I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.
Whether it's a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.
Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, with certain cosmetic, others significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.
Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations to that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to live together alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed before.
Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant evolution yet, replacing methodical turn-based fights with more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, despite I feel ready for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.
When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character had as a tourist 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 a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched 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" progression from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to gain the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.
Character fights take place at night, while navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 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 during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).
The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your adversary will result in certain doom.
Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.
A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.
In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.
Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I
Tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for exploring emerging technologies and their impact on society.
