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I'm not sure precisely when the custom began, however I always name all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring dark and violet locks. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running series (and among the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved across installments, some cosmetic, others significant. However at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across all version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has remained steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes into that framework. It's set completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to live together with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution to date, replacing deliberate turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself eager for another traditional release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. But here, you battle several opponents to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response after using an attack, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path when walking in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I never visited Paris, the model behind 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 provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I