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Rajakaru Games' Favourite DLC

I’ve been going back over my old (if you can call it that) stash of Xbox 360 games. While I know the last generation is slowly falling behind us, it seems justified to create a list of DLC you should play now before the new generation fills in the void.

In fact I’ve basically decided to write this after I came full circle with the recent release of BioShock Infinite's much anticipated DLC Burial at Sea Part 2. It's clear to see that DLC is gaining a higher profile than ever before and developers are really starting to experiment with creative and enjoyable content. Therefore, I thought I'd take a look at some of the best single player DLC there is out there.

Honourable Mention: Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon

While it isn’t a true DLC piece for the original title the lasers, dinosaurs, cyborgs and 80s music creates a spectacular list of awesome things. It’s such an ironic plague on your sense that it makes you want to go back and play even more retro titles. It has nods to all our favourite titles of yesteryear and knows exactly what it is trying to accomplish. If you enjoyed the full Far Cry 3 title then this will be right up your street.

5. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn

When the dreaded “Horse Armour” hit our download stores back during the Oblivion era we were worried that Bethesda wouldn’t provide anything substantial for the acclaimed Elder Scrolls series. Thankfully they have become one of the best content providers on the planet producing a completely range for their titles; including Shivering Isles, Broken Steel and Old World Blues. However, the only one that allows you to fly dragons is that of Dragonborn for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

The immense amount of content that came alongside this piece gave players multiple additional hours of content, a couple of fresh new areas to explore and several enemies that should really have made the original cut. Bethesda listened to fan feedback and delivered on every area that we – games – wanted to do or see. For a game that I had already plugged 100 hours into this made, what was already, a great game outstanding.

4. Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker

One problem with single player DLC is making it matter in regards to the main narrative. Many developers opt for DLC that explores sub-plots but BioWare made the difference with this offering, They managed to successfully separate and impact on the overarching storyline for the whole trilogy.

Throughout the first two Mass Effect games we had heard about The Shadow Broker and were intrigued by the mystery surrounding them. In this DLC we finally got to meet them in dramatic fashion. It’s a fantastic success story for single player DLC and changed the dynamic of what would shortly become a trend for other titles.

What's great about this DLC is not just the excellent story and gameplay, but the fact that you can return to the Lair of the Shadow Broker and gather information on your enemies and your allies, absorbing us more into the delectable lore of Mass Effect.

3. Bioshock 2 - Minerva's Den

Bioshock 2 will forever be overshadowed by the both of the home developer options despite it excellently refining the gameplay and being just as good. However, the problem with Bioshock 2 is that many would have overlooked the amazing DLC that is Minerva's Den, as it was released several months after Bioshock 2's initial release and after some pretty standard multiplayer DLC which was a terrible design choice anyway.

Minerva's Den is standalone story in the world of Bioshock 2 that once again puts you into the shoes of a prototype Big Daddy. This time however you're taking out a sentient intelligence known as The Thinker. Not only does this DLC offer up more of the great gameplay that the title refined, but it tells a captivating story that is arguably more moving than that of the original game.

2. Red Dead Redemption - Undead Nightmare

Rockstar knows how to make DLC, but with Undead Nightmare for their cowboy epic they really excelled themselves. While the original title was excellent, this standalone single player DLC blended horror and comedy perfectly. At the time Zombies had become a really big area for media titles everywhere and this showed us just how well they could be implemented in Video Games.

Headshots were a necessity that changed the gameplay dynamics immensely. It was refreshing to see zombies posing a really danger as it was instant death if you go overrun. In fact the title was so successful that Rockstar ended up releasing it as a standalone game which showed how great the title was. John Marston and the wild west was the best setting for this DLC “dream” – excuse the pun.

1. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (complete saga)

I know I have Minerva’s Den in this list but the BioShock series has excellent when providing us with something extra to play. Having just finished off part 2 (the Rajakaru Review is due shortly) I felt a deep sense of satisfaction I haven’t experienced since the finale of Final Fantasy IX. It is a massively rewarding piece of storytelling that ties up every loose end the franchise put in front of us.

In fact, Infinite feels a little incomplete if you haven’t played Burial at Sea (as does the entire franchise). Burial at Sea is the most import single piece of DLC on the planet and deserves top spot for bringing something completely fresh to an ageing series. One that has sadly finished forever now Irrational Game has closed.

