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I don't recall precisely when the custom began, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch alternates from male to female avatars, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the enduring series (and among the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has stayed consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that framework. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of previous games. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's almost ideal core cycle experiences its most significant transformation to date, swapping methodical turn-based fights for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel eager for another turn-based release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of opponents to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights occur during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

In which the city truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I