Jun 022017
Yesterday, a game developer worked to make things more convenient and natural for fans, while also letting new players try the game for free.
This upset many people.
The visual novel Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~, which was translated into English after a successful Kickstarter campaign was originally released in two parts.
This meant you’d need two separate game files, each of which would contain the same common route, but separate character routes. A bit awkward, right?
Fortunately, they found a solution and released it on Steam as a single game. Instead of two separate game purchases, you can download the common route for free and then buy each half of the game as DLC.
It’s convenient. It solves the problem of having one game split into two. And it gives fans what is essentially a large demo, to try the visual novel before paying.
But it reminded people of the dreaded free-to-play model where DLC microtransactions force you to buy the game in pieces.
That is not what this is. Not at all. If Act I and Act II were released as separate games, like they initially planned, you’d pay $20 for each and have them as separate files. Instead… you’ll pay $20 for each and have them as one file.
Yes, it’s technically “free to start” with DLC, but only to make it more convenient (one single game file) and give players a chance to try it. Unless you think demos are bad, there is no reason to object to the structure of Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~.
Mobile gaming has given free-to-start games a very negative connotation, but it’s not always like that. Sometimes, rather than being a F2P game with microtransactions, it’s just a demo that lets you buy the rest of the game once you’ve tried it. So the next time you see that alarming term, DLC, slow down and check the situation before you get upset.