The Pokémon Company recently released a detailed preview of the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, emphasizing gameplay features like ranking systems and Mega evolutions. Fans are excited to see what the spin-off series has to offer after Legends: Arceus‘ popularity and innovation. However, I felt a sense of disappointment as I clicked out of the game reveal. I understand that Pokémon games are constantly being criticized, and I do feel like I’m kicking a dead horse at this point, but I can’t help but kick harder when the newest game from the one of the largest intellectual properties is following the same footsteps as its predecessors.
How low is the bar?
Many people were quick to point out the graphical bugs that were scattered throughout the runtime of Legends: Z-A during both the debut trailer, and the gameplay preview that was released four months ago. The sloppy use of elements like windows and texture pop-ins were apparent but a step up from it’s previous title, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Though an improvement, the bar becomes apparent when you begin to compare it to other titles. The Pokémon games are frequently criticized for their graphics, and when switch hardware restrictions get brought up, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the recently ported Xenoblade Chronicles: X were the most common comparisons.
Although many people have legitimate complaints about the series’ graphics, my own grievance lies elsewhere. The characters that were introduced in the previously mentioned Legends: Z-A preview were what truly grabbed my attention. From Corbeau, the gloomy boss of a crime syndicate, to Emma, an ambitious detective, the preview revealed characters that seemed to hold a great importance to the overall story of the new series installment. Important enough to warrant a voice. However, that’s exactly what my issue has been with not just Legends: Z-A, but for the past handful of titles. Lack of voice acting is something that I had a grudge against Pokémon titles since their Gen 8 debut, Sword and Shield.
What Needs To Change
With character designs so well done, it’s almost disrespectful to not give these characters a voice to speak with. With voices adding a whole other layer of interactivity, they also provide an immersive experience to further lure in a players attention. Corbeau with a demanding yet slick voice could highlight his sly and untrustworthy nature. The need for voice acting is proven further by the lively character animations given to each character. In the same overview trailer, we see Corbeau looking annoyed with a visible vein popping out across his forehead. When emotions such as anger, distaste or joy are being portrayed so vibrantly onto these characters, the lack of voices make the immersion come crumbling down.
A common argument against voice acting in Pokémon games is the budget and time needed for Game Freak to hire voice actors and record the necessary dialogue. I believe budget shouldn’t be a factor whatsoever. Game Freak’s pockets run deep, and that’s not even considering additional funding from Nintendo. Hiring the talent shouldn’t be an issue at all, and time shouldn’t be either. Pokémon seem to have slowly strayed away from yearly release schedules for their mainline games ever since 2023. Spreading titles across a handful of years gives developers plenty of time to craft a title worthy of it’s $70 (USD) pricing. Throwing in voice acting with years of development planned out shouldn’t be too much of an ask when you have a budget as big as Game Freak.
Verdict
My dissatisfaction with Pokémon Legends: Z-A isn’t a result of pessimism; rather, it’s a grief rooted in a franchise that has so much potential yet keeps settling for less. Though there are hints of interesting characters and creative ambition, they are continuously overshadowed by outdated decisions and a refusal to evolve in certain areas. Specifically with the lack of immersive storytelling through voice acting. None of these issues exist because the bar is too high, but rather because Game Freak won’t even try, and for a property as big and well-liked as Pokémon, that’s just not good enough anymore.
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