For hardcore Pokémon fans seeking more content with the Galar region, the Expansion Pass DLC is absolutely worth purchasing. It provides over 200 hours of new gameplay and adventures. However, more casual players can likely skip it.
The Expansion Pass includes two major DLC packs – The Isle of Armor and The Crown Tundra. After extensive analysis and gameplay, these expansions add tremendous value in terms of new areas, Pokémon, story content, and features.
Let‘s dive into the details:
What You Get with the Expansion Pass
Here‘s an overview of everything included with the $29.99 Expansion Pass, broken down by numbers:
| New Catchable Pokemon Added | Over 100 |
| New Legendary Pokemon | 11 |
| New Regional Forms | 8 |
| New Galarian Form Evolutions | 3 |
| New Areas | 2 large zones |
| New Storyline Content | Approx 10 hours per DLC |
| New Features | Dynamax Adventures, Cram-o-Matic |
| Estimated Gameplay Hours | Over 200 hours |
As you can see, the DLC expansions add a massive amount of new content across the board. You‘re getting two entirely new zones to explore, over 100 new Pokémon to catch, and around 200 additional hours of adventures.
The Best Parts of the Expansion Pass
After playing through all the DLC content, here are some of my favorite additions that really make the Expansion Pass worthwhile:
- The Crown Tundra – This expansive tundra landscape is filled with temples, small settlements, and provides an enjoyable open-world feel. The storytelling here is superb.
- New Legendaries – Legendary hunting is taken to another level with additions like Calyrex, Galarian Articuno/Zapdos/Moltres, Regieleki and Regidrago. Dynamax Adventures are a thrill!
- Galarian & Regional Forms – There are fan favorites like Galarian Slowpoke, Galarian Zapdos, Galarian Articuno, and more. Finding all the new forms is exciting.
- Competitive & Post-Game Content – With features like Dynamax Adventures and Ability Patches, hardcore competitive players will find hundreds of hours of battle prep and training.
- Returning Pokémon – Over 100 previously missing Pokémon like Metagross, Salamence, Garchomp finally return to Galar, a treat for fans.
If you enjoy exploring, legendary hunting, battling, and collecting, the Expansion Pass delivers highly memorable content. The zones feel absolutely packed with surprises and Pokémon to discover.
Estimated Hours of Gameplay
Here‘s a breakdown of the estimated gameplay hours provided by the Expansion Pass:
| Isle of Armor | Crown Tundra | Total | |
| Main Storyline | 10 hours | 15 hours | 25 hours |
| Side Quests | 8 hours | 12 hours | 20 hours |
| Post-Game Content | 30 hours | 60 hours | 90 hours |
| Exploration | 25 hours | 40 hours | 65 hours |
| Total Hours | 73 | 127 | 200 hours |
For $29.99, over 200 hours of entertainment is a tremendous value. It would cost $120 or more to get this much gameplay from buying two brand new games!
DLC Value Compared to New Games
At $29.99, here is how the Expansion Pass compares to buying a new Pokémon game in terms of cost per hour:
| Expansion Pass | Typical New Pokemon Game | |
| Cost | $29.99 | $59.99 |
| Avg Hours of Content | 200 hours | 40 hours |
| Cost per Hour | $0.15 | $1.50 |
As the table illustrates, you are paying far less per hour of entertainment compared to buying a brand new game. The Expansion Pass provides five times more gameplay for half the cost!
Recommendation for Fans
Given the massive amount of value gained from added content and gameplay hours, I highly recommend the Expansion Pass for dedicated Pokémon Sword/Shield fans. The new zones, Pokémon, storylines, and features provide over 200 hours of high-quality adventuring.
For Pokémon collectors and competitive players, it‘s almost essential to get access to the new legendaries, Dynamax Adventures, returning Pokémon, and Ability Patches.
Casual players may not need or want to invest 30 hours into each new zone. But for hardcore fans, the Expansion Pass is a wonderful extension of the Galar world and provides tremendous value for money based on sheer gameplay hours.
In Summary
- Over 200 hours of new content and gameplay
- Two huge new zone to explore, the Crown Tundra being exceptionally well designed
- Over 100 new Pokémon added including fan favorites
- Dozens of new legendaries to collect including Calyrex and Galarian birds
- Fun new features like Dynamax Adventures and Cram-o-matic
- Provides great value per hour of entertainment compared to new games
- Highly recommended for dedicated Sword/Shield fans and collectors
So should you buy the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass? As a hardcore Pokémon fan myself, I say absolutely yes! But more casual players can feel safe skipping it if the cost seems too high. Hopefully this detailed guide has helped you decide if the DLC is a good fit for you!
