Top 10 Bad DLC Practices

Do you know what’s really sad? Capcom make an appearance on here 4 times. Those guys are really bad…

Just so we are clear I’m quickly going to mention my stance on certain things within gaming.

• Buy brand new games (good ones) – we need to support our game companies.
• No-one forces you to buy DLC but that doesn’t mean you can’t complain.
• We’ve all got our limitations with DLC.

Out of these 10 examples I have bought 5 of them & got 2 with brand new copies of the games. See if you can guess which ones I haven’t bought…

I’ve decided not to include Online Passes in my top 10 as they’re not really around anymore & if you bought a game brand new you would always have the code. Don’t get me wrong…the practice was disgraceful & made all the worse for dodgy servers (WWE ’12) but it’s a practice that is all but dead now. That is a good thing…if you had told my 15 year old self that many years later playing Goldeneye online would cost me a one-off sum of around £6-10 I wouldn’t have believed you.

So yeah, online passes are bad but these 10 are worse (in my opinion).

Enjoy…

10 – Arena DLC

(Example: Borderlands)

Here’s what you do…you take a good game filled with plenty to do (if it’s a wide open free-roaming affair, the better) & then drop DLC that puts the player in a confined space. Now throw waves of enemies at them, add obstacles & challenges & see how long they can survive.

Arena DLC’s are rarely fun & in some cases (Borderlands) it can actually damage the way some fans feel about the game….Mad Moxxi was soooo bad.

9 – Map Packs

(Example: Call of Duty)

Here are 4 multi-player maps…that will be £11.99 please. Oh & 2 of those 4 are updated maps from the previous games…enjoy. *snicker*

This practice is worse when the main game didn’t have that many maps to play on at all. Gone are the days of having 10+ maps with the game, now you can expect to shell out more money if you want more variety.

8 – Adult-Orientated DLC

(Example: The Saboteur)

Do you like boobs? Then buy our game brand new! If not your getting cabaret singers with their tops on or you could pay a small sum to get your kicks.

I’m not joking…this is real DLC that makes the singers & dancers in the cabaret show go around topless. It’s like EA thought the internet didn’t exist & it was the only way for gamer geeks to get their kicks.

7 – Removed modes

(Example: Resident Evil 5)

Any DLC that removes a mode that was clearly meant to be in the game deserves to never be bought by anyone. Resident Evil 5’s Versus mode was awful but it was clearly left on the side for everyone to pick up later.

As bad as that was Metro: Last Light took it a step further with the removal of ‘ranger mode’ or hard mode to you & me. If you wanted it you would have to buy the game brand new or stump up some cash.

6 – Costume Packs

(Example: Street Fighter games)

Oh Capcom, come on…who in their right mind would stump the amount of cash needed to buy all the alternative costumes for the characters. Why would someone want too? Even the most ardent Street Fighter fan isn’t going to be wondering what Guile would look like in a different pair of trousers.

5 – Useless upgrades

(Example: Oblivion)

Horse armour…need I say more.

Ok I will…I didn’t understand the furore over the Oblivion horse armour DLC for a long time. I’ve always been in the mind that if you don’t want it then don’t pay for it but…

Then I heard it was effectively useless at protecting your horse any better. I’ve seen videos of horses dying just as quick covered in armour.

4 – Weapon Skins

(Example: Gears of War 3)

There are so many of them that it would cost you almost the price of the full game to get them all. Who cares if your Lancer has a nice chrome finish? Has anyone who just got obliterated with a Gnasher Shotgun thought “Wow, I love that pattern on that weapon?”

3 – Missing Levels

(Example: Resident Evil: ORC)

Capcom again…this time the entire second set of missions for the good guys were missing from the campaign of Operation Racoon City. That wouldn’t have been so bad had the game not been bloody awful but it really is.

How can you justify removing 6 entire levels & then charging more money for them?

2 – Easy game DLC

(Example: Tales of Vesperia)

For me this is one of the worst thing game companies have done…I can’t blame them for seeing that people love achievements (me included) & want them no matter what. It’s the same reason why boosting sessions were happening the day of Titanfall’s release. People just don’t want to work for it anymore….can we really blame the companies for taking advantage of that?

Well, yes…’cause they want to you pay to make your game easier. Having trouble levelling up in Tales of Vesperia? You can buy yourself an extra 10 levels….more then once!

1 – Day 1 DLC

(Example: Mass Effect 3)

I’ll use the Protheon DLC that came free with Mass Effect 3  if you bought it brand new or was available to buy on release day as an example. This piece of DLC had some plot developments that crossed into the main story & to miss out on it as a Mass Effect fan with be crazy.

This had been deliberately left out of the end product & to then release on the same day was a kick in the face for every fan.

I will always want to support DLC that comes in time & adds to the games overall experience but even I struggle to support this.