Pokemon Legends ZA proves Pokemon Gen 10 desperately needs voice acting

Pokemon Legends ZA is the latest in a long-running pocket monster collection series that puts its own spin on the familiar formula. Chief among these key changes is the addition of a more active battle system, where players can move around an area, reposition their Pokémon, and select moves on the fly. It's a change that's seen as controversial by some, while others believe it's a refreshing change of pace.

But while the combat system has been a bit divisive, one element has garnered a lot of fanfare. The lack of voice acting Pokemon Legends ZA was a the main sticking point of the new gameand we hope the recent criticism will encourage developers Game Freak to consider modernizing their approach moving forward.

The lack of voice acting in Pokemon Legends ZA is a huge disappointment for fans

Almost immediately, lack of voice acting Pokemon Legends ZA sticks out. When the PSA hits the giant screen in Lumiose City, players read the text and imagine the voice booming through the streets of the Paris-inspired city. While players are taking advantage of the improved graphics on the Nintendo Switch 2 and experiencing solid frame rates – two areas fans were hoping to see a boost in this game – the areas where ZA is lacking are more obvious.

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There are also odd moments in the game, such as watching bland gameplay and having to read texts. Or talking to a Pokemon trainer and having them “say” nothing, but actually make a sound when the attention turns to their Pokemon.

The lack of voice acting in games is usually related to budgetary concerns. Indie games don't include voice acting because their funds are limited and would be better spent elsewhere. RPGs and visual novels do better without dubbing because the player is immersed in the dialogue just like a good book.

For me personally, the lack of voice acting is noticeable even during the experience Pokemon Legends ZA in a family environment. Playing a game with my son means either reading aloud and making sure we're experiencing the dialogue at the same pace, handing him the remote and waiting for him to move on to the next part of the text, or making an educated guess as to when he'll read.

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This isn't a solution, and there are plenty of Nintendo Switch games we've experienced this way, but there's a lot of dialogue in Pokemon Legends ZA, especially at the beginning. Dalton Cooper even noted this in his post about Pokemon Legends ZA; it has a lot of tutorials in advance which can do it hard to build momentum in the beginning.

Pokemon Legends ZA is definitely a great game, but the voice acting could have made the experience even better.

I imagine I'm not alone in wishing Pokemon Legends ZA he had voice acting for that particular reason, but it's also one of a dozen reasons others are disappointed. As mentioned, a lot of games, including some stellar Nintendo Switch 2 releases, have minimal/no voice control, and that doesn't mean Pokemon Legends ZA not a great game. I think it is a fantastic development of the formulaand the combat system breathed a lot of new life into the series. It's just this one area that sticks out like a sore thumb.

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise, and Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, and Nintendo are expected to be planning big things for the brand as a whole. It might not be out next year, but we're hoping that Pokemon Gen 10 will be revealed at least in 2026. And if this pair of titles is going to be the next big leap for the franchise, then voice acting is practically a must. There are rumors of new innovations and game mechanics coming to Pokemon Gen 10, but now, after playing Pokemon Legends ZAthe need for voice acting is even higher.