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

Be it a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this enduring franchise (and among the most fashion-focused releases). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, some cosmetic, some substantial. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to innovate on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Throughout every iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside charming creatures has remained steady for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes to that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more drastic is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation to date, replacing deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another turn-based release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on screen in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to visit. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in eateries with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I