DLC Quest

Who doesn’t love DLC? There’s nothing like buying a game for $60 and then finding that there’s already another $30 of DLC available on launch day. How about on-disc DLC? Alright, it’s no secret that I and others on the Dorkadia staff think that sometimes companies go too far with DLC. DLC Quest is a satirical look at how far is really too far and then goes from there. Nothing is sacred and not even the sheep will be spared.

Purchase the satire DLC for only $0.99

DLC Quest and its second chapter, Live Freemium or Die are both well constructed pokes at the world of microtransactions. They don’t actually contain microtransactions or DLC for cash, but rather for freely obtained in game coins. Some might argue that it dilutes the message as that’s pretty much how you get power ups and expand content in games without DLC, but I’m sure most people can appreciate the concept without having to get their wallet out to download the animation pack or the pet pack.

Very questy

Yes, DLC Quest contains all of the motivational tropes required in an RPG. It has a princess and an obviously bad guy that kidnaps her. There’s moving and collecting of things, talking to NPCs, and grinding. Literally grinding with a grinding wheel. DLC clearly isn’t the only thing at which these games poke fun. There are jokes at the expense of artistic games that use silhouetted foreground graphics, jokes about games released too soon and needing day one patches, and games that are single player and still require server connections. All of this is done while pointing out just how formulaic the vast majority of games on the market are.

It’s funny, but is it fun to play?

That’s the relevant question, isn’t it? Besides the humor aspect, both games are pretty much standard platformers. They’re done in a retro, pixelated style and don’t do anything particularly outstanding in terms of level design or gameplay. The whole reason to play the games is to chuckle at the absurdity of the humor. That isn’t to say that they’re bad, just nothing worth raving about. They both do pretty much everything you’d expect (at least once you’ve purchased the appropriate DLC) from a platformer that’s mostly just jumping puzzles to collect coins. What it really comes down to with DLC Quest and Live Freemium or Die is whether you think $3 and an hour or two of your time is worth it for a series of jokes about the gaming industry. Personally, I’m happy that Going Loud Studios decided to tackle this topic and ended up pulling it off without seeming bitter and jaded. They manage to hit on all the high points (pets that do nothing, hats, sexy outfits, and superfluous zombies) without dragging the experience out beyond the point of being funny. They’re short, sweet, and support an indie developer with heart.

When it comes down to it, I’m still ambivalent about DLC in general. Content based DLC can be a wonderful breath of new life into a beloved favorite game. The Burial at Sea for Bioshock Infinite is a fantastic recent example. However, sometimes you get the kind of convenience crap for single player games (especially those of the triple A variety) that you would expect to find in a free to play MMO and that kinda rubs me the wrong way. Look to resource gathering boosts in Dead Space 3 if you need an example of that money grubbing crap that borders on pay to win. DLC Quest manages to take that frustration over companies selling me my games piecemeal and gets me to laugh about the absurdity of it all for a while. In my book, that alone is worth the price of admission.