Pokémon Legends: Z-A - A Fresh Evolution While Remaining True to Its Roots

I'm not sure exactly how the custom started, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between installments, some cosmetic, some substantial. However at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal core cycle experiences its most significant evolution to date, swapping deliberate sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel ready for a new turn-based release. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights occur at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.