Resident Evil 4 players seem a bit conflicted over some new DLC that was quietly added to the game this week. The game got its expected Mercenaries mode which can be downloaded for free, though that was expected given that Capcom had announced that mode’s release date before. Alongside that extra mode came another DLC, however, one that allows players to instantly upgrade one of their weapons to obtain its exclusive powerup without having to upgrade the rest of the weapon’s stats. That’s a fine idea itself, but some players have taken issue with the fact that it’s a paid DLC which allows people to skip over the game’s extensive upgrade system and in-game economy.
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The DLC in question is aptly called “Resident Evil 4 Weapon Exclusive Upgrade Ticket,” and you’ll find this add-on sold in the PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam marketplaces as an extra for the game. One of the tickets costs $2.99 with different bundles sold, too, to give players a couple at a time. The item is nearly identical to the one that you’d get from the Merchant in-game by trading Spinels with him with the main difference being that you’re paying real money for them.
“To gun enthusiasts, knife collectors, and lovers of weapons of any and all kinds: here’s your ticket to the gun show! Specifically a ticket to be redeemed at the Merchant’s shop,” a preview of this DLC read. “With this, you’ll have access to a weapon’s exclusive upgrade at any time, regardless of the weapon’s level. Not only that, but once unlocked, the upgrade itself is free of charge!”
Within discussions about this DLC, players are mostly taking one of two stances: there are those who feel this is an improper way to play the game, and there are those who say it’s a non-issue because the game is singleplayer anyway which means the DLC has no impact on anyone else’s experience.
One review of the item on Steam said those who buy this are “robbing yourself off many hours of playtime” by skipping over the game’s economy. Others have said that the game isn’t balanced around players needing these items anyway since the game gives you plenty of resources to make it through the story, so to that end, it’s not a problem. It’s also been pointed out that this is an easy way to Platinum the game since you can get upgrades so quickly and speed through the game’s higher difficulties which might be an attractive option for trophy hunters out there.
This sort of conversation comes up anytime singleplayer games add microtransactions like this — past Resident Evil remakes have done the same thing not long after they release, and Assassin’s Creed games tend to add time-savers, too. Players are correct in thinking that it really doesn’t impact anyone’s experience except for the person that’s going to buy it, though we’ll likely see this conversation pop up once again the next time a AAA game does this.
