Food in the Pokémon universe has steadily gained traction as a key feature; what once started as primarily a berries-only kind of deal has since become a delicious tapestry of delicacies. Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension intends to add to this growing list of foods by introducing donuts into the mix.
At a glance, this doesn’t seem particularly odd at all, but when you notice that these donuts have calories, this Pokémon Legends Z-A DLC design feature finds itself on shaky ground. This already unstable foundation then begins to quake with the additional feature of calorie counting. Although it’s not a traditional calorie tracker, its introduction is, to say the least, concerning.
The Escapist Recaps
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension introduces calories and calorie tracking in an unusual new feature.
- The Pokémon Legends: Z-A DLC release date is December 10.
- These newly introduced calories and their tracker come into play due to Hyperspace Lumiose; you need energy, aka calories, to make these expeditions.
- As a result, different types of donuts, created using different berries, yield varied energy outputs.
- A calorie tracker in Pokémon Legends: Z-A is potentially triggering for those recovering from eating disorders. Moreover, it could encourage calorie counting among players, both young and old.
Pokémon is fantastical – why introduce realism now?
Pokémon as a franchise has never been bogged down by realism. While there are real-world similarities, when all is said and done, the IP is fantasy through and through. Something which the Mega Dimension DLC fully intends to embrace with its expeditions into Hyperspace Lumiose.
Ansha’s unique cookery skills and the baked goods she creates are designed for one purpose: to generate enough energy to sustain your trip. Consequently, another measure of energy would have sufficed. Arguably, one exclusive to the Pokémon universe would have worked better, for it adds further depth to the ever-expanding lore of the IP. Hyperspace essence, Hoopa energy, or another far more creative measurement could have been utilised in place of calories.
Further compounding the introduction of calories into what’s commonly deemed a children’s series is the fact that players need to monitor their calorie usage.
Even though Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension isn’t officially promoting calorie tracking in a traditional sense, it’s still a feature designed to track your energy consumption. Even though the reasons for this tracker contrast with calorie counting used in real life, the possible result is the same: we’re extra vigilant about what we consume.
Many fans use games as a means of escapism, and although escapism can have realism woven in, being able to disconnect from reality for a while is welcomed. In the Pokémon Legends: Z-A, that disconnect – that release – will prove more difficult because a real, everyday aspect of living has been brought to the fore. I see calories every single day, on menus, packages, and so on; ergo, I don’t want to think about it while I’m gaming.
The Mega Dimension DLC releases during a tumultuous time
Society has an alarmingly obsessive relationship with weight and calories. And yes, I recognise the irony in saying this when I too am adding further to the discourse. Unfortunately, engaging with the topic is almost unavoidable – it’s everywhere.
Our fascination with weight isn’t new, by any means; however, recent developments have served to exacerbate matters. Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension’s release date, through no fault of its own, is during a time when Ozempic and other extreme weight loss methods are being widely used.
Consequently, it’s an unfortunate time to introduce calories into a video game. Even if this gameplay mechanic was introduced without the aforementioned external factors, it’s still a divisive feature. Thus, when you factor in the societal context, its inclusion is doubly questionable. The Mega Dimension DLC can’t control societal belief systems, but it does add to them, and thus it can help or hinder.
Video games don’t cause violence, nor do they force you to calorie count. Yet, we’re being purposely ignorant if we don’t recognise the profound effect certain features have on select players. We can’t totally eradicate any foreseeable problems, for there are too many variables to consider. Nonetheless, developers can strive to be more mindful of what they indirectly or directly promote.
I admit, my strained relationship with food has colored how I see this Pokémon Legends: Z-A feature. But that’s my point: how we individually respond to gameplay impacts our experience. And with children as young as four years old living with eating disorders, I highly doubt I’m the only fan of the game that’ll struggle to dismiss this new mechanic.
Ask The Escapist
It’s not a calorie tracker, per se, or at least, it’s not one we’d use in our everyday lives. Yet, referring to it as a tracker is not inaccurate, for it monitors how much energy you have to use while in Hyperspace Lumiose.
The potential this mechanic has to trigger those who live or are recovering from an eating disorder is what has created the issue. Calories are neither good nor bad; they’re just a form of energy. However, the degree to which society is obsessed with them has directly affected how we interact with them.
Gameplay-wise, calories are the energy measurement of the donuts Ansha creates to help you traverse Hyperspace Lumiose. The greater the energy available, the longer you can stay in the area.
The DLC will be available from December 10. That being said, not all of its features will be unlocked at once; this will be a staggered release in two parts. Still, you’ll only have to pay for Mega Dimensions once.
The post Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension introduces calorie counting – it’s an odd feature appeared first on The Escapist.