I love turn-based RPGs, but 20 minutes of Pokemon Legends: Z-A has convinced me that real-time combat could be the way forward for the series

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I adore turn-based RPGs. From the classic Pokemon games we've all known and loved over the years to the likes of Octopath Traveler, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Persona 5: Royal, I've never tired of the format. However, after 20 minutes of playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A, I'm convinced that real-time action could be the way forward for the series.

Back in 2013, I spent over 300 hours exploring everything that Pokemon X and Y had to offer. Almost 12 full years later, as I run around the streets of the Kalos region's Lumiose City, with its iconic Eiffel Tower-esque Gym shining in the background on Nintendo Switch 2, it feels like coming home.

I choose you

When you're given just 20 minutes to play the new real-time Pokemon game, however, there's not much time for sightseeing. Although I could have spent hours losing myself in the nostalgia, the real highlight is obviously trying out the new battle system, which genuinely took me aback by how different it is.

Fighting alongside my trusty Chikorita (thankful that this demo has blessed me with the best starter Pokemon), I quickly find that even against low-level enemies, nothing feels like a pushover. Gone are the days of blasting through weak trainers in one hit, everything now requires you to be fully engaged in the action.

Battles are now fast and frantic. There's no time to waste sitting around and contemplating options when attacks are being sent in your direction whether you like it or not – no politely waiting for turns here. The controls are easy to grasp, with lock-on and roll buttons standing as the most important things in your new arsenal – along with your actual attack buttons, of course.

I pointed it out when we first saw gameplay for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and after playing, I feel the same – the new battle UI is very reminiscent of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 thanks to its cooldown system to stop you from mercilessly pelting foes. From what I played, cooldown times are fast – I can't say I was ever standing around, waiting with nothing to do while I waited for a move to become available, but I did find that the process had me making the most of my entire moveset at all times.

In Pokemon games of the past, it's easy to get your hands on one go-to move like Earthquake or Surf and spam it. Here though, it seems much more worthwhile to constantly rotate between every move in your Pokemon's arsenal (including status moves like buffs and debuffs) to make sure you're hitting your foes with everything you've got.

On paper, it might sound like button mashing would be a valid option here, and maybe it would get you through some of the simpler fights, but bosses are on another level. The second half of my demo sees me team up with a Lucario in order to take on a Rogue Mega Absol. This Mega Evolved 'mon is bulky – despite having a plethora of super-effective Fighting-type moves, it doesn't go down without a fight, and is constantly aiming not just for Lucario, but me personally.

Constant movement was a requirement, and dodging nimbly between incoming attacks while sending out Aura Spheres is genuinely exhilarating. The whole fight here probably lasted for around five minutes, and I can't say I could have sat back and relaxed at any point during it.

And I mean this as a compliment. Pokemon has been my favorite game franchise since I was eight years old, and while I can honestly say that I've enjoyed my time in every entry I've played, all I ever really wanted from a game was to feel like I was living in the anime series. Even from this short snippet of hands-on gameplay, Pokemon Legends: Z-A feels like that game, with you as the trainer suddenly far more involved in battles than ever before, and your trusty friends fighting by your side in a fluid way that's never felt more real. Don't get me wrong, I don't want turn-based combat to disappear from the series entirely, but I need to see more of this.

Of course, the demo was limited – I'm still left wondering just how expansive the full RPG will be considering that it's set in a single city, as I wasn't able to explore the area in a massive amount of depth. However, from a combat perspective, it's looking very promising, and I can't wait to play more.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A hands-on: With overhauled battles and denser exploration, I'm shocked at how fundamentally fresh this could feel

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