🔗 Share this article

I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, but I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running series (and one of the more style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, some cosmetic, others significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has remained steady for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes into that framework. It's set completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for a new traditional release. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. However here, you fight several opponents to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

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