Coming to your consoles on 16 October, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set to shake up the formula in a big way. We are finally moving away from the traditional turn-based combat of yore, adopting a real-time system where Pokémon and trainers hit the field together. It feels like a massive expansion of the real-time catching mechanics first introduced in 2022's Pokémon Legends: Arceus, but this time, the scope is significantly wider.

I had a chance to get hands-on with this revamped combat at gamescom 2025. Nintendo has brought a slew of titles playable on the Switch 2 to the show floor this year, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A was showcased with two distinct demos: a boss encounter against a Mega-Evolved Absol and a segment focused on roaming city battle zones to challenge other trainers. These sessions provided a clear look at how real-time mechanics are being grafted onto the Pokémon DNA.

The encounter with the Mega-Evolved Absol served as a perfect primer for the return of Mega Evolution. The narrative hook? An anomaly is causing Pokémon to undergo Mega Evolution and go berserk. Our target here is Absol, and I had to team up with Lucario to bring it back to its senses.

Mega-Evolved Pokémon are absolute powerhouses. Absol, in particular, kept me on my toes with wide-reaching area-of-effect attacks. Since the combat is now real-time rather than turn-based, you can't just sit and wait; when a danger zone marker appears, you have to sprint, jump, or roll to survive. Conversely, your own Pokémon is fully mobile, allowing you to position yourself for a cheeky strike at the enemy’s blind spot.

To launch an attack, you hold L1, which then maps your moves to the XYAB buttons. Success hinges on being nimble—dodging incoming fire while finding that split-second opening to land your own skill. It adds a layer of kinetic, hit-and-run tactics to a series that has historically been about cerebral, slow-burn strategy. Don't worry, though; the difficulty isn't punishing, and the controls are intuitive enough that series veterans should find their rhythm quite quickly.

Aggression is rewarded, especially when it comes to Mega Evolution. As you damage the berserk Absol, it drops energy; collect enough of this to fill your gauge, and you can trigger your own Mega Ring to Mega-Evolve Lucario. A Mega-Evolved Lucario hits like a truck with buffed-up moves. While the form is temporary and reverts once the gauge is empty, you can simply keep up the offensive pressure to earn another round of power.

The second demo took me into the battle zones scattered throughout the city. Lumiose City comes alive at night, hosting 'ZA Royale'—a place where trainers gather for intense bouts. These zones use a rank-based system, starting everyone at Z-Rank and tasking them with climbing the ladder through victory.

While the previous section was a boss fight, the battle zone offered a look at standard encounters. The real kicker here is that you can freely swap between a pre-selected roster of four Pokémon on the fly. Each is mapped to a directional button, allowing for near-instant switching. The core combat loop remains identical to the Mega Evolution segment.

Type matchups remain the bedrock of the series, but the ability to swap Pokémon instantly adds a frantic, strategic layer to the proceedings. If you spot a Grass-type, you can tap the button for your Fire-type immediately. If a Water-type shows up a second later, you're just a button press away from bringing in the appropriate counter. It makes the combat feel much faster and more reactive.

Even against common mobs, the same rules apply: avoid the incoming blows and look for the backstab while an enemy is locked into a long-winded animation. Skills come with cooldowns and varying cast times—some are high-risk, high-reward moves—demanding that you manage your toolkit carefully amidst the chaos of real-time combat.

I spent a good amount of time picking apart the combat in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. I was sceptical about whether real-time mechanics would truly gel with the Pokémon formula, but in practice, it’s surprisingly solid. The ability to witness the action up close while timing your own dodges and attacks adds a tangible sense of urgency and spectacle.

That said, my time was limited exclusively to 'combat'. Exploration of the city and fields, along with the thrill of catching wild Pokémon, will have to wait for another day. It is worth remembering that while Pokémon Legends: Arceus was praised for its gameplay, it was also heavily criticised for technical shortcomings—like frame drops right from the starting village.

Given this, the big question is how the new hardware of the Switch 2 will handle the technical demands and optimisation of this latest entry. One can only hope that Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the Switch 2 delivers a buttery smooth experience, allowing us to wander through a beautiful, stutter-free Lumiose City.