DLC Quest: the digested review

Made2Game DLC Quest Review Score: 4/10
Formats: XBLIG
Format Reviewed: XBLIG
Publisher/Developer: Going Loud Studios
Price: 80 MS Points

DLC is becoming more 'apparent' within gaming every day and naturally, due to its hugely consumerist appearance, the independent scene is going to poke fun at it around every turn.

This seems like DLC Quest's prime target at first, a time honoured kidnap premise leads into a 'game' lacking in animation, rudimentary controls, or even a pause screen. Grab your first four coins, purchase the ability to jump and move left and you're on your way.

In this initial few minutes DLC Quest seems smart, its eye's carefully aimed on creating laughs around developers apparent with-holding of previously 'standard' game components. Or in the offer of 'powerups' to quicken otherwise laborious tasks in the style of social gaming or MMO micro transactions.

However before long DLC Quest starts taking pops at the over instructive-ness of modern games, the typical RPG fetch quest, the futility of achievements, and then you can put every character in a 'sexy' outfit just for squits and giggles.

You may have a weapon, but there's little genuine challenge to DLC The Quest. But perhaps that's THE POINT... *commence beard scratching*

DLC Quest's comical eye lacks an essential focus or wit and ends up feeling like a simplistic piece of ADHD teenage thought splatter. It's not bad, there are a few laughs in here, but you just want to tell the designer to calm down as too often it feels like the game is hurling jokes at you with all the precision of a drunk, elderly Stormtrooper rather than crafting a careful piece of satire as the intro alludes to.

Gameplay never evolves beyond simple hopping around and hoovering up currency either. It's all just a tad too basic, both in terms of gameplay and comedy, that even at such a cheap price point it's hard to feel like it genuinely warrants the time.

There are better 'statements' than this on the Internet for free. Let us not forget Duty Calls, People Can Fly's pre-Bulletstorm guffaw at the expense of 'typical' war games which, in focusing on that genre's follies alone, created a far more coherent piece of satire. DLC Quest shows promise, but lacks the design clarity to make it an essential play.

Digested-Digested-Review: Attempt at satirical game design that casts its net too wide and lacks much actual gameplay. Starts with a chuckle but ends up a derivative thief of twenty minutes.

Words by James Bowden (Twitter: @Dalagonash)

Note: The digested review format: Games come in so many sizes, flavours and colours that it’s impossible – not to say a little dull – to review all of them in the same way. iOS, Android and other mobile games, for example, usually feature low prices and simple game mechanics. So for these we don’t want to waste too much of your time: you mostly want to know whether it’s worth the price and move on. So for most of these we offer special ‘digested reviews’, plus a 140 character or less digested-digested review.

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