Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings the classic turn-based combat of the series into a real-time chaotic battle, but it also breaks a classic move that’s been a part of the series for nearly 30 years. For the most part, Pokémon‘s standard moves are utilized in the same way from game to game. This has allowed players to look to the past when developing new strategies or deploy classic TMs in new ways.
Pokémon Legends further complicates that idea by shifting away from the standard turn-based strategy of the older titles for an open-ended real-time combat system. On the one hand, it’s an exciting way to reinvigorate combat in the series while using modern game design opportunities to their fullest. However, it also undercuts some of the strategic elements of the franchise and completely breaks some moves. Pokémon Legends: Z-A‘s version of a classic Pokémon Generation I move takes that even further, more or less turning a classic non-damaging move into a pointless technique in battle.
“Substitute” has been a consistent move in the Pokémon franchise since the very beginning, but now it’s been rendered more or less useless by Pokémon Legends: Z-A. In Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, the technique allowed creatures to sacrifice a fourth of their health to create a plush doll decoy. This doll would take the damage from incoming attacks, giving trainers a chance to readjust their planning and adapt to their opponents. It’s one of the rare non-damaging techniques from Generation I that really became a fixture of the series, continuing on into Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
While that move was a useful trick in a turn-based combat style, it runs into some serious problems once it’s shifted into a different combat style. Shifting the action into a more open-ended combat system means some moves work better than before. It’s one of the elements that’s made Pokémon Legends stand out from the rest of the series. However, while other TMs have been adapted well into the altered combat mechanics, “Substitute” stops being anywhere as useful.
“Substitute” still creates the decoy, but larger area-of-effect attacks from other creatures can circumvent the defensive position of the doll. The real-time combat utilizes an auto-target system, which means players may end up accidentally damaging their own substitute. Wild Pokémon aren’t necessarily forced to target it in lieu of other creatures, meaning its primary purpose is moot. Even if the opponent does end up targeting the plushy, the nature of the attack (such as laser-style techniques like “Ice Beam”) means it’s possible it can go through the substitute and damage the user as well.
As a result, the move is more or less useless. “Substitute” goes from a useful strategic tool in a turn-based combat system tp a distraction at best and useless at worst in real-time combat. It’s a shame, too, because “Substitute’s” cute animation and use as a stalling technique made it surprisingly versatile and effective in combat. It was also just a memorably cute move that fits in well with the rest of the series’ visual approach. It’s a shame that “Substitute” is more or less broken by Pokémon Legends: Z-A, even if its inclusion makes sense on from a legacy standpoint.
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