As more details are revealed regarding the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A title, additional gameplay mechanics, changes, and available Pokemon have been uncovered. One significant aspect shown in trailers and gameplay is the change to battling. Traditionally, Pokemon games use turn-based combat. However, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is introducing a much more dynamic battle system in which players will control their Trainer and the Pokemon itself, switching up the formula for battles.
This has caused a significant divide among fans, with eager enthusiasts seeing their battling hopes and dreams realized, while those who favor the traditional style have their worries. We’ve outlined five of the most positive and five of the most negative aspects that switching to a dynamic battling system can bring to the future of Pokemon games. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Steps Away From ‘Coziness’ That Fans Are Used To
Negative Aspect
One of the most significant concerns voiced by fans following the reveal of Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s battle mechanics is the erasure of turn-based combat. This is a big design choice, and many see it as a negative that takes away one of the ‘cozy’ elements of Pokemon. Even as someone in favor of the new battle changes, I can admit that I very much understand this concern.
To someone who just wants to relax and enjoy battles at their own pace, changing to a real-time, dynamic battle style may be a shift in the wrong direction. After all, those who are just trying to unwind with the beloved nostalgia of Pokemon after a long day certainly don’t want the annoyance of having to mash buttons to survive every encounter with another Trainer. This might also increase the difficulty for younger Pokemon fans, perhaps making battles a little too difficult for all of the Youngster Joeys out there.
More Immersion of Being a Pokemon Trainer
Positive Aspect
Let’s be real, so many Pokemon fans have been dreaming of the perfect hypothetical Pokemon game that immerses you in the role of the Trainer. Several gameplay mechanics have evolved with technology to try and achieve this, such as physically throwing Poke Balls via JoyCons in the Pokemon: Let’s Go! Series. Additionally, the more open-world approach that Pokemon Scarlet & Violet took allowed players to decide where their Trainer explored and when.
Adding more life to Pokemon battles is an interesting step to take in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. This seems to play out more like the Pokemon anime, where Trainers can command their Pokemon on where and when to move, potentially dodging and countering attacks. Adding more control over the battle in this way adds to the whole Trainer experience, helping gamers feel like they’re really out there on the battlefield with their little buddies.
Strategic Moves and Setups Likely Affected
Negative Aspect
There are so many different layers of strategy involved in the current Pokemon system. From self-buff abilities, terrain changing, hold items, the STAB mechanic, move orders, and choosing when to switch in/out. Everything plays a vital role in success or failure. This successful formula has been used for decades. It’s both easy and familiar for new players to pick up, yet highly customizable in the hands of veteran Ace Trainers and Pokemon Champions.
Changing the formula from this turn-based process to a dynamic battle system would impact how battle strategy works. Planning your switchouts tactically in advance will be less viable, the moving frequency (and possible hit accuracy) of your Pokemon may suffer depending on your ability to aim, and some abilities and moves may even need a complete rework to function under this format. Understandably so, this has caused some skepticism from battle strategists around the world.
More Replay Incentive For Wild / Trainer Battles
Positive Aspect
Personally, one of the greatest struggles I tend to experience when I hit the late-game stages of a new Pokemon title, is boredom with the repetition of wild and Trainer battles. Over time, seeing every new Trainer and monster sprite/model becomes less exciting, and battles start to feel repetitive.
As a result, I tend to just end up going out of my way to avoid encounters and battles altogether, or spend my time rapid-spamming powerful moves to speedrun through each accidental encounter I do happen to trip. Adding a dynamic battle system helps to remedy this, as battles as a whole will tend to be much more interactive. Knowing that I will be controlling when and where my Pokemon attacks makes things much more exciting, and I can see myself more invested in even those classic last ‘chore’ fights scattered through the game.
Potential Nerf or Impact on Multi-Turn Attacks
Negative Aspect
Another potential mechanic that could be negatively impacted by the shift to a dynamic Pokemon battle style is multi-turn attacks. These moves have existed since the early Pokemon games, with Hyper Beam becoming iconic over the years.
