Pokémon Legends: Z-A is a fantastic return to (mega) form

After shaking up the Pokemon formula with Pokemon Legends: Arceus, its successor, Legends: Z-A, pushes things even further - and it's a very welcome change of pace.
With Arceus, Nintendo and Game Freak demonstrated how much more vibrant, weird, and exciting the monster catching series could become with a few key changes to the classic formula. Arceus' historical story and open-ish world made the Pokemon universe feel like a bigger, wilder place, just as the revamped battling and catching mechanics turned the familiar process of filling out your pokedex into a completely different kind of experience.
After years of the mainline Pokemon tit ...