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I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring dark and violet locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the assorted school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, some cosmetic, some significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately three decades back, and has only seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier titles. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation to date, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself ready for another turn-based entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. However here, you fight several trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life city birds getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I