🔗 Share this article

I'm not sure precisely when the custom began, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running series (and one of the most style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved between releases, some superficial, others significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside charming creatures has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that framework. It's set completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokémon are intended to coexist alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution yet, swapping deliberate sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself ready for another turn-based release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your starter 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 classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Creature fights depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen 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 Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I