Ken Levine will always be remembered for his fantastic story telling techniques and the studio is respected in every corner of the industry. 

So what do you think is the best DLC? Have I missed any classics off my list? Let Rajakaru know in the comments below.

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Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes - The Rajakaru Review

So, I’ve had a rant about my initial interpretations on Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes and, while I’m still convinced this is a poor attempt at a sale product, I do feel there the need to review this as the title it stands to be.

As Metal Gear games go, “Ground Zeroes” is a stripped down feature that avoids the typical norm by dropping lengthy cutscenes, climactic boss fights, and the usual frayed and tangled plot strands. Instead Hideo Kojima has played for a more action orientated title with smart, tactical gameplay and a central campaign that shows of the superb, effortlessly crafted sandbox style due to come with Phantom Pain.

While the central campaign is very short – hitting the steady heights of two hours – it does have a multitude of additional campaign missions to encourage replayability. Again these are set in the same locales but have different daytime cycles (some taking place during the day – while the main campaign is set during a rainy night) and weather condition (one particularly fun side mission sees you take to the camp during the height of summer). It’s an interesting dynamic that effectively changes the mechanics of each mission – enemies see clearly during the daytime, while rain muffles the sounds of Snakes movement. The weather genuinely changes the feeling of Omega Base too and it’s in these details that Ground Zeroes is most impressive. The world is wonderfully realised and presented sharply both indoors and outdoors.

For the first time in a Metal Gear game, Boss’ adventure is a non-linear one, played out in the US Naval Prison Facility known as Omega Base. It’s a small sandbox, where the corridors and rooms littered with conveniently placed containers we’ve grown so familiar with have been replaced with a sprawling, functional ecosystem, full of open industrial areas and heavily populated camps surrounded by a raging sea.

As this is the prologue for the upcoming, and full access title, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (due 2015), you can see glimmers of previous demo titles in its structure. The tanker section from Sons of Liberty jumps straight to mind although with a much more expansive setting.

The plot here is a lot darker in tone than what we’ve come to expect from Hideo Kojima and that desire to make Metal Gear into a grittier, more provocative, series can be seen from the outset. While I do appreciate these ambitions – and the series had been a little cartoonish before – I found the ending, which features some horrendously graphic cruelty, quite uncomfortable (although I’m sure that is exactly what they wanted). In fact it’s in these cinematic moments that the Fox Engine doesn’t hold up so well. I agree with most fanboys (and girls) arguments that this is when the Engine is most stretched but the main gameplay looks far more interesting; with long draw distances, clear textures and individual personalities for each area.

But the problem here, and for a full retail priced title (as in the same as Rayman Origins that has 50+ hours of gameplay), it is over far too quickly. When I rushed through it, I was finished in less than an hour, but taking my time still only took my just under 3. The length might not bother those coming into the title knowing what it’s like but the casual gamer may not be so happy.

Ground Zeroes is so adept at generating tension that at times it felt like I was playing a survival horror game. While Boss has never been more flexible; able to roll and jump and shoot in line with today’s top third-person action-adventure games, enemies are smart and plentiful too. In the harsh light of day - and played on Hard mode - they possess cruel 20/20 vision, and react to every little movement or shifting shadow by becoming more efficacious in their patrolling.

However, you’re given a couple of helpful gameplay mechanics to counter this high pressure stealth system – on Hard mode these are essential. Firstly you get a pair of binoculars that allow you to ‘tag’ enemies to track their movements and also the Boss’ iDroid which provides map and mission information.

Obviously, with Ground Zeroes being an open world game, you can skip the sneaking completely and go in all guns blazing. It’s chaotic but immensely pleasurable at the same time; especially when you blow everything to hell in a tank.  

A few of the ‘side missions’ drop the action gameplay a little too hard – with one seeing you mow down enemies off the side of a helicopter – but they also give us a sense of the diversity being offered in the Phantom Pain title.

Otherwise, and it pains be slightly to say it, this is a fairly rounded but short offering. Yes, the title holds up well and looks lovely to boot but, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being short-changed. If I had to sum up Ground Zeroes in one attempt it’s like waiting for a train and then not being able to sit down when it arrives. You know the title has the gameplay you expect but by the end of it you feel like you’ve paid for more than you, as a minimum, deserve.

[I can’t quite believe I compared Ground Zeroes to Southern Rail]

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