🔗 Share this article

I don't recall exactly how the tradition began, but I always name all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the long-running franchise (and among the more style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, some superficial, some substantial. However at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some three decades back, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that framework. It's set completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Even more drastic is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant transformation yet, replacing methodical sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another traditional release. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor 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 her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I