Summary
Pokemonhas always been about capturing and befriending monsters to do battle with. When it’s time to encounter other trainers, they are rarely known to provide much challenge, let alone twists and turns to the plot of the game. In this aspect,Pokemon Legends: Arceusstood out from the rest of the series, so much so that it’s hard to imaginePokemon Legends: Z-Abeing able to top it.
Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais the upcoming sequel toPokemon Legends: Arceus. ThePokemon Legendsseries so far tends to break away from other mainlinePokemongames in a variety of ways. For example,Legends: Arceusis set in the distant past ofDiamond and Pearl’s Sinnoh region, known then as the Hisui region. Likewise,Pokemonbattles are completely different inLegends: Arceusthanks to mechanics never seen before or since. Using the new battle system and this story premise, the game was able to present players with one of the best fights in the entire series.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Has Big Shoes to Fill
Pokemonis undoubtedly a series full of traditions, for better or for worse. There are plenty of aspects of the series that continue to be timeless, and some others which have felt dated for years. A great example of the latter isPokemon’s narrative simplicity. Villains vary from gangsters stealing other people’s Pokemon, to maniacs that want to destroy the world. Of course, this doesn’t mean there’s absolutely nodepth inPokemon’s villains, but it’s always pretty clear who the bad guy is supposed to be.
Pokemon’s Most Dramatic Twist
Yet again,Legends: Arceuswas able to break new ground.Legends: Arceustakes place in the distant past, and features many characters who are meant to be the ancestors of other characters in the series. Early on, players are introduced to Volo, an eccentric merchant. From his design, to his team, to his interest in ancient artifacts, it’s immediately clear that Volo is meant to be an ancestor of Cynthia, one ofPokemon’s most popular characters.
Cynthia is the champion of the Sinnoh region, and she is infamous for being one of the most difficult boss fights in the series. Despite the challenge she presented, she was a competent ally of the player. Similar to his descendant, Volo seems like a friendly guide to the player, even resembling therivals of any otherPokemongame.
The Toughest Fight in Pokemon’s History
That is, until players have fulfilled his request to collect the plates of Arceus. At that point, Volo reveals he has been manipulating the player for his own dark ambitions. Volo’s team imitates Cynthia’s, meaning he poses quite a challenge by himself. The stakes skyrocket when he does the unthinkable and summons Giratina thanks to the work the player did for him.
Pokemonmay not be known for complicated storylines, but it certainly isn’t known for being very difficult either. With a few notable exceptions, players can work with a great degree of freedom, and little effort to beat their opponents. Volo couldn’t be more different. Players had to use plenty of preparation and strategy if they wanted to even stand a chance atbeating Volo and Giratina.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Lost the Element of Surprise
Twist villains are incredibly hard to pull off.Pokemon Legends: Arceushad the benefit of a decades-long history of straightforward storytelling behind it. Even with the growingcomplexity in recentPokemongames, nobody was expecting the friendly character who had guided them the whole game to have such a sudden heel turn.
This putsGame Freak in a tricky situation. After all, lightning never strikes the same place twice. IfLegends: Z-Awas going to use a similar plot twist, it would be immediately obvious hours before the reveal. The reason the twist worked with Volo was that it was so unprecedented.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Will Have to Innovate Yet Again
IfLegends: Z-Awants to avoid being upstaged by its predecessor, the easiest solution is to refrain from trying its hand at another end-game twist villain. Instead, in the spirit of theLegendsseries,Pokemon Legends: Z-Awill have to try a new direction. Rather than intending to shock the player,Pokemon Legends: Z-Acan focus on the depth of its main villain.Pokemonisn’t known for its complex stories, but maybePokemon Legends: Z-Acould change that too.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
The sequel to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Legends: Z-A takes Pokemon trainers back to the Kalos region’s Lumiose City.
