🔗 Share this article

I don't recall precisely when the custom began, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the most fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're confined to the assorted school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved across installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. But at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling with charming creatures has remained steady for almost as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

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

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight a handful of opponents to earn the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Moves operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to get used to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to 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 amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I