I Cast 'Explore World' and Landed Back Where I Started: Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Surprisingly Compact Lumiose City Revealed
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Eurogamer's recent tests reveal *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*'s Lumiose City map can be circumnavigated in under seven minutes, a surprisingly compact design choice that sparks curiosity about its multi-layered depth and potential for focused, dense exploration over vast, empty landscapes.
Right, so apparently, the wizards over at Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have been brewing something rather… potent with *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*. We’ve all seen the trailers, the buzz, the sheer excitement for a new interim Pokémon adventure. But then, a digital scrying orb (read: the internet) illuminated a revelation that's got my inner digital wizard scratching his head: the entire setting, Lumiose City, is apparently smaller than my attention span on a Monday morning.
Before we dive headfirst into the digital tea leaves, a massive shout-out to Robert Purchese over at Eurogamer for getting to the bottom of this geographical enigma. Their diligent guides gurus, Lottie and Marie, put their running shoes on (metaphorically, I hope – though with their dedication, who knows?) and clocked the full circumference of Lumiose City. And fair dinkum, mate, the results are wilder than a rogue teleportation spell.
According to Eurogamer’s scientific endeavour, you can sprint the entire outer edge of Lumiose City in roughly six and a half minutes. Six. And. A. Half. Minutes. Lottie reported a blistering 6:13, even with the customary delays of darting into and out of five Wild Zones – a commitment to thoroughness that'd make any alchemist proud. Marie wasn't far behind at 6:20, hitting full sprint and bulldozing through those Wild Zones like a Machamp on a caffeine binge. The Reddit community apparently got the ball rolling on this, citing 6:19, so it seems the digital hive mind was onto something.
Now, my first thought, as someone who’s accidentally opened portals to other dimensions trying to find a misplaced sock, was: "Bloody hell, is that it?" A whole new Pokémon *Legends* game, touted to be this grand, city-spanning escapade, and its primary playground clocks in shorter than my average wait for the kettle to boil. For a series that, in its main entries, often sends us sprawling across vast continents and intricate regions, focusing on a single city felt like a bold move. But to learn that city can be circumnavigated faster than it takes to download a game update? That's a curious choice, isn't it?
This kind of news can feel a bit like a deflating balloon for us keen explorers. We've grown accustomed to vast, seemingly endless horizons in our open-world games. Think of the monumental journey one dedicated soul recently undertook, spending 14 years just to reach the end of a Minecraft world. That's a commitment that makes Lumiose City's 6.5 minutes look like a brief jog around the block. So, the initial reaction might be a natural pang of disappointment – a whisper of, "Is this all there is?"
But here's where my optimistic chaos kicks in, and my curiosity pokes its nose into the digital code. Because a smaller footprint doesn't necessarily mean a shallower experience, does it? Eurogamer's Chris, in his 3-star review of *Pokémon Legends: Z-A*, offers a glimmer of hope. He points out that while the horizontal sprawl might be compact, the city itself boasts "multiple levels" to explore. We're talking rooftops, scaffolding, and presumably hidden nooks and crannies that turn a brief sprint into a vertical maze.
And this is where the *why* of game design truly gets interesting. Could this be a deliberate pivot away from the 'bigger is better' mantra that's plagued some open-world titles? Often, those sprawling landscapes can feel… empty. A beautiful but ultimately unengaging canvas where exploration devolves into an endless trek from one distant marker to the next. Perhaps the Pokémon Company is leaning into a concept of *dense* exploration rather than *broad* exploration. Think of it like a meticulously crafted puzzle box rather than an open field – every corner, every vertical ascent, every hidden alleyway designed to offer something meaningful.
Chris specifically highlighted a "strangely hypnotic loop in scouring these places for power-ups over the course of the game." Now, that, mate, sounds intriguing. It suggests that while the initial run might be brief, the actual *gameplay* within Lumiose City is less about grand voyages and more about intricate discovery and resource management. It's not about the miles you travel, but the secrets you uncover and the strategic decisions you make within a tightly woven environment.
This isn't to say it'll be everyone's cup of tea. Some gamers genuinely crave the vast, untouched wilderness. But for those of us who appreciate clever design and focused experiences, a smaller, densely packed world could be a revelation. It could be the gaming equivalent of a master magician's trick: making something appear deceptively simple on the surface, only to reveal layers of complexity beneath.
*Pokémon Legends: Z-A* is, as Chris put it, "a mix of older ideas with new ones, and one that arguably finds the most enjoyable balance yet." He believes that as a proof of concept, "this one could really work." And honestly, after seeing some truly *massive* games deliver surprisingly shallow experiences, I'm cautiously optimistic about a title that chooses to refine its focus. Maybe, just maybe, this compact Lumiose City isn't a limitation, but a carefully chosen canvas for a deeper, more engaging kind of Pokémon adventure.
It’s a bold design choice, one that challenges the prevailing winds of game development. But if it means less empty space and more meaningful interaction, then count me in. After all, sometimes the best magic happens in the smallest of spaces. We’ll be watching to see if this surprisingly cosy city delivers the magic we’re all hoping for.
Tags: Pokémon, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Game Design, Open World, Map Size
Original article: Eurogamer