Pokemon Pokopia was both the first big Switch 2 exclusive Pokemon release and the first Pokemon life sim. It has also been a massive hit, becoming one of the bestselling games on the Switch 2 so far. Naturally, that means DLC was basically inevitable. The first of Pokemon Pokopia‘s three-part Expansion Pass, Bubbly Basin, is officially out in the wild. But buying it isn’t cheap, as it requires you to opt in for the full Expansion Pass to the tune of $34.99. That’s on top of the cost of the base game, which is $69.99. So that begs the question… is Bubbly Basin worth it?
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When it first came out, I devoted a possibly concerning number of hours to playing Pokemon Pokopia even after my review went live. Naturally, I had to dive into the first part of the Pokopia Expansion Pass right away. If you’ve hit the end credits and are caught up with restoring Bleak Beach’s Pokemon Center, getting to the new Bubbly Basin area is pretty straightforward. At the time I’m writing this, I have quite a few hours of underwater exploration under my belt. I can definitely say the first part of the Expansion Pass adds a lot of content, to the point that I’m a little overwhelmed. But should you opt in now, or wait for Part 2?
Pokemon Pokopia‘s First DLC Adds a Massive New Area Full of Pokemon, But I’m Not Sold on Swimming Around
On its face, $34.99 feels like a high price for an expansion. The Expansion Pass comprises three expansions, with Bubbly Basin just the first one on offer. But even so, the sticker shock is real, especially before we’ve seen what each part of the DLC has to offer. Now that Bubbly Basin is out in the world, we have a better idea of its scope. After swimming my way around the new area and meeting some of the 50 new Pokemon pals, I can safely say that the Bubbly Basin expansion is massive. Maybe even… too massive?
The Bubbly Basin area is huge. I have a bad sense of direction, but even so, I’ve gotten lost in the depths more times than even I would expect. Because you’re underwater, you can dive deep below to explore hidden caverns or pop your head above the waterline to explore ruins. This makes Bubbly Basin feel like Pokopia‘s biggest area yet. If you love exploring new spaces and uncovering hidden secrets, this DLC is going to deliver. If you, like me, get easily overwhelmed at the prospect of restoring the ruined city, however, you may want to brace yourself.
The underwater nature of Bubbly Basin means all that accumulated trash just kind of floats around. It makes the area feel pretty overwhelming at first. But it is packed with plenty of new content to uncover, if you can get past the mess. There’s a brand-new Bubbly Basin Poke Dex to fill, with new Pokemon and habitats to uncover. The DLC also adds over 100 new items and decorations, giving you creative freedom to rebuild the underwater city. There’s also a new crop (Watermelon) and new smoothie recipes, as well. And of course, the new area is packed with new in-game lore, with fresh journals and costumes to uncover. For just a third of the new content included in the Expansion Pass, it’s a solid start.
That said, I’m still trying to decide if I actually like the Dive mechanic and spending so much time underwater. It can be disorienting for the camera at times, and it makes getting around feel slower. Is that going to stop me from trying to build every habitat to uncover all the new Pokemon? No, it is not. But I am glad that we probably won’t have to stay underwater to enjoy parts two and three.
If Parts 2 and 3 Are Even Close to This Big, the Expansion Pass Will Be Worth the Cost
Bubbly Basin gives us a better idea of what to expect from Pokopia DLC, but it’s still just a third of the full asking price for the Expansion Pass. If the other parts add a similar amount of content, I do think it’s going to be well worth that $35 price tag. But that’s kind of a big if at this point, particularly where part two of the Expansion Pass is concerned. If you’re still on the fence, it may be worth waiting for that next drop to see if it’s going to feel worth it for you.
So far, we know that Part 2 of the Expansion will not add another new town to remodel. Instead, it will add accessories for Pokemon and other new features. That means it could wind up being quite a bit smaller than Bubbly Basin. Then again, we likely won’t know more about it for a while yet, as the focus is still on Part 1 for now. It’s quite possible there’s much more yet to be revealed ahead of the Part 2 release window of “late 2026.”
As for Part 3? That’s still largely shrouded in mystery. However, we have confirmation that it will add another new town to Pokopia. So, it’s likely going to be at least similar in size to Bubbly Basin, if not even bigger. When you put it that way, even if Part 2 is pretty small, that’s still two sizable DLCs for just $35. When you consider that the relatively small Mega Dimension DLC for Pokemon Legends: Z-A was priced at $30, that starts to feel like a pretty good deal.
In all, I think that if you’re eager for more to do in Pokemon Pokopia, there’s plenty in Bubbly Basin to justify the up-front price tag for the DLC. Even if Part 2 is a bit smaller, the size of this first installment leads me to believe we’re going to get plenty of new content out of the Expansion Pass on the whole. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to find my way out of some underwater caverns so I can build more Pokemon habitats.
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Image Courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment
