Pokémon Chronicles: Z-A - A Fresh Evolution Yet Staying True to Its Origins

I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this long-running series (and one of the most style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, some cosmetic, some significant. However at their heart, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Throughout every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, replacing deliberate sequential bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel ready for another turn-based entry. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and launch an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for the franchise, 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 building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which the city really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I