🔗 Share this article

I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches between male and female characters, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, with certain cosmetic, some significant. However at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling with charming creatures has remained steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to live together alongside humans, battlers and civilians, in ways we've only glimpsed before.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution yet, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts with more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself ready for a new turn-based release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in 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 diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I