DLC Quest: Can Satire Elevate an Average Game?

I picked up DLC Quest because it was $0.75 during the Steam Greenlight Sale. I can’t quite say that I regret my purchase because it was so cheap, but there really is not a whole lot to the game.

Plot

An evil guy has stolen the princess and it’s your job to rescue her. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t come with the ability to jump or move left or even pause. You’ll have to buy some DLC to get those abilities.

Presentation

The art style of DLC Quest is old-school 8-bit. It’s adequate, but nothing special. The music is rather catchy, though not particularly memorable.

The writing is mostly humorous and pokes fun at the ridiculous DLC practices that are so common in the modern game industry. It got a chuckle out of me every now and then.

Gameplay

The basic idea behind DLC Quest is to collect coins so you can buy DLC that will let you progress further in the game. Otherwise, it’s just a basic platformer. In the first half of the game, you pretty much can’t lose. You’ll just jump around collecting coins with no danger of dying. In the second half of the game you will actually have to avoid spike traps that can kill you (along with a few other enemies).

You also have a sword that can be used to remove vines and attack enemies.

My Thoughts

DLC Quest is a fun diversion, but not very deep. Ultimately, you are doing a lot of exploring and platforming to collect coins that you can spend on DLC so you can get further in each level. The unfortunate part is that you end up having to run back and forth to the man who sells DLC. It can get pretty annoying when you’re really far away.

The platforming is at least good enough that navigating the obstacles is somewhat enjoyable. Unfortunately, this is pretty much all there is to the game.

If you’re looking for a quick diversion for a few hours or so, picking up this game wouldn’t be too bad. It’s only $3 and you’ll probably get around three hours of playtime out of it. In the end, DLC Quest is just a really average game with a pretty good joke.

DLC Quest is available for Xbox and PC and Mac OSX via Steam.