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

Whether it's a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the enduring franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, some cosmetic, some significant. But at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Throughout every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside charming creatures has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes into that framework. It's set completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed previously.

Far more drastic is Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation yet, replacing deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new traditional release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of her team of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

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 gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Approach

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash a free attack, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to get used to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly 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. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved the way creature fights within Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground 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 Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I