Pokemon Legends Z-A Can Finally Fix X & Y’s Failures

Pokemon X & Y hold a really special place in my heart. I was still a teen, thrust out into the world and forced to figure everything out on my own. I was living in a hotel not sure what to do and barely starting to dive into video game journalism. It was a rough time and one of the few highlights then was X & Y. But the ultimately mess release of Pokemon X & Y can finally be fixed with Legends Z-A’s release.

I still remember the midnight launch I went to for Pokemon X & Y at the local mall like yesterday. I was living across the street and working there at the mall part-time. This rather low point in my life was rescued by Pokemon X & Y and Final Fantasy XIV, the latter of which you likely see me talk about all the time here.

However, I rarely talk about how important X & Y were to me. Despite being one of my least favorite games in the series, I played them more than any else. I spent upwards of a thousand hours in these two versions. I collected every Pokemon, completed the Pokedex for the first time, hunted for shinies for hundreds of hours, and so much more.

You could say I see the potential in these games more than most because of my time with it. The region of Kalos is beautifully messy. The experiment with 3D was rough but it still had some great towns and areas. I mean Lumiose City still is up there as one of the best, most unique cities in the franchise.

But there are so many flaws, too. For one, there is the unbelievably short length of the story. I beat it in about 15 hours the first time, which is far shorter than any other game to date. In addition, the region feels incomplete with the lack of a Southern Kalos area to explore. Not to mention, everything is so linear and far more than other entries. Of course, there is even easier than usual difficulty.

Pokemon X & Y feel more incomplete and rushed than any other entry in the series to date. This is especially noticeable in places like the Power Plant. There are also so few new Pokemon. It is all shame because what is here is excellent. The new Pokemon, including the legendaries and the likes of Hawlucha, Greninja, Aegislash, Mega Evolutions, and the Fairy typing are some of the best additions in the series’ history.

Even the story had so much potential. The final cutscene with AZ after the battle is a real tearjerker. I mean, look at the anime adaptation and you will see this in, in my opinion, the best overall season of the entire anime series. With all of this said, Pokemon X & Y have a second chance with Legends Z-A.

If this upcoming game wants to be the best it can be, it should honestly just be a Pokemon X & Y sequel. This would be quite different from the previous Legends game that was both a prequel and the start of a new gameplay style. But this is the one chance to fix Pokemon X & Y‘s failures.

For starters, there is the lack of Mega Evolutions. Gen 6’s first games only saw the release of a handful of Megas and not a single one from this particular Generation other than Diancie. That is honestly a shame. Give the likes of the three Kalos starters, Noivern, Hawlucha, Florges, and perhaps some of the legendaries a Mega.

Furthermore, make Lumiose City fully explorable. From what we know, the game takes place entirely in the city. So, this means no Southern Kalos or Power Plant. However, if the entire city is explorable Grand Theft Auto-style, this makes up for that. Have interiors of buildings to explore, NPCs to get side quests from, and parks to adventure through.

Above all else, this game needs a challenge and to feel complete. I’m not sure it needs the Gym Challenge, but this would be a nice touch. If it doesn’t have Gyms, though, it needs an equivalent like much more trainer battles in the vein of the final one in Legends Arceus. The story needs to be more fleshed out as well with intriguing villains and arcs.

Pokemon Legends Z-A is finally the chance to give Kalos the proper treatment. More Mega Evolutions, a complete story, and a more detailed region to check out. All this while, hopefully, offering better visuals and performance than the original Pokemon X & Y, at least presumably on the Nintendo Switch 2. X & Y are the dark sheep of the Pokemon series, but it doesn’t have to remain that way if The Pokémon Company fixes those many mistakes with Legends Z-A.

Pokemon Legends Z-A launches for Nintendo Switch sometime in 2025.