So often DLC can feel a little forced, but every once in a while there comes something with a real sense of mischief - an expansion showing you that not only does the developer know why the initial release was a success, but that they aren't afraid to get really weird with the next instalment. By reflecting and riffing on the core experience, these bits of DLC elevate the base game while reminding players what made it great in the first place. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine is a great example, and so too is Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure.
Donkey Kong Adventure is a substantial piece of DLC, but it's also one that knows its limits - it doesn't dawdle in getting straight to the action, nor does it waste any time with filler dialogue or half-hearted jokes. The writing is razor sharp, as you might expect, but it also has a real sense of pace to it - as though it's trying to cram the same number of memorable moments into an experience that, by its very nature, is destined to be shorter than than the core game.
The main premise of Donkey Kong Adventure involves inter-dimensional travel through the medium of a wildly malfunctioning washing machine and quite frankly the word count on this review is too small for me to delve into the whys and wherefores on that one, but suffice it to say that the DLC transports you (and Rabbid Peach) to an entirely new region - namely the homestead of Donkey Kong himself. DK is flanked in this adventure by Rabbid Cranky, a curmudgeonly twist on an already cantankerous character, and both breathe new life into Mario + Rabbids not just with their personalities, but with their playstyles.
0 comments:
Post a Comment