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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this enduring franchise (and one of the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, with certain superficial, others substantial. But at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across all version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting alongside adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of previous games. Pokémon are meant to live together with humans, battlers and civilians, in ways we've only glimpsed before.

Even more radical than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its most significant evolution yet, replacing deliberate sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel ready for a new turn-based entry. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Combat: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your adversary will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I