Leaning more towards no faith, unfortunately. My main complaint is the change in art style. Pokemon had a distinct and consistent look to it from RG all the way to USUM, a span of over 20 years. Legends Arceus did a great job translating Ken Sugimori's artwork from Diamond and Pearl into 3D, and the art direction throughout the game was consistent and appealing despite hardware limitations. Legends Z-A however just opted to use the art style from Scarlet and Violet. It's particularly jarring since XY featured Sugimori's art heavily in battle intros, and even the highpoly models used in cutscenes look a lot closer to the models in SM and PLA. It may be a matter of preference, but it really does feel that the series lost something when the old art style was abandoned. The new style is also just incredibly unappealing to me As for the gameplay it doesn't look particularly interesting. Restraining the game to a single city really limits its scope, and the Z-A Royale doesn't look like it has much to it either. Overall the gameplay just seems incredibly repetitive and one-note. The story could be promising, however. There's a lot to work with from the original games, and it being a sequel means they have more of an opportunity to build on top of what's already there instead of making a mostly self-contained story. That seems unlikely however, since ZA doesn't have the benefit of releasing alongside a remake that gets the new fans up to speed. Regardless if the story is a large focus and well written it could help hold the game together despite how bare bones everything else looks.

>>6 I think it will be an extremely underwhelming experience that leaves tons of potential on the table and makes tons of amateur game dev mistakes that will leave people wanting more in the next game. It will also be the most technically impressive Pokemon game to date. Kind of like most modern pokemon games.

Fuck it, I'm not buying that retarded shit. They are releasing TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS?!?!! The more expensive version probably will have more content... BOYCOTT SWITCH 2!!!

>>6 Im hyped for Z-A, but not having high expectations either (Its GameFreak we are talking about). I just liked Arceus, and a pokemon that is more action-based than turn based is good. And im between Chikorita and Totodile, it all depends of what new evo/mega they get.

I'm all for the city map. I think it's fresh for the series. Pokemon's done natural settings a lot and ever since the games have gone more open design, they've been doing large fields and mountain ranges and stuff, and that makes sense, but I'm very happy to see them try a setting that's might push them a bit and feel unique. The idea of a game like Pokemon set in an open world, densely designed city is genuinely awesome. I'm mostly happy about the gameplay. I'll wait and see how much I like the new combat system, but experimenting is cool. I do wonder, with Champions existing, what these two games will mean for the battle design for the main series long term, but for this game specifically, sure, looks cool. The visuals are underwhelming (as expected) but are a small step up from SV which combined with the Switch 2 version running at an actually reasonable frame rate is nice at least. They really need to find something that actually looks nice eventually though.

I'm not sold on the new battle system based on what we've seen so far. Stealth Rock setting up a physical barrier on the field is the most interesting thing to me, and I'm hoping that there's a lot more like that. I want the battlefield to be a clusterfuck where Lava Plume leaves puddles of magma all over the ground while Gust pushes you around, Surf clears up the fire hazards but leaves ankle-deep water that slows down non-Water or Flying types and Thunder intermittently brings down lightning strikes but automatically hits anything standing in water. I don't want it to just be two dipshits standing in front of one another button mashing to spam Hyper Beams faster. Problem is, I know one of those possibilities is in Game Freak's ability to provide, and the other is a pipe dream.

Kinda excited ngl

>>6 Disappointed its not a legends game. Its just updated pokemon x and y Not about the founding of the city Or letting us be in that war they spent so much time talking about in x and y Probably gonna skip this since it doesnt seem to have anything worthwhile in it

Honestly when they showed the first teaser for it a year ago and considering Legends Arceus took place so far in the past, I honestly expected Z-A to be a lot more futuristic so that was disappointing. At this point I don't expect too much, I don't think it'll be particularly amazing but I don't think it'll be complete dogshit either, just painfully mid. On another note, I'm kind of glad that "Mega Feraligatr" that was circulating was a hoax, I hated that thing and it was unironically the most infuriating thing to come out of Z-A for me somehow just by looking at it.

If they want to pay a small team to make low effort AA games, the least they could do is milk the individual games for years. It's hard to care about new games when the come every other year at this point. Just hope the kids have fun battling pokemon in the big city

Looks like absolute shit and I won't be buying it.

So the starmie and Feraligatr leaks were confirmed fake af?

