🔗 Share this article

I'm not sure exactly how the custom began, but I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a core franchise title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring series (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the various academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has remained consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and civilians, in ways we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle experiences its most significant transformation yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel eager for a new turn-based release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a major role during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I