🔗 Share this article

I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the long-running series (and among the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, with certain superficial, some substantial. But at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Across all version, the core gameplay loop of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle undergoes its biggest transformation to date, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for a new turn-based release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of her team of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: A New Frontier

Character fights occur at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, because everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Creature fights depend on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality missing in the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I