Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension is a great expansion to the base game that adds some much-needed quality-of-life improvements, interesting new Mega Pokémon, as well as plenty of returning Pokémon. The story is a bit strangely paced, but this is an overall worthwhile addition to an already solid title.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension
Developer: Game Freak
Price: $40 CAD, $30 USD
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 (reviewed)
MonsterVine was supplied with a Switch 2 code for review.
It feels like this DLC for Pokémon Legends: Z-A has arrived faster than the expansions of the past did, but I can’t say I mind. Despite a couple of issues, I rather enjoyed the most recent Pokémon game and was certainly down to play it some more. Thanks to Mega Dimension, I’ve been doing just that and having a grand old time.
The main new mechanic in Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension comes in the form of Mega Dimensions – alternate versions of Lumiose City filled with Pokémon that are above level 100. By feeding Hoopa donuts made with different berries, you can enter Mega Dimensions to battle trainers or catch Pokémon – many of which are making their Legends Z-A debut here. Better donuts boost your Pokémon’s levels higher and higher above 100 as well, though you revert back upon leaving.
Though it can be a bit irritating to have time limits in these dimensions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension, it’s nonetheless a consistently satisfying mechanic that I’m glad to have seen added. Since the portals reset at the conclusion of each day and night, it’s also easy to cycle through portal spawns to get your ideal Pokémon. Exploring Mega Dimensions to get items and catch Pokémon has yet to get boring, even after finishing the main story content. Additionally, plenty of new sidequests come as part of Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension, adding further playtime and some silly little stories to the package.
The narrative itself does drag a bit, especially due to repetitive battles against characters you’ve already beaten numerous times in the base game, with little to no substantial changes. A good number of the cutscenes also come off as a bit repetitive, though this is alleviated by a good few great character moments. Corbeau stands out the most, though this was also true of the base game – he’s just the coolest character in Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension. I did enjoy seeing Korrina return from Pokémon X and Y, and Ansha serves as another neat link between those titles and this sequel.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension has some great new Mega Pokémon.
The new Mega Pokémon sport some pretty tight designs and are fairly easy to obtain. I won’t spoil the ‘mons that get new forms, but rest assured that a few long-awaited ones have, alongside some genuine surprises. I always love to see new Mega forms, especially if they make otherwise forgotten Pokémon more competitively viable. Now, if we could only get a Mega Slowking…
A neat thing about the Mega Dimensions is that they make Shiny hunting way easier, if you enjoy that as much as I do. You can make donuts that boost your chances of running into Shinies, and it’s easy to quick-travel to the start of a Wild Dimension and respawn nearby Pokémon. You can pretty breezily hunt down all sorts of Shinies in a more enjoyable and speedy way than ever before, which is a big plus. It’s still challenging enough to be rewarding and exciting, but streamlined enough to remove a good chunk of the monotony that normally comes with Shiny hunting.
The Final Word
Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension does a lot right, bringing a decent amount of new side content and returning Pokémon into the mix alongside great new Mega forms and a pleasantly refined system for finding Shinies. The story lags a bit, but the total package is still worth your time.
MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
