🔗 Share this article

I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction switches between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring series (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, some superficial, others significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that framework. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokémon are intended to live together with humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the series' almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation to date, replacing methodical turn-based bouts for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel eager for another turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I