Evolve was released earlier this week. It wasn't long before players and journalists alike were decrying the amount of cosmetic DLC offered in the game's store. Early reports were a bit overzealous in their estimates of the total price of the content, but the actual figure is more than $60. It's a lot of money for someone that wants to have all the things. I felt twangs of rage when I first saw the news but it wasn't long before I was reminded of a similar incident from way back in 2006.
I'm referring, of course, to the infamous horse armor DLC for The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. It was a $2.50 piece of DLC that added purely cosmetic armor to your in game horse. It had no effect on the game whatsoever. Your horse was no tougher, faster, stronger, etc. it was just a little different. None of that stopped people from losing their minds over it. How the hell could they justify something like this? Who in their right mind would pay for additional content that didn't have any discernible effect?
Then came the rise of the "pay to win" scheme. Game after game, usually multiplayer titles, offered pack after pack of DLC aimed at giving players shortcuts to better gear or additional upgrades and benefits to tip the balance in their favor. More frequent in games like War Thunder, the biggest AAA culprit I can name are the Battlefield series with its extensive shortcut kits and premium play giving paying users access to new maps weeks ahead of non-paying players.
I fully understand the bitterness associated with DLC. There have been so many instances of poorly executed DLC that it's easy to be upset about any of it as a matter of course. I don't think Evolve deserves the ire of the community though. Yes, it has DLC that is not included in the season pass; yes the majority of it is overpriced but so far, none of it has been anything more than a cosmetic reskin of the monsters and hunters. Until Turtle Rock releases an unkillable monster or a hunter with a one shot gun we are still talking about horse armor here folks.
