In our review of Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid on Xbox One we praised the fighting aspect of the beat ‘em up but were more critical of the lack of content in the game. With the Season Pass bringing out a couple of new characters, we take a look now at whether this is worth it?
Without wanting to sit on the fence too much: Yes and no. But first, what do you actually get in the first Season Pass?
For the price of £12.49 you unlock an additional three characters and a new skin. Those characters are Trey of Triforia – the original Gold Zeo Ranger and Jen Scotts – the Pink Time Force Ranger, both of whom are available now. Further to that, and coming soon is Lord Zedd, one of the most iconic Power Rangers enemies. The additional skin which is also included is that of the Red Dragon Shield for Jason Lee Scott – the original Red Ranger.
Individually, the characters are available for £4.99 each but the Red Dragon Shield skin is exclusive to the Season Pass.
There is also a Digital Collector’s Edition which includes the base game, Season Pass One containing all the above and exclusive skins for Lord Drakkon and Kimberly Hart. That comes in at £33.49.
Unusually though, Power for the Grid has also been releasing plenty of free updates, including additional characters and crucially, more arenas; some of which are exclusive to the brand new story mode that has also been introduced as a free update. So even if you choose not to fork out for the Season Pass, know that the game has come a long way since its initial release. Sadly though, the Season Pass characters do not appear in the Story mode so their usage is limited to Arcade, Versus or Online.
There is also now cross-play functionality between Xbox One and Nintendo Switch so hopefully it should be easier to find an online opponent.
The characters that have been released bring their own unique fighting styles to Battle for the Grid. They are both quick hitters with the ability to juggle enemies in the air for big combos. Trey of Triforia even has an area attack move that can help increase combos for even longer. Jen Scotts’ special is a direct attack but one that freezes your enemy in place so they cannot escape.
In terms of Season Pass content though, that is about it. Three characters – one of which is still to come – and an exclusive skin that is purely aesthetic. The free updates that have arrived offer far more content which therefore makes the base game a better investment than when it originally launched. It then just depends how badly you want the characters in the Season Pass; arguably Lord Zedd is the main attraction for the premium DLC, but he will be available on release for £4.99 much like the others are.
There are still no premium arenas currently, and the number that is included is still on the small side, something we highlighted in our initial review.
It is also worth noting that the official name for this Season Pass is ‘Season Pass One’, so it’s a safe assumption that there will be more to come down the line. Whether the free updates will continue remains to be seen.
So, is the Power Rangers Battle for the Grid Season Pass on Xbox One a good investment? If you are a die-hard Power Rangers fan then yes, just be prepared this won’t be the last time you spend money on this game. For everyone else, the free updates will likely be more than enough for you. But, as always, let us know in the comments whether you have taken the plunge or not!
