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I don't recall precisely when the custom began, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a core franchise title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, some superficial, some substantial. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Across all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed steady for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to coexist with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its most significant transformation yet, replacing methodical sequential bouts with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself ready for a new traditional release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and are sent into 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" progression from earlier titles. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on an opponent and launch a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data remains visible on screen in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes 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 when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base 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 Repetition

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I