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I don't recall exactly how the custom started, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female avatars, featuring dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this long-running series (and among the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, with certain cosmetic, 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 has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Throughout all version, the core gameplay loop of catching and battling with adorable monsters has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous games. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Even more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, replacing deliberate sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel eager for a new traditional entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur at night, while navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, since everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's much to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

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