Opinion: Pokémon Legends Z-A Is The Creepiest Entry Yet, Not In A Good Way

There’s been quite a bit of discussion lately regarding the absence of voice acting in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and I can see the reason for it. Game Freak has made some fairly notable advancements with its cutscenes, illustrating characters that animate convincingly, including their facial expressions and mouth movements. Yet, they don’t actually speak. It’s odd in practice to witness such well-crafted scenes unfold in near total quiet, but that’s not even my primary complaint about the inhabitants of Lumiose City.

If you wander into a bustling city center during the day, one aspect you’ll observe is that most individuals will likely be heading somewhere. Whether they’re hurrying from shop to shop, leisurely strolling in conversational groups, or even taking a few steps back to retrieve a sausage that’s fallen out of their hotdog bun, everyone’s in motion. Indeed, it’s the reason why cities are often referred to as ‘bustling’ – it literally signifies ‘full of movement’.

Not in Lumiose City, however, oh no. A casual walk through Legend: Z-A’s setting might lead you to believe Medusa had rampaged and petrified nearly everyone. They simply remain motionless, and it’s so eerie, dude.

Now, I seek to recognize immediately that this isn’t a novel phenomenon; NPCs have consistently been reluctant to move in Pokémon games. Nonetheless, there’s something about Z-A that makes this issue more pronounced than ever. My hypothesis is that because Lumiose City is the sole significant setting, anything that detracts from its ambiance is immediately more obvious. You might almost excuse previous titles for comparable missteps since their towns and cities were merely elements of a much broader world. Here, the city is the world.

There’s an abundance of individuals as well. Honestly, I’ve never encountered such a diverse array of NPCs in a Pokémon game, and the reality that 99% of them remain completely stationary creates some seriously bizarre, unsettling visuals. They don’t just occupy sidewalks; they are also on the streets, seated for a coffee (not actually consuming it), or standing on the grass, directing themselves in seemingly arbitrary directions. It’s reminiscent of that scene from M. Night Shyamalan’s cult classic The Happening, where everyone suddenly halts in the middle of the street (I’m joking about the ‘cult classic’ label – it’s a dud).

I realize there’s been considerable attention on the structures in Z-A, and I understand it, they’re quite poor. However, in my view, one can get away with a lot if you genuinely create the impression that your environment is bustling with life. Return to the initial 3D GTA titles if you don’t concur. The cities there may appear quite rudimentary by contemporary standards, but of the few pedestrians and vehicles those games can manage at once, the majority of them are in motion in some fashion. It makes a significant impact.

It’s not solely an aesthetic issue either. One of the most prominent features introduced in Z-A is the capacity to sneak up on fellow trainers and strike their Pokémon before they’ve had a moment to react. So if I can achieve that, why can’t they? It would greatly enhance traversing the Battle Zones if I knew that an NPC could ambush me at any moment. It’s yet another sign that in the realm of Pokémon, you are the protagonist, and everyone else is merely superficial.

I’m not entirely negative about Legends: Z-A. I find the overall concept of having designated areas for capturing and battling quite intriguing, and the character customization is frankly the best it has ever been. But goodness, I’m so weary of these games feeling so devoid of life all the time. Its environments should evoke a sense of thrill and positivity, and I just feel as though I’ve been thrust into the heart of a horror film.

I don’t know… Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hitman: World of Assassination. Or maybe Game Freak needs to gain some perspective and begin crafting its worlds to feel a bit more vibrant. It’s not an excessive request, is it?

Am I out of my mind in thinking this, or do you concur? Should more NPCs in Pokémon games genuinely start moving and leading their lives, or are you satisfied with them remaining stationary until you approach them? Share your thoughts in the usual comments section.