I preordered the switch 1 version and now Im wondering if I should cancel and get the switch 2 directly BUT I got the game for 45bucks on amazon, and Im yet to see the price of the switch 2 version, so Im wondering if even paying the extra 10 for the update will be a better deal yet.

>>649 Feraligatr for sure a hoax and was made by some 3d modeler on xitter, Starmie was not made by the same guy and supposedly is still real if you trust Centro Leaks after fucking up on Feraligatr

>>6 I am somewhat excited for XY2. I mostly just want to see the new megas, though.

>>6 The city aspect of ZA has me less hyped. Arceus was fun because you were just out exploring the wilderness, sneaking up on Pokemon, and catching them. ZA lacks this. I don't have much faith in the real-time battles, either.

Release date when?

>>6 The fact gamefreak is experimenting with the pokemon formula at all is good enough for me right now, i reserve all further opinions for when the game releases and then cast judgement upon it solely based on whether or not it has best kalos girl in it.

>>6 Never picked chikorita or tepig in any playthroughs. Guess I'll go with the croc.

Z-A is releasing October 16. Rate the box art.

>>6759 >Rate the box art. It's average. There's color, the light from the mega evolving Lucario makes for a nice contrast with the dark night sky. It's clear that this nighttime battle royale type gamemode will be marketed as one of the biggest draws of the game. The cover art overall isn't very exciting really, nor does it really draw you into the game world. Everything is just there, there isn't a single point or subject that is being highlighted. Even Lumiose Tower, an obvious landmark to use for this purpose, is kind of off-center, and attention is drawn away from it by Chikorita's backside and the glowing Lucario nearby. It's clear that different minds were behind this game compared to Legends Arceus, but it is also clear that they were inspired by the Legends Arceus cover. That one didnt have some character giving a big thumbs up in the center of the box art, nor was the legendary of the game put front and center either. But the composition was better, even if there wasn't as much going on. Mt. Coronet in the middle, everyone on the right and left sides looking towards it, facing away from the viewer, like you too were standing there in the crowd staring up at the grand mountain.

We are just over a week out from the next Pokemon Presents. Anything you hope to see in a new Z-A trailer?

>>12830 I'm hoping to see some examples of trainer customization. X and Y allowed for a lot of customization, and while I doubt we will ever see that level of choice and variety again, hopefully Gamefreak thinks of fashion as one of the main themes of Lumiose and Kalos as a whole. I'm also hoping to see some more footage showing how battles work. It would be cool to see some new megas too, if there are going to be any. I'm not sure if I want to see them before playing the game though, but then again, official trailers are different from leaks you accidentally stumble upon.

It's impressive how little information they give each Pokemon Presents.

>>14720 Unsurprisingly, they are very good at taking a small amount of information and filling up a good chunk of time talking about it. With the ZA information, they made a short trailer with in-game footage, showed it, then replayed that same trailer again with a couple extra short clips while narrating over it. Which allowed them to spend about 6 or 7 minutes on Legends ZA, the game most people watching are most interested about. Considering the whole Presents was 25 minutes, including all the talking and extra stuff, that is a significant chunk of time. I went in with lowered expectations as to how much would actually be shown, and in the end, I wasn't too disappointed, which is a good thing. There were people out there expecting some teaser or announcement for a Generation 5 remake, which was definitely a pipe dream (or nightmare depending on who you ask). Here's a few of the new things that were shown off, specifically for Legends ZA, spoilered for now just in case anyone wants to watch the trailer first: Mega Dragonite is revealed Emma returns, is now a professional detective Mable, former Team Flare admin, is the professor for the game, and asks you to help fill the Pokedex Furfrou fur styles are back New characters Corbeau, Lida, and Naveen The MC joins a group called Team MZ Rust Syndicate that seems to have some kind of goal in Lumiose City and an interest in Team MZ There will be strong "Rogue Mega Pokemon" that can be battled, seems like you can get Mega Stones this way. During battle, it looks like pokemon can drop shards that fill up a Mega Evolution meter. Its possible that this only happens during the big battles with raging wild Megas, though. Trainer customization is back. Clothes, hair, makeup, etc. can all be changed. Multiple skin tones are also shown. We get to see what the bottoms of Mawile's feet look like. Now that's deep lore! Also, a random detail. In the Japanese version of the Pokemon Presents, the narration clearly says "makeup" when talking about character customization. The English version says "change your style" instead, even though it is clearly makeup, and using the same footage as the Japanese version. Interesting.

