🔗 Share this article

I'm not sure precisely when the custom started, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running series (and one of the most style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, others significant. But at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous games. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution to date, swapping methodical turn-based bouts with more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, despite I find myself eager for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch an unopposed move, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people 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. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality missing in the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

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