Watch_Dogs & Titanfall DLC

Watch_Dogs is a game I’ve been keeping track of for some time. It had a very impressive first showing at E3 a couple of years ago and was scheduled for release late last year. It was then delayed, now due for release at the end of this month. It’s a game I really like the concept of, but I have this sinking feeling it will end up like so many of the big releases of the last few years – a decent enough game, but also a case of sadly wasted potential. But despite that, I figured I’d give it a shot on release. And then I saw this - 

Seriously? Are they f**king joking? This is getting way out of hand. I can’t say I care much about the physical content. There’s always been physical Limited/Collectors edition stuff. But in-game content? Okay, some of it may be purely cosmetic, but what about the stuff that’s not? Like the perks? How much impact will these have/not have on the game? And then we have the extra missions too, content that should be available for all regardless of platform, edition or place of purchase.

The fact that this content is split between so many editions and platforms is ridiculous. If I buy through Steam, I have the choice of a Standard Edition or the Digital Deluxe. There’s also a Season Pass for DLC, but this includes content already available in the DD. So if I want to obtain as much of the in-game content available as I can, I’m essentially forced into paying for the same content twice. And there’s no way to obtain all available content, not unless I purchase multiple copies across multiple platforms.

You can argue that a lot of this content is pointless fluff, and maybe it is, but chopping up content to an extent like this is just stupid. It’s stuff like this that makes me not want to buy a game. Now, I probably will still get Watch_Dogs when it comes out in a week or so, despite my reservations for the game itself and my irritation at the way the launch content has been handled. But I’ll feel a little dirty for doing so, and that may have a negative impact on my impression of the game.

Cut this shit out.

In other news, the first Titanfall DLC dropped – Expedition. I rather enjoyed Titanfall, but as I said in my review, it was a game lacking in variety, creativity and content. One which, despite a strong start, was going to struggle to hold my interest beyond a month or two of play. And after sinking about 50 hours into the game after release, I found that to hold true. As entertaining as Titanfall was to play, it grew stale rather rapidly.

So I was quite looking forward to seeing what DLC they would release. It needed to be something to really give the game a shot in the arm, an injection of fresh, varied, creative content. So what did they give us? Three maps. Three. For £7.99. No, I’ve not bought it. And although I have no doubts that the maps are well designed, as per those in the core game, I expected a lot more from this DLC, especially at that price. Titanfall doesn’t need more maps. It needs new modes. New weapons. New Titans. New customisation options and challenges. New Burn Cards and Pilot abilities. New maps are welcome, but they won’t give the game the kick up the ass it desperately needs.

To make matters worse, they not only haven’t provided any new modes, they’ve actually removed two. Okay, so not entirely removed, as they are still available to play as private matches or as part of the Variety Pack. Now, I can’t say CTF and Pilot Hunter were modes I particularly enjoyed, but I’m sure a lot of people did, people who may have paid a lot of money for the game (plus Season Pass) who have a right to that content not getting pulled on a whim.

And saying that you can still enjoy them as part of private matches is a joke, because I’m sure there are many people like me who don’t have a full list of Titanfall playing friends. Many people rely on the random matchmaking. And if they now want to play CTF or PH, they have to join the Variety Pack and wait for them to cycle around. This is bullshit.

Hopefully, with enough backlash, they’ll add these modes back onto the main selection. They never should have been removed. It’s a kick in the balls to all those customers who paid for and enjoyed that content. So what if it wasn’t as popular as the other modes? Why not just leave it be?

So I won’t be buying this DLC, not until it gets a serious discount, and by then the game may just be dead in the water. It’s a shame because Titanfall is a pretty darn good game. But doing shit like dropping modes and releasing such lacklustre DLC…it’s like they’re trying to kill it themselves.