DIALGA IS BEST

Unsurprisingly, exclusive preorder bonuses are back. A few days ago, it was announced that if you preordered ZA at certain stores in Japan and Australia, you'd get a code for a trench coat jacket for your character. It was confirmed for the US recently; You'll have to preorder from GameStop to get it. https://archive.ph/pytNu

Sounds like there will be a playable demo for Legends ZA at the Pokemon World Championships starting this Friday! You have to reserve a ticket to try it, and these tickets can only be reserved through the Nintendo Warp Pipe Pass system. Registration for these tickets starts August 11th, @ 9AM PDT and ends on August 14th @ 11:59 PM PDT. https://archive.ph/RZslK The fact that there is a demo is sort of old news, as there was an announcement back in July about a demo that will be at Gamescom at the end of this month (https://archive.ph/BzPLU). But this more recent announcement about the demo being shown at the World Championships gives more details about what the demo actually contains. >Experience the new real-time battling system in a series of Trainer battles that take place during the after hours of Lumiose City >chase Zygarde through the streets of Lumiose City >and team up with Lucario to take on Rogue Mega Absol in an epic, action-packed showdown! >Please note that you MUST reserve a Warp Pipe Pass to participate in this gameplay opportunity. Passes are first-come, first-served! So it seems like there may be a little bit of choice when it comes to fighting some trainers, but overall the goal will be to use a Mega Lucario to defeat a Mega Absol in one of the recently revealed Rouge Mega Pokemon battles.

An official advertisement for the game was posted almost an hour ago, showing off a few super enthusiastic fans of Malamar. Nothing specific was revealed, but people are saying that it must be some kind of teaser for Mega Malamar. Since it is known for hypnotizing people, it’s possible that Mega Malamar has the ability to hypnotize a large number of people at once, and one of its aims could be to get humans to become obsessed with it. https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Ac_I3IgArY0

>>18732 Apologies for the doublepost but I just checked the description, and it pretty much confirms that there is some kind of hypnosis or something going on. All it says is >”MY FRIEND MALAMAR MY FRIEND MALAMAR MY FRIEND MALAMAR MY FRIEND MALAMAR MY FRIEND MALAMAR MY FRIEND MALAMAR MY FRIEND MALAMAR MY FRIEND MALAMAR”

Game isn't even out and they are already shilling a $30 dlc pass.

milphox bros...

>>6 Less than a month until release, anons. Whether you are looking forward to the game or not, it will undoubtedly be interesting to see release goes, and how people react to the game.

>>19878 Yeah, at this point I'm more interested to see the games general reception, especially if rumors of gen 10 ditching turn-based combat are true. If people don't care for the new combat system it could have long lasting effects on the future of the games. I was kind of getting excited for Z-A until they announced the DLC. Now I have no interest since it is going to be unfinished with parts cut out for DLC.

>>19882 >Yeah, at this point I'm more interested to see the games general reception Undoubtedly there will be a flood of positive reviews right when the game launches, and not necesarily from anyone getting paid to give a positive opinion. There are just so many people willing to say good things about Pokemon because they are that into it, they may be truly blind to the negative aspects. But if there is a higher critical reception than usual from launch at the same time, it will be interesting to see how the internet reacts. >especially if rumors of gen 10 ditching turn-based combat are true I haven't heard any rumors of such a thing, though I do believe you. If it's true, then Z-A could be a way to see how fans like a non turn-based system. It would be a shame if they move away from turn-bases, as if they are looking to shake things up, there are ways to make turn-based combat more unique and exciting. >If people don't care for the new combat system it could have long lasting effects on the future of the games. It could be one of the only things that shakes the influence Pokemon has on the market. It wouldn't destroy it's hold on gaming, but it would be divisive for sure. >spoiler I was excited too. Nowhere near as excited as I was years ago when I was younger and playing Pokemon, but I was excited to see how this newer gameplay and setting would work out. But this Day 1 DLC and content being locked behind an online membership really puts a sour taste in my mouth. It's nothing but pure greed, greed that doesn't need to happen, but Nintendo and GameFreak are doing it just because they know they can. The slight eagerness I had to try out this game is now nothing but a tiny spark. And I doubt we are the only ones that feel this way.

interested in the combat since its the first time they are actually changing the main game in any significant way. but also completely uninterested because i fully expect it to be awful....maybe not s/v bad, but certainly still have the soulless, 0 effort, 0 care hame design theyve done for like 10 years now

>>6 Well, anons, today is the day. Depending on where you are in the world, you may already be playing Legends Z-A or you may be waiting for it to arrive at your doorstep. There's no doubt that the release of a new Pokemon game might not feel quite as thrilling as it did years ago given all that has transpired and all that we have seen GF do (or fail to do). But hopefully there will be at least a little bit of fun to be had with this game.

