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I'm not sure precisely when the custom started, but I always name all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, with certain superficial, some substantial. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes into that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist alongside people, trainers and civilians, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its biggest transformation yet, swapping methodical turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for another traditional release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem 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 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; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Approach

Trainer battles occur at night, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with recharge periods, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a major role during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I