In the past few Pokémon games for the Nintendo Switch, the character customization options have been so limited that they sometimes felt like an afterthought. Though there were plenty of hair styles and clothes to choose from in Sword / Shield, Legends: Arceus put more emphasis on standardized outfits that made your trainer look more like an NPC than the hero of their own story. Things got even more drab in Scarlet / Violet where basically every character wore one of two school uniforms, which made it seem like Game Freak did not think that players would be all that concerned about in-game fashion.
It was hard to know what to expect from Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the franchise’s first title to debut on both the original Switch and the Switch 2. But after spending some time playing around in the new game’s character customization menus, I came away feeling like Legends: Z-A is going to be one for the folks who have always wanted to see versions of themselves in the Pokémon world.
Unlike previous Pokémon games that have let you explore massive chunks of the fictional world, the entirety of Legends: Z-A takes place in Lumiose — a massive city located in the center of the Kalos region. While the geographical similarities between Kalos and real world France were readily apparent in Pokémon X / Y (where the region made its debut), Z-A takes things to the next level by putting even more emphasis on the parallels between Lumiose and Paris. The city’s full of massive buildings, cafes, and parks where you can find wild pokémon to battle and catch. What immediately jumps out about Z-A’s take on Lumiose, though, is how well-dressed all of its residents are.
In Z-A, your character is a tourist who shows up in a flashy default ensemble of their own, but soon after you arrive, the game gives you a multitude of ways to give them a distinct look of their own. Almost every piece of your characters’ outfit is customizable whether it’s your shoes, socks, bottoms, tops, jackets, and various accessories like earrings. There are plenty of shorts and pants, dresses and skirts, and each garment comes in a variety of colors or patterns. And one of the bigger differences in Legends: Z-A compared to older Pokémon games is that you can equip any piece of clothing regardless of the gender option you pick when the story first begins.
The sheer variety of clothing options that Legends: Z-A gives you to choose from makes this version of Lumiose, like Paris, feel like a city where fashion is appreciated as a form of artistic and personal expression. The game doesn’t immediately let you access to a gigantic wardrobe, but that gives you another reason to participate in the city’s Z-A Royale competition. Beating other trainers in battle is one of the core ways to earn in-game currency.
Of course, you can spend your winnings on items to cure your pokémon’s ailments or pay for a snack at one of Lumiose multiple cafes — an option that heals all of your pokémon’s wounds and gives you a chance to have a little photoshoot with your favorite monster buddy. But if you want your trainers’ photoshoot looks to be coordinated with your pokémon’s aesthetic, you’ll have to spend your money to buy specific clothes at Lumiose’s various boutiques.
You can change your outfit and certain details on your face like the shape of your eyelashes pretty much anywhere. But I was not able to see for myself how robust Legends: Z-A’s options for physical character customizations are because the demo I played didn’t give me access to certain parts of the game. Trailers have made clear that there will be quite a few hairstyles and hair colors (with an option to give your trainer highlights), which you can select at one of Lumiose’s salons. Multiple skin tones will also be available, but like your character’s gender presentation, those customizations are selected when you’re first starting the game.
One of the coolest things about Nintendo’s most recent round of ads for Legends: Z-A is how they turned the game’s NPCs into real people. It wasn’t just that the characters were portrayed by living actors — they were also clearly dressed like their in-game counterparts. Legends: Z-A’s character customization options feel like they were designed to let you create trainers with their own unique senses of style. And that could be one of the things that makes the game feel fresh when it releases next month.
