Fans are still waiting for further news about Pokemon Legends: Z-A and hopes for the game remain high. The original Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a surprise hit with a number of fans despite some obvious technical shortcomings, offering a meaningfully different twist on the normal Pokemon gameplay and setting while retaining much of the quality associated with Game Freak’s Pokemon games. What Pokemon Legends: Z-A will add to that is currently unknown, but thanks to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet successfully crafting a true open world in the interim, there's reason to be excited about this title's potential.
All that remains is for a new trailer to launch and tell fans what Pokemon Legends: Z-A actually is. For better and for worse, rumors paint Legends: Z-A's release date as later in 2025, so it could take some time to get there. In the meantime, Pokemon fans have been squeezing the CG teaser and brief description of the game for every last drop of possible information. If one theory about players contributing to construction efforts in Lumiose City proves correct, then Pokemon Legends: Z-A would be well-served by taking a page out of Palworld’s book.
How Pokemon Legends: Z-A Relates To Palworld
Comparing the darkly comedic Palworld to its all-ages inspiration Pokemon isn't as fruitful as it seems, but these franchises could find common ground in Pokemon Legends. Palworld has plenty of Pal designs that draw from Pokemon, as well as some shared concepts and monster-catching mechanics, but its survival-crafting gameplay sets it apart. Even more so than its real-time combat, Palworld is defined by gathering, crafting, and base-building elements, which its Pals are literally in service of.
The accessible and automated way that Pals support construction has proven to be the unsung hero of Palworld's gameplay loop and one of the secrets to its success.
Where Palworld Could Inspire Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Assuming Pokemon Legends: Z-A is focused on the player contributing to the Lumiose City urban redevelopment project teased in its first trailer, it would be best realized with something like Palworld's building system. The more unethical elements from Palworld would be cut for Pokemon Legends, but that would leave room for Pokemon's more detailed combat, exploration, and storytelling to take its place. Different Pokemon using their natural strengths to aid in building future homes for humans and themselves would fit perfectly, and there's plenty that Pokemon Legends: Z-A could do with that.
Implementing Palworld's Building In Pokemon Legends: Z-A
There are several ways to justify a Pokemon-led building system in Legends: Z-A, starting with the Pokemon-catching focus established in the first Pokemon Legends. With Legends’ heightened catch rate, framing Pokemon as a temporary workforce that later moves into what they've built in the story, and as a special currency in gameplay, could help Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s narrative and Pokemon storage system synergize. On top of a plot-motivated general building project, there could also be particular areas where players get finer control over what is built and where. If nothing else, players should at least be able to commission and design their own apartments.
Adding Depth To Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Construction
Like Palworld, different Pokemon Types and species can specialize in specific tasks. The end goal for the Lumiose City redevelopment plan is to ensure the city is equally habitable for both people and Pokemon, so specific Pokemon could apply the elements they need to construction spaces.
For instance, Water Pokemon could make ponds, rivers, or a long-term project lake, while Grass Pokemon handle regular greenery, food, and forested areas. A lot of nuance could go into this, and having a mainline Pokemon game whose defining gimmick wasn't combat-related would also help Z-A stand out. There's no guarantee that Pokemon Legends: Z-A will head in this direction, but if it does, learning from Palworld’s approach won't lead it astray.
Pokemon Legends Z-A
- Released
- 2025
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
