Downloadable content is such a common part of modern gaming life it’s by heart. A few levels here, a few skins or characters there – the DLC is pretty much a given, especially on AAA titles, which these days you can almost bet will have at least two paid bits of bonus content that encompasses missions completely new. And, hey, for a long time they made sense. Video game companies love them because they are infallible revenue generators; gamers (learned to) love them because they can extend the time in a beloved game, a digital appetizer of their favorite dish. But just because something makes sense doesn’t mean I have to play it. Frankly, I’m above the DLC.
This may not be what you are thinking about. Downloadable content has been around for over a decade – it has gone hand in hand with built-in Internet connectivity on consoles – and over the years the concept has sparked several controversies. Mass effect 3 had several quarrels all by himself. Like, for example, the Ashes The DLC, which shipped the same day the game was released, cost $ 10 and was arguably so crucial to understanding the full story of the trilogy. people got angry that it was not included in the original game. the Extended cut The DLC, meanwhile, was free but was only released in an attempt to “fix” the end of the game after a massive uproar over the original conclusion (I wasn’t a huge fan of Mass effect 3the original ending, but I’m also of the opinion that by responding in this way EA / BioWare nurtured a kind of fan right that has become incredibly toxic).
Still, none of this has anything to do with my loathing for the DLC; my disdain is much simpler: I have just finished. I’m done wasting money and spending an awful lot of time on a game that I finished six months ago just to play another mission. I’m done relearning how to play an old game when I could practice a brand new one. I finished.
How did I come to this radical conclusion? Well I needed something to calm me down until Mass Effect: legendary edition comes out in a few weeks and consumes my life, so I decided to release the DLC I never played on The outer worlds. I really enjoyed this game on my first game; it did not quite fill the Mass Effectshaped like a hole in my heart, but I loved the space adventure and the game mechanics were solid. I had planned to like the DLC. I definitely don’t.
To be clear, the DLC is great! There is nothing wrong with that! Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos are well made, well put together and have good stories. But the fact that the developer did everything right doesn’t change the fact that I’d rather endure another day of side effects from the Covid-19 vaccination rather than pick up the controller to play them. It’s too frustrating. My learning curve for any game, especially any game where I have to shoot things or engage in combat, is long. I’m not good at anything other than mashed buttons, so it takes a while for me to get used to new commands. Doing this for this DLC was a waste of time.
However, it’s not just about relearning the commands. This DLC is also aimed at higher level players, so I found myself in the unenviable position of constantly grinding all rusty just to play a game. The outer worldsThe fault, of course, is just that my playstyle and skill level turns something meant to be a fun distraction into a lot of work, and I’m not sure I have the patience for that. Maybe if I had tackled the DLC at the same time I was playing The outer limits things would be different (hey, it worked for Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey) – But I did not do it.
I am not a completist. I don’t feel pressured to complete missions I hate just to say I did. Navigating my way through additional content gives me more frustration than pleasure, especially when my playing time is already very limited and I much prefer to start something new. (Seriously, Mass Effect: legendary edition Can’t get there soon enough.) Sometimes the DLC can fill a void, but for now, I just want to throw it in one.
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