Pokemon Legends: Z-A - An Innovative Evolution While Staying Faithful to Its Origins

I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female characters, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring series (and among the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. But at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately three decades back, and has only seriously tried to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of previous games. Pokemon are meant to coexist with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its biggest transformation to date, replacing deliberate sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for a new traditional entry. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to join their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight a handful of opponents to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or move 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, despite this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights within Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis in general.