While Pokemon Legends: Z-A has proven itself among critics, standing neck-and-neck with Arceus, players aren't having nearly as good a time.
Right now, the game holds a score of just 4.3 out of 10 on Metacritic, as user reviews criticise everything from the exuberant $70 price tag and poor visuals to the lack of voice acting, small map, and repetitive gameplay loop.
"Pokemon Legends: Z-A looks and feels like a huge missed opportunity," one such review reads. "The graphics are flat, textures lazy, and the world feels empty - more like a PS3 remaster than a 2025 release. The art style is all over the place, with Pokemon and characters looking inconsistent and lifeless. The city promised depth but instead delivers repetition".
The most disappointing Pokemon game I've ever seen. The lack of exploration & content is unacceptable in 2025 - Lazyzombie.
Of course, it's worth noting the stark difference in how players score games versus critics, with many of the negative user reviews sitting at or around '0', and the few positive ones nearer '10', significantly skewing the score towards the lower end of the scale. But this isn't a review bombing campaign over wild...
