Game Freak, and Nintendo in general, are still trying to figure out this whole DLC thing. That’s extremely obvious in a Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Dimension DLC.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is a generally strong installment in the series. Its new battle system and different take on Mega Evolution make for a unique experience that remains distinctly “Pokemon.” Expanding on that with new Pokemon and new Mega Evolutions is theoretically a layup.
Theoretically.
While there are new Pokemon to catch, new challenges to overcome, and new Mega Evolutions to discover, Game Freak still hasn’t figured out how to make the overall journey compelling. In a probable over-correction from previous distinctly short attempts that were consistently light on content, the developer’s solution was seemingly to add filler to make the experience last longer. In 2025, that’s a cardinal sin for a video game.
The Good:
- The story and characters are still fun
- New mega evolutions are an exciting addition
The Bad:
- Requires an agonizing amount of grinding
- Doesn’t have enough new Pokemon or Mega Evolutions to combat this
Review Details:
- Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
- Platforms available: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- Official release date: December 10, 2025
Pokemon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension is an NES-era, grind-heavy throwback
Mega Dimension takes the concept of a gameplay loop to the absolute extreme. The entire DLC boils down to a flow chart; collect items, use those items to collect better items, use those better items to access a new story moment, and repeat.
Those items are berries, which players have undoubtedly collected an abundance of while playing through the base game. Here, players can give the berries to a new character, Ansha, and her Hoopa as she looks to catch Rayquaza. She uses these berries to create donuts for Hoopa, which allow players to jump into holes scattered around the map.
What keeps players from just storming through the DLC with all the Leppa and Sitrus Berries they picked up during their initial playthrough is the addition of “hyper” versions of these berries. Shortly into the DLC, players will hit a wall where the donuts made with standard berries just don’t provide enough time for exploration or power to their party. That forces players to farm for hyper berries.
That’s where the gameplay loop starts to become boring.
Things quickly progress to a point where hyper berries are used to farm better hyper berries, which are then used to farm even better hyper berries. Given how quickly players run out of new Pokemon to catch, this winds up being time-consuming and un-fun.
What helps keep things playable is just the strength of the cast. Pokemon Legends: Z-A was buoyed by its lovable cast of characters and that continues here. The cast is also expanded by a returning Korrina from Pokemon X and Y. Pushing towards the occasional bit of banter will likely keep the DLC playable enough for those who loved Legends: Z-A. Those are the only people who should consider getting Mega Dimension, though.
The Bottom Line: Pokemon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension is an exercise that will wear down almost anyone before the credits roll.
Score: 4.0/10
