Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo, The Pokémon Company
Platform: Switch, Switch 2
Tested on: Switch 2
Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension DLC – Review
Well, that was a lot earlier than expected, wasn’t it? Originally implied to arrive in late February of next year, Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Dimension DLC actually launched last week. Over the course of last weekend, we returned to Lumiose City… and beyond! Given how packed the end-of-year game release schedule has been so far, we can imagine that a good chunk of you haven’t even finished the base game yet. Whether or not you’ve already saved the city, or if you’re still trying to figure out how to stop Ange, we’re here to help you decide if expanding Legends: Z-A is the way to go, regardless of whether that’s today or somewhere down the line.
Ever since Sword & Shield’s Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra DLCs, the roster of new and returning critters has always been the focal point of any Pokémon expansion. Mega Dimension sees 132 Pokémon being added to the game, alongside a bunch of new Mega forms. Of note is that the base game contained every Pokémon introduced in X &Y (with the exception of Volcanion) but nothing beyond that generation, whereas the DLC adds Pokémon up to Scarlet & Violet. Regardless of whether you own Mega Dimension or not, you can obtain the returning mons through trading as well as via Home when support for that is added next year. The new Megas are exclusive to the DLC, however, as you cannot obtain their respective Mega Stones without the expansion. There were also some pre-existing Mega forms missing from the base game, mostly from Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, and these also make a comeback. The caveat here is that the Mega Stones for Blaziken, Swampert and Sceptile are locked behind the game’s online PvP component, just like the stones for the Kalosian staters were in the base game. We didn’t touch on Legends: Z-A’s online in our original review, but we’ve played several online matches since. Online PvP is a chaotic free-for-all, and if it wasn’t for the game requiring you to play this mode to obtain specific Mega Stones, we’d stay away from it altogether. Fortunately, it’s also very forgiving, and most players should be able to get each of the exclusive stones in less than an hour if they are available during that specific season.
Of course, Mega Dimension isn’t just about returning ‘mons. The game introduces a brand new storyline that sees Lumiose City threatened by a cataclysm again… and it’s up to Team MZ to deal with this. This time around, there are some interdimensional shenanigans going on, and a parallel universe is threatening to overtake the real world. Enter Ansha, a young girl, and Hoopa, her mischievous Poké-pal with a penchant for donuts. These two may just be the key to dealing with the hyperspace pockets that are appearing all over Lumiose. Where the base game’s self-contained story probably felt as close to a standalone season of the Pokémon anime yet, Mega Dimension comes across as a second season. Z-A’s cast of secondary characters feels more fleshed-out here than in any other Pokémon title yet, and Mega Dimension builds on what was established. The return of a fan-favourite cast member from X&Y further ties it all together. Where Mega Dimension isn’t the most fleshed out DLC in total terms of content, at least in terms of storytelling, it is the meatiest expansion yet.
As for gameplay, the most significant addition comes from the game’s Hyperspace mechanics. Early on in the expansion’s story, Ansha opens up a donut shop in the hotel where Team MZ has their base. By providing Ansha with berries, she can cook donuts. These can then be fed to Hoopa, who subsequently opens portals to the alternate dimension. The time you can spend in this dimension depends on the donuts you cook up. Additionally, the donuts also give a level boost to your own Pokémon -temporarily taking their level above the normal limit of 100! Given that both the wild mons that inhabit the alternate dimension and those used by trainers are also above this cap, that’s a pretty significant power increase. Anything that you catch in the alternate dimension will return to its normal level, however. Alongside this power increase comes more boss battles against Rogue Mega Pokémon, however, and the difficulty level of the DLC is significantly higher than what you’d normally expect from a Pokémon game.
Some of the issues we had with the base game are alleviated with the addition of the Mega Dimension DLC. Completing Mable’s Research -a series of mundane tasks leading up to the coveted Shiny Charm- required completing 1000 battles, for example. The addition of new tasks in Mega Dimension makes it so that you can skip the 1000 battle requirement. Other issues still persist: there are instances where you’re forced to sit through the story, even if you’d rather be out hunting to complete your Pokédex. The DLC took us around 12 hours total to clear, although we’re still working on catching them all. The €29.99 price point may seem on the steep side, especially when put next to the game’s €69.99 price point, but if you’re a fan of the series, you’re getting your money’s worth.
Conclusion
For the most part, the Mega Dimension DLC feels like you’re getting more of the same, but given that “the same” is a fresh take on the Pokémon formula, we’re not complaining. The biggest draw here is the return of a bunch of Pokémon, as well as new Mega forms, although we’d argue that the story itself is the real reason you should give the DLC a chance -even if it has a tendency to railroad you. We’re also not entirely done with our time in Lumiose City: with Home support coming next year, and several Mega Stones still locked behind upcoming PvP seasons, we’ll be jumping in and out of the Mega Dimension over the coming months or so. And who knows, perhaps Game Freak still has a surprise or two up their sleeves.
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