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I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the long-running franchise (and among the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're confined to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, with certain cosmetic, others significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Across every version, the core gameplay loop of catching and battling with charming creatures has remained consistent for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations into that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous games. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, trainers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution to date, replacing methodical sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for a new turn-based release. Although these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I