Pokemon Chronicles: Z-A - An Innovative Evolution While Remaining True to Its Roots

I'm not sure exactly how the tradition started, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running franchise (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, with certain cosmetic, some significant. But at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It takes place completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution yet, replacing deliberate sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join their squad of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur at night, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I