🔗 Share this article

I don't recall precisely when the custom started, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the enduring franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, some superficial, some significant. However at their heart, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has remained steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that framework. It takes place completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation yet, swapping methodical sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself ready for a new turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. 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 of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Placement also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often 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. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I