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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, but I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch switches from male to female avatars, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this enduring franchise (and one of the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, with certain superficial, others significant. However at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokemon through and through. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across every iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more drastic is Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest evolution yet, swapping methodical sequential bouts with something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for another traditional release. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. But here, you fight several trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise a rival and unleash a free attack, since everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your adversary will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops 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 city where no two blocks differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I