NOT
New “Story” Missions
Defiance is in its infancy. As such, the possibilities for lore and laying its very foundation are endless. The world and its history are more or less a mystery to us all and we’re starting to find out more as time goes on. When the Castithan Charge Pack advertised new story missions revolving around the Castithans, it was hard not to get excited about where the tale would lead. Sadly, our $10 goes to a half-cooked, horde-mode style arena mode that loosely integrates an uninteresting story.
The story kicks off with the Ark Hunter running from a few locations to listen to Data Recorders. Exciting, right? Well the action-packed adventure doesn’t end there! After epically pressing a button to play audio logs, you’ll finally be directed to the location of the Battle Arenas. Here you’ll be given a brief rundown of the Castithan’s social classes before taking part in a 5-wave, point-based arena showdown. Stringing together kills adds multipliers which, in turn, open the door for larger scores. And you’ll need to get that score up since each arena requires a Silver ranking or better to move forward to the next match. At the very end of it all, the character that initially contacted you is revealed and so are their motives. It quickly wraps up and you’ll be handed a Charge Blade and Ceremonial Mask. The end.
The biggest issue with the Battle Arenas isn’t the fact that they’re repetitive and get old quickly, it’s that it is limited to single player. You will be teleported to each arena by yourself, stripping you of the potential fun that could have been had if another player or two were able to stand at your side throughout each wave. It is highly unlikely that those playing an MMO, a genre which is built upon social interaction, are interested in buying content that limits them like their other single-player, offline games.
Lacking Castithan Clothing Options
You’ve chosen to play as a Castithan and, dammit, you want to dress like one. It would seem that Trion believes Castithan Ark Hunters fall under a different dress code than their TV counterparts. Minus one added outfit for the Castithan race, you won’t find anything to help your character feel like they haven’t completely abandoned their people’s roots. In fact, about the best thing you can do is purchase one of the Castithan’s social titles. That’s about the closest you can get to feeling like you’re not just an albino human. Having talked it up for so long, it would have been nice to see more Castithan-specific clothing sets release to help them stand out amongst the similar-looking masses.
Useless New Vehicle
The Raptor is a new 4-person vehicle which was designed to let groups journey together within a single unit of transportation. While it sounded good in early reports, the end result is disappointing. First off, the Raptor handles poorly, with every other transport choice leaving it in the dust. This brick on wheels can hardly make it over the environment’s hilly landscapes and is rather slow. Furthermore, the design is noticeably incomplete. The design leaves room for one player to hop in a circular area toward the back of the vehicle. We were originally supposed to see some form of mounted weapon here (this spot on the car is labeled “Turret” after all), which could have helped alleviate the other glaring flaws. This feature did not make the final cut, however, leaving us with an unfinished car that packs absolutely no punch. There has been talk of adding vehicular offensive devices to the Raptor down the road, but then why are DLC buyers paying money to access half a product now?
Free Content Trumps Paid
I’ve saved the best for last. This is probably the biggest gripe I have with the Castithan Charge Pack. Players that haven’t spent a dime after purchasing the game are getting more quality content than those willing to give Trion more money. The thrilling and wonderful Dark Matter Arkfalls have found their way into the game with the DLC update, and it’s completely free. The new Volge-infused Sieges are cropping up and, guess what, they’re free. Even charge weapons and blades are attainable by those who haven’t paid anything. What it comes down to is that those who put their faith in Trion and showed it through their wallet aren’t really being given anything exclusive that others can’t grab through other means. The content that is exclusive, and supposedly justifies the $10, is rubbish. The “story-based” arenas and new character customization items (1 headgear and 1 clothing) are all you’ll be looking at that you can really call “yours” after you’ve cleared the paid portion of the downloadable content. In the end, you’ll probably have tons more fun diving into the free additions provided with the update.
Verdict
The Castithan Charge Pack is a disappointing offering, especially as it has set the precedent for future Defiance DLC. The Castithan race’s vampiric appearance is sure to lure in people looking for a different view after spending many hours with their current Ark Hunter and so will the Charge Weapons. However, only one of those is directly tied to spending real-life money. And herein lies the problem: the free content that accompanies the DLC is leagues better than what $10 nets you. If this review were about the no-cost additions, you would have seen a much more positive tone. That’s not the case, unfortunately. Simply put, the Castithan Charge Pack is not worth buying. Grab your Ark Hunter and enjoy those new (and free) Arkfalls. Those will keep you entertained longer than the Battle Arenas could ever hope to hold your attention.
[Editor’s Note: The Defiance – Castithan Charge Pack was reviewed on the PC. The DLC was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]