🔗 Share this article

I'm not sure exactly how the custom began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the most style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, some superficial, some significant. But at their core, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that framework. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are intended to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution to date, swapping methodical sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and are sent to participate in 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 of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur at night, and sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to surprise a rival and launch a free attack, because everything happens in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

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