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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the long-running franchise (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, with certain superficial, others significant. However at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Throughout every iteration, the core gameplay loop of catching and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes into that framework. It takes place completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside people, trainers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest transformation to date, replacing deliberate turn-based fights with something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, despite I feel ready for another traditional release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them 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" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to get a jump on a rival and launch a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I