🔗 Share this article

I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring franchise (and among the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that framework. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of earlier titles. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation to date, replacing deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for a new turn-based release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I