Pokemon Chronicles: Z-A - An Innovative Evolution Yet Remaining True to Its Roots

I don't recall exactly how the custom started, but I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, some superficial, some substantial. However at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes to that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside people, trainers and civilians, in ways we've only seen glimpses of before.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the series' almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation yet, swapping methodical sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel eager for a new turn-based entry. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to join her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. But here, you fight several trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights take place at night, and sneaking around the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm always attempting to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or move to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to visit. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach similar to actual city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. 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 provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting 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 Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I