🔗 Share this article

I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and one of the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, some superficial, some significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Across all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling with charming creatures has stayed steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that formula. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous games. Pokémon are intended to live together with people, trainers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle experiences its most significant evolution yet, replacing deliberate turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, despite I find myself ready for a new traditional release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. But here, you fight several opponents to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that data remains visible on screen within 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.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life city birds obstructing my path 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 represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I never visited the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I