Pokémon Legends: Z-A is easily one of the most anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 games of this year, and being a die-hard fan of the franchise, I’ve really been looking forward to this one. Insider Gaming was present at Gamescom 2025 this year, and we had the chance to test the preview build for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and here are our impressions on it.
To set some context, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the latest game in the series, where players get to return to Lumiose City from the X and Y games. The upcoming installment introduces a dynamic battle system that completely changes the way players approach battles in the series. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to preview the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A battle system during Gamescom 2025.
Dynamic Battles Keep Players on Their Toes
The Gamescom preview build for Pokémon Legends: Z-A was only 10 minutes long, featured the Switch 2 version and was restricted to the German language. However, you were able to gauge the new battle system quite well, even with the language barrier. The demo had players walking through a Red Zone, where they would have to face three different trainers. It was a highly compact area, so there was no way to get a sense of the exploration; the only thing you could do was battle.
I had access to four Pokémon: Chikorita, Weedle, Mareep, and Fletchling. Each of these Pokémon came with its individual skill set, which could be activated with the press of a button. The PP system has been replaced with a cool-down system, where players must wait a short period before executing their next move. At the same time, players can swap Pokémon on the fly, and that’s a brilliant way to get away from some of the attacks.
The battle system also features a new ambush mechanic, where players can either ambush the other trainer’s Pokémon or be ambushed by them. A new stealth system has also been added, which allows players to sneak around a trainer if they do not wish to fight them at that moment. However, if you are caught off guard, the opponent trainer can dish out some hefty damage when ambushing you.
Every Pokémon has the ability to learn four moves that can be executed by aiming at the opponent with the ZL button and then pressing either X, Y, A, or B to pull off the move. The animations look really crisp, and the performance seems pretty solid too. Similar to previous games, the Pokemon learns new moves as they level up with battles.
Final Thoughts
The new battle system appears to be heading in the right direction, introducing a fresh layer of strategy and gameplay that will appeal to existing franchise players. As it is no longer a turn-based system, the player is no longer offered the luxury of time; you must be quick with your actions, as the opponents can be relentless. That was all we were able to explore during this demo; hopefully, we can see more of the redeveloped Lumiose City, the mega evolutions, gym battles, and more soon.
In other news, Mega Victreebel has been revealed for the upcoming title. What are your thoughts on the battle system featured in Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Gamescom preview build? Let us know through the official Insider Gaming forums discussion.
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