🔗 Share this article

I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female characters, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Across every version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations into that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of previous games. Pokemon are intended to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its biggest transformation to date, replacing deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, despite I find myself ready for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. But here, you fight several opponents to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Moves function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. While I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I