🔗 Share this article

I'm not sure precisely when the custom started, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring series (and among the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, some superficial, others substantial. But at their core, they remain identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has remained steady for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel eager for another traditional entry. Though these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. However here, you battle several opponents to earn the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey 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 from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I