Pokémon Legends: ZA Rotom phone review: Better camera, higher jumps

in spite of Pokemon Rotom gaming phones haven’t changed much in terms of design over the past few years, with each generation offering new functionality that made upgrading easy. sword / shieldThe Rotom Phone – the first ever – came with a simple camera that made it easy to take wide-angle (screen) shots in the Galar region’s wilderness. The second generation camera of the Rotom phone Scarlet / Violet It was a huge improvement, but the real advantage of the device was its ability to prevent you from falling to your death if you fell from a great height.

While none of the early Rotom phones were visually interesting Pokemon Legends: Arceus‘Ark Vaughn, they both talked about how Pokemon Consumer technology in the universe is becoming increasingly streamlined and powerful. This trend continues Pokemon Legends: ZA With the new Rotom phone that feels like it was built for urban exploration.

Like its predecessors, the 3G Rotom Phone’s conservative design is a reminder of how to do just that PokemonPokédexes have lost some of their personality in that time since Pokédexes went from being physical objects to downloadable applications. But what the new phone lacks in aesthetic flair, it makes up for with improved hardware and some new tricks – including one that makes jumping over rooftops a breeze – making it a must-have for anyone visiting Lumiose City nowadays.

It was also nice to see Scarlet / VioletThe Rotom Phone comes with a second lens, and one of the most frustrating things about the device is that there’s no way to zoom in on objects from a distance while you’re walking around Paldea. That second lens looked like it wasn’t really that He does anything. You had to get physically close to the wild Pokemon and then Open the camera app to take eye-catching photos of them, which made it very easy for them to end up being attacked. That would have been unexpected toLumiose, where non-partner monsters will do their best to fight humans without hesitation.

But as well as adding a handy new zoom feature via a (very functional) third lens, the new Rotom Phone’s rear camera array can also be used while you’re on the move – something that opens up a new world of possibilities for trainers who fancy themselves photo enthusiasts. It’s easy to spawn in Lumiose’s wild areas, hide in the tall grass, and take photos of wild Pokemon without them even realizing you’re there. The ability to move while using the rear cameras also makes it relatively easy to get out of evasive in cases where it spots something and decides to launch an attack. (You still have to stay still while using the new Rotom Phone’s improved front camera.)

While the front camera of the new Rotom Phone can be used for video calls, when you try to take a selfie, the electric/ghost Pokemon living inside the device will automatically activate the rear cameras and turn the mobile device around. Previously, you had to hold the 2G phone in your hand or use a selfie stick to take pictures of yourself with your favorite partner Pokemon. But the new phone’s resident rotomer can be directed to move the device while taking photos from different angles and distances, giving you the ability to pose hands-free.

This is especially useful if you downloaded the app to participate in Lumiose’s ZA Royale and want to update your profile picture to something more emotive. However, one major drawback is that your new phone requires you to stay still while pointing it to take photos of you. Using the phone’s limited selection of built-in music, you can coax your Pokemon to sleep or play it before taking a candid or sexy photo. None of the third-gen Rotom Phone’s built-in filters are great, but they’re easy to transfer to another device if you want to do some artistic post-processing of your own.

Along with the ZA Royale Hub, Lumiose’s updated Pokédex is the most useful app for the new Rotom Phone. It does all the basic stuff like keeping track of how many Pokémon you’ve seen and caught, where certain species live within a city, and how they move. It also has a separate list of Pokemon with Mega Evolved forms, but the cool thing about this version of the Pokédex is that it gives each Pokemon that you can have their own unique entry, which wasn’t the case in the last Rotom for some reason.

Unfortunately, the new Pokédex doesn’t showcase the same kind of fancy monster artwork Scarlet / VioletHe did. But the new interface is cleaner and more user-friendly, and gets rid of the excess distortion of the last generation. The default map app also gives you useful information about the Pokémon that appear in Lumiose’s Wild Zones, where ZA Royale Battle Zones appear, and details about locations like malls and Pokémon Centers.

By far, the new Roto-Glide function is what sets this generation of Rotom phone apart from others. The latest phone features a safe landing mode that activates when it detects that you have suddenly fallen a great distance. The Roto-Glide technology builds on this idea by giving you a short upward push when you jump off a ledge, enabling you to do a kind of bounce through the air. It’s perfect for jumping across rooftops or completing some of Lumiose’s many routes that feature scaffolding obstacles.

Like the Arc Phone and both other Rotom Phones, the new model has great battery life and call reception – at least within Lumiose City. I wasn’t able to test the phone outside the city limits, and it’s not clear if this model will work outside the Kalos region. I also couldn’t figure out how to activate the phone’s widescreen tablet mode, but others seem to enjoy it. But it goes like a dream.

The biggest issue I have with the 3G Rotom Phone is that there don’t seem to be many (if any) cool accessories to help make it feel more personal. The device appears to come in a variety of colors, such as red, blue, yellow, white, and stone grey. But it would have been great to see this model getting some stylish phone cases that can be purchased through Paldea.

Roto-Glide aside, the new Rotom Phone is a bit of an incremental upgrade if you’re coming from the last generation, but you’ll need one if you really want to make the most of your time in Lumiose City. The enhanced camera alone makes this tool even more useful when embarking on your next trip Pokemon Journey, and if there are some nifty accessories in the pipeline, the device will be close to perfect.