PlayStation 3 DLC Roundup
Folklore, Resistance, Warhawk, Riiiiidge Racer.
Warhawk
Being a multiplayer-only title, you'd expect Warhawk to have benefited from the sort of ongoing tinkering that your average PC clan-based game enjoys, and that's not far from the truth. On average Incognito has unleashed a sizeable update every few months, mostly monkeying around with the expected multiplayer issues, but also tossing in a few gratis gameplay elements along the way.
The October patch added a new layout for each of the maps but, most notably, the update currently planned for 20th March will add two new gameplay items to the mix. The wrench will be able to fix allied vehicles, or cause damage to enemy vehicles, while also acting as a one-hit-kill melee weapon. The Bio-Field Generator, meanwhile, can be stuck to any surface to create a healing point for friendly units or a damaging trap for enemies. Both are designed to make gameplay more interesting and balanced for those on foot, given the game's focus on vehicular action.
In terms of paid-for download expansions, Warhawk hasn't fared as well. Only one has surfaced so far - last December's Omega Dawn pack. It didn't quite tickle our coccyx, earning just 5/10, since the new map was deemed rather too large and empty for satisfying campaigns. "Its size and scope is so colossal that gameplay is slowed down to a crawl," shouted Richard, as he wriggled on his belly through mud and shrapnel. The new dropship vehicle, meanwhile, was too specialised and too reliant on impeccable teamwork to really impact the core Warhawk experience in any meaningful way.
Soon we will also see the release of the next expansion pack, titled Operation: Broken Mirror and featuring some sort of icy theme, so we'll have to wait and see what that brings to the battlefield. I'm guessing roller skates. It should cost about the same as Omega Dawn.
Ridge Racer 7
And finally, a game that showcases both the wonderful opportunities and gruesome pitfalls of this crazy DLC deal. Ridge Racer 7 has hardly been swamped with extras, almost as if Namco tried it once, didn't like the taste and scraped their plate into the bin rather than finish the meal.
On the plus side, they generously offered a series of 25 special UFRA events for free, along with some decals to slap all over your cars. Culminating in a ferociously tricky race against eight souped-up rivals, this impressive freebie offering is a good argument for how downloadable content can make us feel fuzzy about even the most faceless corporation.
And then, on the other hand, you could also download new background music for the game - at a cost of GBP 2.99 per song pack. Given that the Ridge Racer music is the sort of fast squelching techno that only a hopeless club casualty would enjoy, this formed a curiously inverted scenario.
Admittedly, it's silly to complain when the good stuff is free and the crap is only for those with more money than sense, but paying to add generic tunes to a game designed to be played on a hulking behemoth of a multimedia machine just seems weird.
Now we're properly caught up, look forward to reviews of PS3 and Xbox 360 downloadable content going forward.