Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimensions DLC – Review

C’est moi, déception !  

The sixth generation of Pokémon games is considered by many fans to be almost perfect. It introduced an impressive number of new creatures to the Pokédex, made the official transition to 3D, with cities and battles no longer rendered in two dimensions, brought mega-evolutions to the forefront, and inaugurated a completely new type of Pokémon: fairies.

The reason Pokémon X & Y aren't seen as truly definitive titles is the lack of an “enhanced” version, like Pokémon Platinum was for the fourth generation. That filled out much of the National Dex, adjusted the narrative, introduced more substantial post-game content, and allowed the capture of the three legendary Pokémon: Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Unfortunately, the return to Lumiose via Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimensions doesn't have the same impact and doesn't live up to the standards set by definitive versions or previous titles' DLCs. As you've come to expect, we'll start with the story.

Une petite incursion!

After the catastrophe caused by Ange and the Mega Energy crisis, things in Lumiose finally seem to have settled down. However, the appearance of a mysterious portal above the Prism Tower suggests that the city is about to face a new danger in the near future. As expected, Team MZ, along with the protagonist, must find out what is causing these portals to appear and discover a way to close the one that has materialised directly above the symbol of Kalos's capital and seems capable of swallowing the entire city.

During the adventure, two new members join the team: little Ansha, a talented baker, accompanied by the playful Pokémon Hoopa, as well as Korrina, the former Gym Leader of Shalour City, now considered the successor to the so-called Mega Evolution gurus. Alongside their new teammates, the protagonist and Taunie set off to find the source of the Mega Dimensions and a way to stop the new crisis threatening Lumiose.

As expected, the story in the DLC is typical of the franchise, with a low level of complexity, similar to the Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra from Pokémon Sword & Shield or The Teal Mask and The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. The major difference is that Mega Dimensions falls considerably short of expectations, both narratively and as a general experience. The low quality of the story, the lack of truly new areas, and the excessive reliance on RNG-based mechanics turn this DLC into a much weaker adventure than the series' recent expansions have accustomed us to.

Let's start with the good things, though: the new level caps and battles. The DLC for Legends: Z-A increases the level cap from 100 to 200, which turns confrontations into true tests of mastery. Pokémon encountered in the Mega Dimensions start at level 100, and the first contact is far from friendly: a group of level 110 Mankey wiped the floor with Feraligatr and Chesnaught without much trouble. This drastic increase forced me to completely rethink my strategy and rebuild my team to face the challenges of the Mega Dimension. Unfortunately, a higher level cap and more difficult battles are not enough to justify a €30 DLC, especially when these changes could have been implemented perfectly well through a simple free patch.

Le grand roguelike

Previous Switch game expansions brought us completely new areas. Unfortunately, Mega Dimensions does not follow this example, but rather recycles sections of Lumiose, “recoloured” in black and white. This lazy level design approach is due to the DLC being conceived as a roguelike. Each portal transports us to a random area of the city, populated by a few Pokémon, where we must complete repetitive objectives: catch a certain monster, collect shiny items, or destroy obstacles. Although the experience is fun at first, incursions into the Mega Dimensions quickly become repetitive and tiresome, and the fault largely lies with the design. Moreover, the player doesn't have the freedom to explore at their own pace, as each portal comes with a strict time limit, within which they must complete missions and capture new Pokémon.

The DLC and its activities are built around a roguelike structure. We enter a portal that generates a tiny fraction of Lumiose, devoid of inhabitants but populated by a small number of Pokémon, and we receive a few clear objectives. Once these are completed, a golden Poké Ball appears on the map, which we must find and attack to receive some special “berries”. These are then used in Ansha's bakery, where they can be combined in different recipes to create doughnuts, necessary to start other incursions. Each portal is classified by level and number of stars, which indicate its difficulty. To face the challenges of the Mega Dimensions, it is mandatory to use a doughnut of the same rank, which provides a higher level bonus than that of the portal.

The major problem is that the entire system is at the mercy of RNG. There is no way to influence or guarantee what special resources appear in a portal, which is why I often found myself having to farm low-level incursions, hoping I'd get lucky enough to access more difficult portals. The situation becomes even more frustrating with mythical Pokémon like Darkrai, Rayquaza, Groudon, Kyogre, or Zeraora, which require special doughnuts, obtained from resources that drop exclusively at random.

Completing the Pokédex isn't any easier, as the appearance of creatures from the Mega Dimensions is, again, at the mercy of RNG. We can see from the portal menu which Pokémon should populate the area, but I frequently had the bad luck that none of the available Mega Dimensions contained any creature I hadn't already caught. Portals change over time, but this leads to an absurd situation: most players will spend more time sitting on benches in Lumiose and changing the in-game time than actually exploring the new content offered by the DLC.

C’est fini

Pokémon Legends: Z-A remains a complete and satisfying experience even without the Mega Dimensions DLC. The return to Lumiose is enjoyable at first, but the expansion quickly becomes repetitive and tiresome, largely due to the excessive reliance on RNG that underpins the Mega Dimension incursions. While the idea of introducing roguelike elements into a Pokémon game is a brave and, theoretically, innovative one, the way it has been implemented leaves much to be desired. Mega Dimensions demonstrates that the developers haven't fully understood how to blend the magic of the Pokémon franchise with the specific rules and pace of the roguelike genre. The result is a DLC that feels more like an unfinished experiment than an essential extension of the Kalos adventure.

Thanks to CD Media S.E. for the review code and the opportunity to play the Mega Dimensions DLC.

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Available on: Nintendo Switch / Switch 2
Played on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: 10 December 2025
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo