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

Be it a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch switches between male and female characters, with black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, with certain superficial, some significant. But at their heart, they remain identical; they're always Pokemon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside charming creatures has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to live together with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation to date, swapping deliberate turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for another turn-based entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

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

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to surprise a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Placement also factors as a major role in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I