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

I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and among the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved across installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside charming creatures has remained consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations into that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokémon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest transformation yet, replacing methodical sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel eager for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, while sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. 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 adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. 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 underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing 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 beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I