🔗 Share this article

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

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the more fashion-focused releases). Other times they're confined to the assorted school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, with certain superficial, others substantial. However at their heart, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside charming creatures has remained consistent for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to live together with humans, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation to date, replacing methodical turn-based fights for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to join their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a major role in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. 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 extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I