Tl;dr: Brings S/V's main issues front and center and adds more issues, but in a more interesting map and with more enjoyable battles.

Mostly fine. Story's somewhat interesting, the few new Pokemon are fine. Music is good, as always. All the returning Pokemon and the new Pokemon look good, as do all the characters. The only village is actually fairly detailed, if not actually nice to look at. The world is still pretty ugly, but it does feel more interesting to explore with its smaller area and a more compact, interesting design.

Unfortunately, the DLC seems to perform worse than the base game on average in my experience. Way more stutters and frame drops than I ever had in the base game, to the point that a few times I actually started getting a bit sick. There seems to be a memory leak or something, as the performance gets worse the longer the game is open; resetting it can fix a few of the more prominent issues for a bit.

It doesn't help that the DLC makes some weird decisions. It's accessible from the start, meaning that you can access it within the first 3 or so hours of playing the game. To make it enticing for players who have already beaten the game, they made the areas scale with your in-game progress (if only the main game had something like that...), but it's in a bit of an odd way. See, the first area has levels right around the first member of the Elite 4 (assuming you've beaten the game). This means that, having beaten the post-game events and such, my team was still about 20 levels too high despite the scale. To remedy this, I made a new team exclusively from catching Pokemon in the DLC area. This was probably the most enjoyable part of the experience, just using a bunch of different mons. However, by the end of the DLC, opposing trainers' Pokemon have scaled up much faster than my own - where I'm level 60, they're level 70.

It feels like they really didn't know how to try to tackle level scaling, and so they did it in a way that I can't say I found especially enjoyable. I enjoyed that it was certainly more challenging than usual, with several of the trainers' teams actually having items and competent movesets. But the level scaling felt really off. If you come in after beating the main game, you're presented at first with a bunch of Pokemon that you will breeze through for a few boring hours until you get to something somewhat close to your level. If you make a new team instead, it won't scale up "properly" with the opponents. If you come in during the main story, you're going to end up massively overleveled for wherever you were in the main story. I'm struggling to figure out what audience they were trying to satisfy with this.

The cutscenes are still cool, but still are fully mouthed as if they were going to have voice acting. A lot of the quests require you to go back and forth a lot, it's really tedious and frustrating. The open world feels pointless with the story of the DLC being very linear, and I just found myself annoyed with it.

I did really like the new characters Carmine and Kieran. I really enjoyed that battles felt tougher, there were several where I came down to my last Pokemon and it felt really cool - back and forth battles that almost reminded me of watching the anime. But ultimately this was just pretty underwhelming. Releasing 10 months after the main game and having worse technical performance without really any improvement elsewhere to make up for it was... Disappointing. I can't say I hated my time with this, but I didn't really enjoy it either.

This DLC was definitely an improvement over Isle of Armor, the returning Pokemon were pretty good, there was finally level scaling and the music was pretty good, however I don't think it was fleshed out as well as it could have been. The festival part where you meet Ogerpon felt way too short and the signs where you had to take photos were way too easy to get to because of the fly points, with the game overall feeling kind of short as I was able to beat it in around 4 hours. They also somehow made the game more laggy than the already laggy base game

Gameplay- The Teal Mask DLC for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet introduces an enticing post-treasure hunt adventure. Upon downloading the DLC, players receive a phone call from Jacq, a key figure at the Uva Academy in Pokémon Violet (or relevant to the respective version owned). Jacq extends an invitation for a joint expedition to the Land of Kitakami alongside the sister school of the player's academy, the Blueberry Academy.

Exploring the Land of Kitakami

Similar to the concept of interchangeable maps seen in games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the Land of Kitakami offers a diverse environment that players can seamlessly swap to and from. However, it's important to note that the Land of Kitakami is not a sprawling, expansive map akin to the primary game's regions. Instead, it offers a condensed yet vibrant setting for exploration.