>>21908 Alright, so I got my copy and I've been playing the game pretty much every day since release day, racking up about 15 hours so far. I picked Tepig as my starter. So far, the experience can be summed up as mediocre, which is what was expected from the start. Legends Z-A is a lot like one of those essays that you rush to get done for one of your classes at school a few days before it is due. Sure, it can be read from start to finish. It might look okay too, with proper formatting and a nice looking font and cover page. But when you actually dig into it, you see little more than the bare minimum when it comes to style, substance, and content. You see potential for more, but no effort to get there. The game keeps you on a tight leash for 3 hours, and when you finally are free to explore the entirety of Lumiose City, you aren't given any notification or fanfare for making it through this extra extended tutorial. You start walking down streets without getting interrupted by a character on your Rotom phone who wants to chastise you for not going towards the main objective, and that's when you know you are finally (mostly) free. The game handholds you a lot, but gives a lack of support when it comes to explaining things that could use some extra tutorials or text boxes. No main supporting character explains that all the ranged moves have varying ranges, that longer ranged attacks take longer to charge up, that faster pokemon have faster cooldowns, etc. No one explains how to position your trainer so that your pokemon can follow you properly, or that where your pokemon moves to before using a ranged attack depends on where you are. Throwing the player into a game and having them learn by trying things is fine, but any decent game has some sort of tutorial on how to fight besides just putting you into a simple battle and then letting you go on your merry way. A lot of these details are explained by random NPCs or on loading screens, though. Catching pokemon is also frustrating with how low the catch rates are, even when the pokemon is about to faint and the catch rate is supposedly boosted to a high degree. If I fight an Alpha pokemon that is under level 30 and get it to 1HP, it should be captured in an Ultra Ball that is so rare that I can't even buy it yet. Some of the wild zones are irritating too because of the guaranteed Alphas that spawn. For at least 2 of these zones so far, defeating the Alpha is almost necessary if I want to pay attention to any of the other pokemon because the Alpha will hunt you down like you are a walking poffin and it hasn't eaten in 4 days. I am thankful that any pokeballs that miss your target completely, or are thrown by accident, get collected by an NPC and can be returned to you for free if you talk to him. Sadly, it seems like catch rates are likely lower at first because you can purchase key items to raise your catch rate. So if it was at the usual rate, it would eventually become too easy to catch pokemon. It's one of those games that is most fun when you are slightly over leveled and bulldoze through most battles, watching as HP bars go down fast and number go up with flashing lights and sounds. The girls are also cute, which is nice. Now of course, the shallow end of a swimming pool has more depth than any of their personalities. Taunie is the usual happy, generous rival who just does things for you and gives you things just because. And of course, her quirk is that she cooks strange combinations of food. What an innovation when it comes to character writing :^) It almost works for her though, since it feels like there is more to her story, and she may be hiding frustrations and pains of her own, but this really isn't alluded to in the game at all yet, it's just a guess. The story overall is one of the most ridiculous yet. You don't do anything to earn the opportunities you receive, you truly just show up and it all happens. So many people ask you for help with their projects and you have no reason to say yes besides being nice, and of course your only option is to say yes. They have already tried to pull a "you were brought here for a reason/you were just meant to be here" but in this game it is clearly a cop-out.

>>21964 Excuse the double post, but I wanted to clarify just one thing. >They have already tried to pull a "you were brought here for a reason/you were just meant to be here" but in this game it is clearly a cop-out. For anyone that has ever read a few books or played at least one or two vidya, it is clear that there likely really is some force that brought the player to the city. In this case, it must be Zygarde, who's role is to keep balance in the region, and is confirmed to play a major role in the game. Some kind of chaos is brewing, and that is clear given the first cutscene where Prism Tower is glowing ominously. But even so, any story that does this also gives the main character another reason to show up, to make things feel more complete and more believable. Unless the character receives some kind of vision or hears some divine voice, he shouldn't just come to an entirely new place with no explanation. Even something small and simple would have worked.