Pokemon Legends: Z-A - An Innovative Transformation Yet Staying Faithful to Its Origins

I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running franchise (and one of the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, with certain superficial, some substantial. However at their core, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to coexist with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation to date, swapping methodical sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another turn-based release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, because all actions occur in real time. Moves function with cooldown timers, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited Paris, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot 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 in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I