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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition started, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this long-running series (and among the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved across releases, with certain superficial, others substantial. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're always Pokemon to the core. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately three decades back, and has only truly attempted to evolve upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that formula. It takes place completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to live together with humans, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle undergoes its biggest transformation to date, replacing methodical turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for another traditional entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to join her team of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. However here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in eateries with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I