Being a game reviewer is, believe it or not, hard work sometimes. The reason I’m sat here, chuntering into my beard, is because of the release of a DLC pack. Now, usually the release of DLC and further content is a reason for rejoicing, as it shows that a developer is committed to the game that they have produced and are going to keep supporting it. However, what do you think the cut off should be for DLC? 3 months? 6 months, perhaps?
Well, the subject of this review, the Heart of the Swamp for The Riftbreaker, from EXOR Studios, has appeared three years after that of the base game, two years on from the last expansion that I personally played (Metal Terror), and a year on from that of Into the Dark. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember anything about a game that I played two years ago, certainly not when that game is as complicated as The Riftbreaker. And so you see the problem I had.
Yep, to really make the most of what is on offer with the Heart of the Swamp, I was basically left to start a brand new game, learning the ropes once more, all in order to get to the DLC mission with something approaching a clue as to what was going on. Of course, it is what it is, and if you’ve been diving into The Riftbreaker on a more regular basis than I, you’ll be much more sorted. Whatever, are you ready to get muddy? Because we are heading to the heart of a swamp!
The Heart of the Swamp takes place in the Fungal Swamp, a whole new area of Galatea 37, and this is where our character Ashley and Mr Riggs, her robot, end up after a huge cloud of purple pollen appears in the air. The story found here is pretty weak, to be fair, but this has never really been a game where you worried about the narrative at play: it has always been about building an awesome base, and surviving the local wildlife.
And with a whole new area to explore, you’d better believe that there are new species of wildlife to meet, greet and destroy. In the name of research, obviously. And also in the name of saving the swamp, as parasitic species are threatening to destroy the biome. And so the scene is set for us to try and save the Great Mushroom Tree as we attempt to remove these species.
Now, The Riftbreaker has always been a pretty good looking game, and this quality has carried through to the Heart of the Swamp expansion, as you’d expect. The Fungal Swamp, the new area, doesn’t look vastly different to the rest of the world, if I’m brutally honest, and while the new species are okay, there is nothing here that has blown my socks off. Personally, I feel that Metal Terror had a much better design, and while the work that has been done here isn’t too bad, neither is it anything massively new. However, the conversations that we have with Mr Riggs are still well scripted and acted, and all in all, the game lives up to the expectations I had. Little more than that though.
I imagine at this point that you will be curious, as I was, about how we can access the new DLC. The good news is that if you have finished the main story, the new mission for Heart of the Swamp is available straight away. However, if like me you had forgotten what to do, then you need to have researched Titanium, Palladium and Uranium in the base in order to unlock this mission.
The gameplay involved very much runs similar vibes to the rest of the game, and this is no bad thing. The base building and survival gameplay is well honed and crafted, and this carries on to the DLC. In fact, the main news for this expansion is found in the new things that have been added, and there are a good few of those.
Leaving aside the new biome and creatures, which I have discussed above, there are also a few new additions that can add a ton of fun to the game. My favourite of these, without doubt, is the new long range missile launchers that can be constructed, alongside a load of other new buildings that can be researched and built. One of the most exciting parts though is the ability to build structures on water, which is handy given that actual dry land is at a premium in this biome. With more than 70 new things that can be researched, as well as new buildings and upgrades for Mr Riggs, you’ll hopefully be in a place to survive against the new monsters.
All in all, it is good to see a game still getting updates so long after launch, however The Riftbreaker: Heart of the Swamp is not massively inspiring. Anything that gives us new content for the game has to be a good thing, it is just that this feels a bit lightweight compared to the other DLC packs. In a few words, if you are looking for more Riftbreaker action, Heart of the Swamp will scratch that itch. Just don’t expect too much more.
Download The Riftbreaker – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/the-riftbreaker/9P94PCKP864B
Buy Heart of the Swamp expansion – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/the-riftbreaker-heart-of-the-swamp/9MZZZKDX6HGX/0010
