Pokemon Legends: Z-A - An Innovative Evolution Yet Staying Faithful to Its Roots

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

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female avatars, featuring dark and violet hair. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the long-running franchise (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between releases, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But at their core, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier titles. Pokémon are intended to coexist alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution yet, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel eager for another turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of opponents to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I