Pokemon Legends Z-A Metacritic score marks it as the second-best Pokemon game of the Nintendo Switch era, only behind Legends: Arceus

Pokemon Legends Z-A's Metacritic score has arrived, and it's come in at 82, just falling short of Pokemon Legends: Arceus' score of 83.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a breath of fresh air for the franchise, offering up a new spin on the formula, still within the confines of an RPG, especially after the disappointing remakes of Diamond and Pearl released a few months prior. That, and the absolute mess that was Scarlet and Violet releasing later that same year. And that's reflected by it being the highest-rated Pokemon release on the Nintendo Switch.

And now, three years on, the game's follow-up, Pokemon Legends Z-A, is almost here, and reviews are solid. At the time of writing, it's currently sitting at an 81 on Metacritic, which beats out Scarlet and Violet and the Sinnoh remakes handily. The score also squeezes by the 80 shared by Let's Go, Eevee! Sword and Shield, but falls short of the highest rated Pokemon game on Switch, Legends: Arceus, which holds a score of 83.

In our Pokemon Legends: Z-A review, deputy news editor Catherine Lewis gave it four out of five stars and said, "Pokemon Legends: Z-A offers a true slice-of-life Pokemon experience thanks to its anime-style real-time combat system and wholesome worldbuilding elements. While its single-city setting can sometimes feel a bit samey, Lumiose is densely packed with things to do and discover. This is a world worth getting lost in."

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