Pokémon Legends: Z-A - A Fresh Transformation While Staying Faithful to Its Roots

I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the most style-conscious releases). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, with certain superficial, some substantial. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout all version, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to live together with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution to date, swapping methodical turn-based bouts with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another traditional entry. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Approach

Trainer battles occur at night, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Moves function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near like the real-life pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and 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. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I