🔗 Share this article

I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, but I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the long-running series (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between releases, some cosmetic, others substantial. But at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations into that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous games. Pokémon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution yet, replacing deliberate sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. But here, you battle several trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Moves function with cooldown timers, indicating both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance 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 will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I