Pokémon Legends: Z-A - A Fresh Evolution While Remaining True to Its Origins

I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, however I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction switches between male and female characters, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to live together with humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation yet, swapping deliberate sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for a new turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, 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 rely on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds obstructing my path when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I