In the turn-based battle system, a Pokemon would prepare Hyper Beam by spending a turn charging up. Then, on the next turn, they would unleash this power to cause massive damage to the enemy, hitting significantly harder than most other moves. With a hands-on battle system, would that make Pokemon a sitting duck to the enemy during the ‘charge time’ of such attacks? If so, that could make them much less viable, so how the system works around this will be crucial.
The Change for a New Era of Pokemon Battles
Positive Aspect
The Legends titles tend to have a history of testing new potential mechanics in Pokemon games. For example, in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the game began to lean more towards an open-world approach, where Pokemon would attack the trainer to trigger battles.
Similar gameplay aspects were also later seen in Scarlet & Violet, which were the first true open-world entries in the series, utilizing similar wild Pokemon mechanics. If a new hands-on battle system is a hit in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, this could change the future of Pokemon battling for good.
Significant Impact on Competitive Pokemon Scene
Negative Aspect
If a dynamic battle system takes off from Legends: Z-A as the new norm, this would surely have to extend to Competitive Play. If such a pivotal shift occurs, the Competitive Pokemon world would undergo a big change – and not necessarily in a positive way. The most significant impact to consider is the types of players who wind up investing their time in the competitive scene.
Not every prime strategist is going to be as smooth at executing their strategies in a dynamic battle format. As a result, this would likely cause at least some shift of Competitive Players giving it up once the turn-based formula they had grown to master gets thrown out the window. However, this may also offer a road into Competitive Play for those who aren’t as fond of the high strategy involved, making the concept a bit of a double-edged sword.
Open New Sections of Competitive Play
Positive Aspect
As briefly touched on above, the potential of switching to a dynamic battle system in the future of Pokemon would be a massive change to the Competitive Play system. If real-time battles replace the standard turn-based format, the community would likely witness the fall of many longtime competitive players. However, this would also create an opportunity for new players who are much better in dynamic format to shine.
If the series can keep both a turn-based format and a dynamic format in Competitive Play, this could be huge. Through this approach, they could keep the turn-based system in competitive battling under a ‘classic’ label. Then, an additional pool or bracket for those who prefer the newer, real-time format could run alongside it. This also wouldn’t be the first time Competitive Pokemon has had different categories (Singles, Doubles, etc), so this isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Type / Move Checking Likely Affected
Negative Aspect
One of the key advantages of Pokemon’s classic turn-based battles is the ability to take your time when selecting a move, item, or switch, allowing you to strategize carefully. This includes checking your Pokemon’s profile, reviewing move descriptions, considering damage potential, and thinking about type matchups. With a turn-based system, you can weigh your options, think about the effectiveness of your moves, and decide which one is best for the current situation.
In contrast, a dynamic battle system would likely remove this freedom, potentially adding unnecessary pressure. Without the ability to pause and take a moment to review things, you’d be forced to make quick decisions on the fly, or pause the game and interrupt the flow of battle (if that’s even an option). This could create a much more frantic and stressful experience, where every moment counts and decisions are rushed. As a result, Trainers may need to go back to the way of studying and memorizing Type charts and alignments for each monster and moveset – which could be seen as a negative.
Dynamic or Turn-Based Battles Toggle
Positive Aspect
Just as having two potential systems in Competitive Pokemon seems viable, having a choice between which battle system is used in general gameplay would be a brilliant way to keep everyone happy. If Pokemon Legends: Z-A, or any other title that borrows and adapts this newer battle format truly wishes to bring players from both sides together, then a simple toggle feature in the settings would be great.
Traditionally, players have been able to toggle between ‘Set Battles’ and ‘Shift Battles’, which determine whether or not you get the option to switch Pokemon when your opponent brings a new monster onto the field. While it’s unclear how plausible such an option could be, including something similar for ‘Turn-Based’ or ‘Real-Time’ options could be enough to make a huge positive impact on the future of Pokemon. While this may not be seen in Legends: Z-A itself, as this title was developed for the Switch, newer Pokemon games that make use of the Switch 2’s hardware upgrades could certainly tap into this territory.
Published: Mar 14, 2025 8:12 AM UTC