I would have thought that after my sledging of Van Helsing, I would have been a long way from Neocore’s good books. But more fool me, because they just sent me the codes for Van Helsing’s DLC, asking for an accompanying review.
Now, the company, critics and fanboys alike have been saying all sorts of things about how these DLC bundles make the game more enjoyable. And you know what? They’re right. Besides an increase in verbosity, the ‘Thaumaturge’ and ‘Arcane Mechanic’ characters add a fair deal to the game, and almost all of it is an improvement. Which leads me to the question: why, in the name of all that is holy, was it DLC to begin with?
I understand that leaving out desirable extras is a marketing strategy. And it’s a fine one at that. So fine, in fact, that it’s used by literally every restaurant when they allow customers to add delicacies to their meals. But you don’t market a peanut-butter sandwich and charge extra for the spread, if not because of the obvious lapse in taste, then because no one is impressed when they are served plain bread on a plate. And take note here, Neocore, because a customer cannot properly experience a product if you take out the best bits.
Now, I understand that Van Helsing was pioneered as a ‘Games With Gold’ title and therefore most players wouldn’t have paid for it. And I also understand that would have factored in to Neocore’s release of this DLC. But they seem to have forgotten one important fact: to actually sell the DLC, audiences must enjoy the game to begin with. And playing as a Thaumaturge or Arcane Mechanic is at least twenty times more enjoyable than suffering through the game as a Hunter.
I’ll quit the ramblings now and cut to the chase. Honestly, I don’t much like this DLC. Not because it’s bad, quite the opposite really. This DLC is so good that it fixes most of Van Helsing’s initial problems. And that’s why I don’t like it.
It’s making me eat my words, and that’s not something I enjoy because my words are typically bitter.
Now, most of the problems I originally identified with Van Helsing stemmed from terrible writing and clunky gameplay. And although the DLC does nothing the fix the former of these, it has a serious crack at the latter.
Obviously, the lack of tutorials didn’t bother me in these playthroughs because I’d already endured the hours of practice and swearing required to understand the game. But even so, these characters are much more accessible than the game’s stock character. The console target-selection hasn’t changed, but given the nature of the Thaumaturge and Arcane Mechanic characters, it’s not even a concern. Their skills damage multiple enemies, through reach, explosions or areas of effect, so targeting a specific enemy isn’t necessary. And the diversity of these skills is commendable. Unlike the Hunter’s attacks, which involved the same swinging of the sword, each of the Thaumaturge/Arcane Mechanic’s attacks has a distinctly different animation and unique feel, making them useful in different scenarios.
And the skill-sets for both characters are massive. Granted, the array of choices can be daunting for the unfamiliar player. But, once you have the required experience, the variety in these skill trees allows you to specialise. Auras will reinforce certain elemental damages (fire, ice or lightning), and, as you can only have two active auras, you’re forced to tailor your skills and tricks. This allows for diversity that doesn’t exist between Hunter characters, and helps in creating some interesting multiplayer battles.
I’m also happy to admit that the “getting swarmed and dying” element of the Van Helsing is much more tolerable because these characters are actually equipped to deal with hordes of enemies. The Arcane mechanic is equipped with an arsenal of skills that summon robotic allies which are surprisingly useful. On the other hand, the Thaumaturge’s spells have area and status effects that make thinning hordes more palatable.
While all of Van Helsing’s characters follow the same campaign storyline, the Thaumaturge and Arcane Mechanic DLC each have 3 unique quests. In themselves these quests aren’t special, just the usual “go here, fetch that”, “protect this” or “kill that” sort of thing. And on the whole the DLC is a bit shy on content; neither pack offers more than a new character and a few new quests and maps. To be honest, I was initially annoyed by the lack of content and by the fact that I had to create totally new characters and replay the story to experience these DLC.
But I quickly moved past this because – a) it’s not really an avoidable problem; b) each character gives the gameplay a totally different feel; and c) the difference that each character makes to your playing style compensates for the DLCs being light on content.
I’m going to rate the DLC 4 stars – even though it probably deserves less – because it has cured the PTSD I developed from playing through of the game as a Hunter. Allow me to save your brain from arithmetic in saying that when you combine this 4 star rating with the original 3 star rating of Van Helsing, the overall Van Helsing experience gets 3 and a half gold stars: a rating that I honestly believe it deserves. It’s not great, but it’s certainly good.
So congratulations Neocore for finally applying some spread to your ‘sandwich’. I just don’t understand why people have to pay extra for it.
Related – You can find my full review of the core game right here.
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