Gameplay Features
The core gameplay mechanics remain consistent with the established Pokémon Scarlet & Violet style. However, the DLC introduces two engaging modes:

Ogre Oustin': A thrilling activity that involves riding either Koraidon or Miraidon (depending on the game version) to pop ogre-shaped balloons scattered across the landscape. Collecting berries from these balloons contributes to your score. Post-story completion, this mode can be revisited at any time, allowing players to enjoy it solo or with friends, both locally and online.

Perrin's Photography Challenge: Players encounter Perrin, a budding photographer who ventured to Kitakami in pursuit of capturing Pokémon in their natural habitat. Engage in a Pokémon Snap-style mini-game within the Timeless Woods, seeking out rare and enigmatic Pokémon to photograph. Enhancements to the in-game camera include the Roto-Stick, enabling wider-angle shots of players and their Pokémon, along with improved Pokémon direction for picture-perfect snapshots. Additionally, photos taken during Union Circle sessions can be shared among friends.

Story- The plot of "Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Teal Mask" introduces an intriguing journey to the land of Kitakami, where the player, alongside other students, embarks on a trip guided by Briar, a descendant of Heath and possessor of the Scarlet/Violet Book. The search for the legendary Pokémon Terapagos intertwines with the uncovering of a hidden truth regarding the Loyal Three and an ogre, Ogerpon, shrouded in local folklore.

The narrative delves into the discovery of Kitakami's dark history, where the village's revered heroes, the Loyal Three, are revealed to have been misunderstood, and Ogerpon, the supposed villain, emerges as a misunderstood victim. The story cleverly weaves themes of deception, misinterpretation, and the consequences of blind faith.

However, despite its decent storyline, the land of Kitakami may lack the depth and expansiveness seen in the base game. While the incorporation of Japanese folklore adds depth to the lore, the world design beyond the towns feels generic and lacks diversity in biomes and unique areas, affecting the sense of exploration and wonder.

The character dynamics and conflicts, particularly involving Carmine and Kieran, add emotional depth, unveiling personal struggles and moral dilemmas. Kieran's betrayal and subsequent redemption arc, driven by his realization of truth and desire for strength, bring layers to the storyline. Additionally, Briar's intentions to harness the energy from Kitakami's crystals for broader use add an intriguing subplot.

The climax, featuring the resurrection of the Loyal Three, the conflict with Ogerpon, and the subsequent battles, intensifies the stakes, leading to a resolution that clarifies Ogerpon's true nature. However, the resolution of the conflict between the characters, especially Kieran, might feel slightly rushed.

[Summary]
Gameplay: 7.5
Graphics & Performance: 6.5
World Building: 6
Story: 7
Characters: 7
New Pokemon: 7
Content: 5
Music: 7
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: Approximately 6 hours-
Target Audience (6+):
Perk: SmartSaver Discount:

Final Score: 6.7/10 (Alright/Average)
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Teal Mask may have not been a bad expansion to a decent pokemon game, but i just feel like this is not recommended for Full Price purchase The expansion introduces new gameplay elements, including additional Pokemon aligned with Japanese folklore.

There are improvements in certain aspects, such as character development and the incorporation of Japanese-inspired music, enhancing the thematic elements of the game. Areas for Improvement Performance issues from the base game persist in the expansion, impacting the overall visual experience with disappearing shadows on trees and frame rate drops. The world-building, while introducing the Land of Kitakami, lacks diversity in biomes and feels somewhat generic, impacting the immersive experience.

Content-wise, while fair in terms of the number of added Pokemon, falls short for players transferring existing Pokemon from previous versions.

The Teal Mask expansion, despite its merits, falls short of justifying a full-price purchase due to persisting issues inherited from the base game. It's recommended to consider buying this expansion during sales on platforms like the eShop or from discounted retailers to mitigate concerns over its performance issues and content value. Waiting for a price drop or seeking discounts, as previously mentioned, would provide better value for potential buyers without having to pay the full retail price.

I'm hoping that Part 2, The Indigo Disk is better.