Pokemon Legends: Z-A - A Fresh Transformation While Staying Faithful to Its Origins

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

Whether it's a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring series (and among the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, some cosmetic, others significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and battling with adorable monsters has stayed consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes into that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its most significant evolution yet, replacing deliberate sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new traditional entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, 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. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. 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 joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I