Pokémon Z-A’s lack of voice acting is holding the series back

The latest game in the ever-popular creature-battling franchise, Pokémon Legends Z-A, brought innovation by adding real-time combat to a traditionally turn-based affair. However, many elements still feel distinctly last-gen, even with the shift to the Switch 2. One of the most glaring absences from the game is the lack of voice acting, with characters remaining noticeably silent.

With few exceptions, the Pokémon franchise has always been voiceless; however, with the series fast approaching 30 years old, it’s time for fans to acknowledge that the games cannot continue to coast in this way. Players deserve a better caliber of play, and Game Freak needs to finally catch up with the current millennium and spring for some actors to bring the Pokémon world to life.

✓ VideoGamer Summary

• Pokémon Z-A has made many changes to the series formula, but voice acting is still noticeably absent.
• This is becoming more of an issue amid rising production values elsewhere.
• It is indicative of a general lack of investment in the Pokémon franchise and a tendency to rest on laurels rather than innovate wholesale. 
• The wider Pokémon franchise understands the power of voice acting and should learn some lessons from its own animations and TV shows.

I have no voice, yet I must scream

Pokémon Legends Z-A has made many improvements compared to the previous Pokémon Legends Arceus, including adding new cutscenes that aren’t rendered in the in-game engine. These new cutscenes, while visually more elaborate than usual, make the silence even more awkward as lips flap to no sound whatsoever.

The first thing you see in Pokémon Z-A is a cutscene involving multiple important characters, but despite their talking, the only sound is coming from the background score, straining to amp up the prologue all by itself. 

Important characters like the energetic streamer Canari or the exaggerated Corbeau can only deliver so much character through facial expressions and camera zooms.

Less Pokémon bang for your Pokémon buck

Pokémon has an impressive legacy. However, the series’ consistent success means that Game Freak doesn’t have to push the boat out too far to generate sales. The lack of voice acting is symbolic of a larger issue in its presentation and polish, and Pokémon Z-A feels like a budget release. 

Pokémon Legends Z-A retails at $69.99 (£58.99). At this price point, you’d be forgiven for expecting higher production value across the board. 

This series has needed an upgrade for a while. In Pokémon Sword and Shield, there are multiple moments where gym leader Piers is supposed to be singing to rev up a crowd, only for players to watch his model awkwardly move and mime with vague music in the background. 

Even worse, in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, gym leader Ryme has her lead up to her challenge being a rap battle, leaving you to just read supposedly rhythmic lines with all the same delivery and tone as any other text box.

An old rival shows the way

Nowadays, even the monster-battling genre isn’t without stiff competition. Digimon Story Time Stranger landed on the scene and not only blew Pokémon Z-A out of the water in its presentation, but also overtook the dated mechanics of the Pokémon series with a sophisticated battle and evolution system.

Digimon Story Time Stranger isn’t on the Switch 2, but plenty of other inspirations for this more generous form of storytelling may be found on the console. For instance, Persona 5 has extremely good voice acting and shows that not every little thing needs to be voiced. 

A lot of minor interactions in Persona 5 come with just a small voice clip, but this is usually enough to give the attitude and vibe of the character without needing to break the production value bank. 

Even within the Nintendo family, Donkey Kong Bananza has inexplicably managed to give a voice to Pauline before Pokémon could be bothered to try to give its own characters the same treatment.

Pokémon anime, I choose you!

You can also readily point to other parts of the Pokémon franchise to show how things should be done. The Pokémon anime has been running for 28 years in one form or another, giving voices to characters that remain voiceless in their own games. 

There’s even voice acting to give atmosphere in the adverts for Pokémon Z-A’s new megas. Game Freak obviously understands the power of voice acting, but simply doesn’t want to invest when easy money is already on the table. 

Outside of spin-offs like the Detective Pikachu series, the Pokémon series has never really invested in its characters’ voices. One of the few exceptions to this is in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, where gym leader Roxie sings a song that, while low quality, is most distinctly aping a real voice. 

It’s sad to think that this is where the Pokémon series’ vocal ambition has peaked. Game Freak’s lack of innovation compared to other franchises only showcases just how much we need some Pokémon Legends Z-A voice acting, and how much Pokémon is in dire need of an upgrade to justify its cost.

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