Pokemon Chronicles: Z-A - A Fresh Evolution While Remaining Faithful to Its Origins

I'm not sure exactly how the tradition began, but I always name all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this long-running series (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Across every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside charming creatures has stayed consistent for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes to that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are intended to coexist alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution yet, replacing methodical sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself ready for another traditional release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles occur at night, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and launch a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

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