City you catch Pokémon, battle in real time and chase down Mega Evolutions. The game came out on October 16, 2025 for Nintendo Switch and at the same time as a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. In this review we tell you what the game does well, where it stumbles and whether it’s for you.
Review
Pokémon Legends: Z-A
The boldest Pokémon game in years: real-time battles, Mega Evolution and a packed Lumiose City. Critics praise the ideas and the smooth performance on Switch 2. Points off for dated visuals, a single city instead of an open world and online play locked behind a subscription.
- Genre
- Action RPG
- Developer
- Game Freak (published by Nintendo)
- Release
- October 16, 2025
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 (Switch 2 Edition)
- Price
- Switch €59.99, Switch 2 Edition €69.99 (eShop)
- Players
- 1, local and online 2–4
What works
- Real-time battles, a first for the main series
- Mega Evolution, alpha Pokémon and Rogue Mega Evolution
- Higher frame rate and resolution on Switch 2
- Big Mega Dimension DLC with another story
What doesn’t
- Visuals well behind current games
- The whole game is in one city, exploration is limited
- Online battles only with paid Nintendo Switch Online
- Players on Metacritic are far harsher than critics
Rated on critic reception as of October 21, 2026 · Metacritic 78 (Switch 2 Edition, 112 reviews, platform with the most reviews) · Pokémon Legends: Z-A isn’t on Steam, so there are no Steam player ratings
What Pokémon Legends: Z-A is about
The whole story takes place in Lumiose City. The city is being redeveloped so that people and Pokémon can live there together, and you’re part of it. At the start you pick a partner: Chikorita, Tepig or Totodile. Wild zones are scattered around the city, where you catch wild Pokémon, meet stronger alpha Pokémon and run into Rogue Mega Evolution, Pokémon whose Mega Evolution has gone out of control.
The big change is in the battles. For the first time in the main series, battles happen in real time, with no waiting for your turn. On top of that, Mega Evolution is back.
Z-A Battle Club and playing with others
You face other players in the Z-A Battle Club. Link Battles support up to 4 players online and locally and have a 3-minute limit. In Ranked Battles you climb from Rank Z up to Rank A. Online play requires a paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Mega Dimension DLC
The paid Mega Dimension DLC came out on December 10, 2025 and is another story that unlocks only after you finish the main game. Spatial distortions appear around Lumiose City and Hoopa helps you into hyperspace. It adds new Mega Evolutions, such as Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y. On Thursday, October 29, 2026, a Switch 2 Edition bundle with Mega Dimension on a single game card comes out.
What critics praise and what bothers players
On Metacritic, the Switch 2 Edition has the most reviews: 78 points from 112 reviews. The original Switch version has 70 points, but from only 9 reviews. VGC gave it 100 and writes that the Legends series is home to the most interesting ideas Game Freak has. Germany’s 4P.de gave it 90, called Z-A the best game Game Freak has delivered in the last ten years and praised the seamless catching and fighting. Spain’s Nintenduo also gave 90; it praises the combat but finds exploration limited.
Criticism is mostly about the tech. Italy’s The Games Machine gave it 60 and writes that the good ideas are drowned out by shoddy graphics and simplistic dialogue. Jim Sterling (The Jimquisition) gave it 40 and called it a budget game at a premium price. Players on Metacritic are even harsher: the user score is 4.8 out of 10 from 4,211 ratings.
Switch or Switch 2 Edition
The Switch 2 Edition runs at a higher frame rate and resolution. Nintendo doesn’t give exact numbers. It only plays on Switch 2. If you put a Switch 2 Edition card into an original Switch, the regular Switch version starts without the improvements. If you own the Switch version and moved to Switch 2, you don’t need to buy the game again; the upgrade pack is enough.
Price, Pokémon HOME and languages
In the Nintendo eShop (Germany) as of October 20, 2026, the Switch version costs €59.99, the Switch 2 Edition €69.99, the upgrade pack €9.99 and the Mega Dimension DLC €29.99. All prices and versions are in our Pokémon Legends: Z-A price guide.
Since February 27, 2026, the game works with Pokémon HOME. You can send Pokémon from Z-A to HOME and bring selected Pokémon from older games into Lumiose City. It doesn’t work the other way: nothing goes from Z-A to older games. The steps are in our HOME transfer guide. The game is available in Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean and Chinese.
Who Pokémon Legends: Z-A is for (and who it isn’t)
It’s for you if classic turn-based battles have started to bore you and you want Pokémon that plays differently. It also suits those who grew up with Pokémon X and Y, since VGC describes the game as a love letter to exactly them, and Switch 2 owners, where it runs best.
Skip it if you expect a big open world or visuals on par with current games. The whole game is in one city and technically it trails the competition. And if you want to battle online, budget for Nintendo Switch Online.
Verdict: Is Pokémon Legends: Z-A worth it?
Yes, especially on Switch 2. Real-time battles are the biggest change to the series in years. We’re giving it 8/10.
Z-A follows Legends: Arceus and tries things the main series won’t touch. Critics praise its battles and ideas; complaints target the dated visuals, the limited exploration of a single city and online play that requires a subscription.
Playing Pokémon Legends: Z-A? All our guides are on the Pokémon hub. Prices for the game, the Switch 2 Edition and the Mega Dimension DLC are in our price and versions guide, and the Pokémon HOME transfer guide explains how to move Pokémon from Z-A to HOME. You can find battle partners on the GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
We’re giving it 8 out of 10. The game isn’t on Steam, so the score is based on critic ratings: the Switch 2 Edition has 78 on Metacritic from 112 reviews. Critics praise the real-time battles and Mega Evolution; complaints target the visuals and limited exploration.
In the Nintendo eShop (Germany) as of October 20, 2026, the Switch version costs €59.99, the Switch 2 Edition €69.99 and the upgrade pack from the Switch version €9.99. The Mega Dimension DLC costs €29.99.
Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 Edition has a higher frame rate and resolution and only plays on Switch 2. The game isn’t on PC or other consoles.
Another story that unlocks after you finish the main game. It came out on December 10, 2025 and adds new Mega Evolutions, such as Mega Raichu X and Y. A Switch 2 Edition bundle with the DLC on one card comes out on October 29, 2026.
Only for online battles. You play the story without a subscription; Link Battles and Ranked Battles over the internet require paid Nintendo Switch Online.
Yes, since February 27, 2026. You can send Pokémon from Z-A to HOME and bring selected Pokémon from older games into Z-A, but not from Z-A into older games. It connects only through the Switch version of HOME.
This review is based on critic scores on Metacritic, on reviews from VGC, 4P.de, Nintenduo, The Games Machine and The Jimquisition, and on official information from The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. Information verified on October 21, 2026. All our guides are on the Pokémon hub.