🔗 Share this article

I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a main series title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch switches between male and female characters, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this enduring franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, with certain cosmetic, others significant. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to coexist alongside people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Even more radical is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution yet, swapping methodical sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself eager for another traditional release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle several opponents to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths 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 city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I