So I'm trying to think of what is actually in the DLC that isn't either returning cut content, or new content "buffed" by returning cut content. I'm not impressed with this DLC so far but I could be wrong but based off Isle of Armor I don't have high hopes.
100~ returning Pokemon... okay. "Free" Pokedex upgrade but it's only really achievable by paying for either Home or Nintendo online.
It is as bad as it was in Gen 7, yes.
Dynamax adventures might be neat but seems like since the rental Pokemon have terrible moves and are random it's going to be a frustrating experience if you keep getting bad rental rolls. The fact that the major rewards are just returning legends is kind of lame since they aren't even allowed in VGC.
Ah yes, because we all know that you certainly can't catch Landorus, the Tapus, and the three muskedeer from Dynamax Adventures, no sirree. And we
certainly are not expecting anothed GS Cup format where the other Legends are usable in 2022 based on past patterns, nope.
I'm mixed on the rental 'mons because on the one hand at least it isn't something that would be steamrollable with something like 3 HA Perrserkers and a Zacian but on the other hand the Rental Mons movesets are exceptionally bad. This is probably to encourage players to swap out with 'mons they encounter along the Dynamax Adventures run since those seem a lot better (they show an example of an HA Clefairy with 3 TM moves) but they probably could have given us a bit better stuff to work with.
I really like the new Galarian forms and the new Regis but it's kind of annoying that they're using familiarity to generate excitement. Could they just make something brand new instead of pandering to nostalgia? Well... besides Calyrex.
Which is why regional formes were a mistake in the first place.
Seems like there is some kind of Tundra story which could be neat, but it appears a lot of it is just old content re-skinned as something new, such as the event "It Came from the Ultra Beyond!".
Ah yes, because we all know the story already and that it will 100% be an exact replica of the SuMo post game story with Looker and Anabel and will in no way shape or form have any differences.
Speaking of hats, they are adding some additional clothing options. Imo this is where the paid DLC should be, with cosmetic upgrades for yourself or your Pokemon but with free content updates considering this fucking game earned around a billion dollars in main game sales alone not even counting DLC.
Cosmetics tend to be the go to on paid DLC because they tend to be quickly made, the art team is more likely to have the time to do so, and allegedly triple A games are a lot more expensive to produce. I say allegedly because no one really knows how much they cost these days as no one really publicly puts price tags on the cost to make them. Which likely means that part of the reason why cosmetics are usually paid DLC is because that ensures they can pay the artists for making them.
Besides, it's really just added value for the DLCs at this point due to the additional content. If you are getting these DLCs for the cosmetics alone then you should probably reevaluate your spending habits.
Galarian Star Tournament could be fun. Hopefully the levels are set to 50 or else it's just going to be an easy stomp for an over-leveled team. But also it's going to be re-using Wyndon Stadium plus "trainers we already met" so it sounds like it's just repurposed previous assets. I'm really getting tired of the world's most profitable franchise wrapping last year's Christmas presents and selling it to us.
They should also probably remove the Battle Tower at this point too since it's pretty much the same in every game. And the fact that they reused the Platinum Battle Frontier in HGSS is simply unforgivable.
That said: even if the levels are set to 50 it's probably gonna be an easy stomp, this is Pokemon after all, not some overly difficult game where that would actually make a difference. Which is the whole reasoning behind me having wanted to do Pacifist runs since the feature was mentioned on the site back when IoA came out.
Also let's definitely ignore the rather lore appropriate reason given in-game for all this. Who needs story after all?
But non-competitively... idk, there doesn't appear to be much new content other than "old stuff returning". 30 dollars for Armor + Tundra isn't a great deal, though I'll gladly admit I'm wrong if Tundra unexpectedly turns out to be good. I'm just getting sick of Gamefreak selling back cut content with new skins. Yeah returning Pokemon are neat and Galar forms are kinda cool but it's just nostalgia pandering. Gen 8 has been one big disappointment after another for me.
They haven't indicated that anything in either DLC is "cut content with new skins" (that phrase feels buzzwordy) unless you've always hated the whole "third version thing" that they've done since Yellow Version at which point the DLC would have never seemed like a good idea to you since everything in it seems like the new stuff that would have been sold with an "Ultra Sword and Ultra Shield" version. At full retail price rather than half price.
Which is an indictment for just how they've dropped the ball this generation in terms of content. There definitely should have been more, especially when it comes to things to do after beating the game, but there wasn't and it just feels a lot more rushed as a result. In turn, them making the jump to DLC (which is a better idea than making you buy the game again for additional content imo) feels a bit off since it adding more content feels bad since it feels like stuff that should have been there instead of stuff you would get in a third version.
