It’s been almost a month since the initial release of The Teal Mask on September 13, 2023. The first of a two-part DLC titled The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, introduces a new adventure in the rural land of Kitakami. Players can catch new and returning Pokémon wandering through rice paddles, misty woodlands, and hot springs. Despite the apparent beauty of the land that was present in the initial trailer, the game is let down by its lack of finer details. When compared to previous games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus and the Sword and Shield DLC, The Teal Mask shows an obvious lack of detail in its environment, with only a small town comprised of buildings that can’t be entered and NPCs that only repeat the same boring phrases. Don’t get me wrong, this lack of detail was present in the base game but with nearly a year between release dates, one would have hoped that The Teal Mask would have more easter egg-style moments. However, the region does have a lot to offer for gameplay, with various biomes to explore and catch cute critters in - a personal favourite of mine was the crystal pools at the top of the central mountain, a beautiful bit of scenery with a hidden entrance to a cave system within.
The story begins as players are invited to take part in a school trip with the neighbouring school: Blueberry Academy. As you take part in a scavenger hunt for signboards across the region, you will uncover the secrets behind the legend of the Loyal Three; Munkidori, Okidogi, and Fezandipiti, three new legendary Pokémon who are said to have saved the land from an evil ogre. The story introduces the player to new characters; a sibling pair, Kieran and Carmine, with whom you will undergo the DLC’s main story, and Perrin, a Pokémon photographer who will ask you to complete a Pokémon snap-style quest once you have discovered a certain number of the region’s Pokémon. I found this photography subplot to be one of the best features of the DLC and I loved being able to capture a glimpse of Pokémon in a natural environment. The only downside to this is that it was a one-off feature in the story and not a replayable mini-game.
The story begins as players are invited to take part in a school trip with the neighbouring school."
The game also brings with it new mini-games such as ‘Ogre Oustin’, in which the player must ride around popping colourful balloons in order to collect berries. The best feature of this game is that it can be played in multiplayer, with up to three players able to team up.
With such a long time between the release dates of the base game and the DLC, I - like most players - had completely finished the game and maxed out a majority of my party Pokémon. This meant the main storyline took me little more than 7 hours of gameplay.
Though I cannot hide my disappointment at certain aspects of the game, as someone who also just loves catching Pokémon and the freedom of an open-world RPG, I can say that this DLC wasn’t a complete bust. Although, with The Indigo Disk’s release scheduled for April 2024, one can only hope that Game Freak has something more spectacular up its sleeves.