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Pre-Order Bonuses Finally Ticked Me Off

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by born4this on September 07, 2012 at 01:30 PM
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This past weekend, I finished completing the achievements for Darksiders 2. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, 100 waves of the Crucible challenge & all. However, I must say...

 

DARKSIDERS 2 TICKED ME RIGHT OFF! 

 

Here's why:

During the course of playing this excellent game, I came across a few invisible creatures. They are difficult to see in screenshots (probably because they're invisible), so I added a drawing of a monster to help get the point across that there are invisible monsters in the game.

You can't see him because he's invisible, but there is a monster in front of Death. 

 

I was excited about this. I thought, "Maybe the Shadow Mask from the previous game is in this game, too. I'm sure I'll get that or something else later in the game so I can fight these invisible monsters AND... MAYBE they'll give me some awesome loot!"

 

WRONG!

 

I completed the game, then completed it again on New Game+ and I never came across any items that would allow me to interact with these mysterious creatures. Initially I thought, "Maybe these creatures are a super secret. Maybe I should explore some more & see if I can find the super secret item that would let me fight these guys." Of course, my curiosity led to an internet search rather than a more thorough search of the map. I have no regrets though because I found out from my internet search that re-exploring the map would have been A HUGE WASTE OF TIME!!! Why? Because the invisible monsters can only be fought if you bought Darksiders 2 from GameStop.

 

Using the Bloodless Talisman given by Draven [pictured above] during The Bloodless quest (part of the GameStop pre-order exclusive DLC, "Death Rides" pack), that, when equipped, allows you to see and interact with the bloodless when you are close enough in a fashion similar to the Mask of Shadows in the original Darksiders.

 

So... rather than being a really cool quest that could have added to the game's lasting appeal, it's something that makes you feel like the game is taunting you. "Ooh... you noticed that there is an invisible creature walking around in this room, huh? You're probably trying to figure out what their significance is, huh? Well... hate to break it to ya buddy, but you're not going to figure it out because you bought this game from the wrong store! HAHA!" Even if they added it as free DLC in the future, it just falls flat for me. Personally, it ticks me off that the creatures are in the game, but they might as well not be because I didn't buy the game from GameStop.

 

What do you think? Am I just being a baby? Would/did this tick you off? What are your thoughts on pre-order bonuses? I'm mad about this more in a Jerry Seinfeld way than a George Costanza way, so know that I'm not being super cereal about this - just kinda cereal. Life goes on & I won't be boycotting Vigil Games. In fact, I really like Vigil Games!

 

 

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  • by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 01:53 PM
    I'm not okay with store exclusive pre-order bonuses, i.e. Borderlands 2's added arena and this Darksiders 2 quest which are both gamestop exclusive. It's stupid and it feels like you're not getting a complete game because of your store preference. However free DLC when you pre-order a game, like the Mechromancer class in Borderlands 2 is a great incentive to buy the game. Also I don't know why they had to put the monster in there at all, invisible or not, because that's just bound to piss people off, especially considering that there is no way to get the quest at this point.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 01:56 PM
    I guess I understand the reasoning behind pre-order bonuses, but I'm with you. I'm not a pre-order guy because I generally wait for the reviews. I wouldn't mind people having access to the piece sooner than I do because I didn't pre-order, but seeing something in a game that you can't interact with is really annoying.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 02:23 PM
    Wow, that sounds really, really stupid. It will probably end up hurting their sales too, which makes it pointless.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 02:26 PM
    DLC = Disk locked content
    I also get mad if there is something that hinders gameplay w/o a pre-order or DLC. or like you said, wastes my time trying to figure it out.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 02:33 PM
    I have mixed views on the preorders...I think they're neat for people who really love a game series and want some of the extra stuff that comes with a preorder, but these store-specific preorders bother me a little bit more. Granted, I very rarely buy a game from anyone besides Gamestop, but I understand why some might be aggravated with this if they went to say, Target or Best Buy instead. I don't think that sort of thing should be allowed, but what do I know? I don't buy games new at all anymore anyway.
  • Mod
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 03:05 PM
    I see your point but I have to say that I'm for exclusives being just that. It's hard to compete in today's market, especially when the vast majority or pre-order bonuses are either available by every retailer or up for grabs fairly soon after the game's release date (here's lookin' at you DLC) . Having exclusives and competitive pre-order bonuses, such as store credit, make the publishers and retailers work harder for our business as consumers which is always nice. This does seem annoying but sounds like it's not game-breaking,so it's not too bad, perhaps.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 04:12 PM
    I don't have anything against exclusives in general, but in this instance I do agree with you. It seems like you were locked out of content that, while not essential, is still quite substantial and prevalent. Exclusive (non-essential) bonus items, or even a quest, I can understand, but you're right, this is almost just a blatant, perpetual "F you" to anyone who happened to buy their game elsewhere.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 04:22 PM
    What's the deal with that?

    No, I'm not a fan of this sort of pre-order conundrum. It's like playing Russian roulette with your desire. Pick the wrong one? Ha ha, you don't get to play this part. Gone are the days when you can just go to your favorite place and say, "I want this game"... if you care about the DLC, you've got to plan it out now.

    I completely understand why the places would do it, but it's another trend that's a nuisance to the consumer - particularly in a case like this. If they take the monster out, you might go through the game without even realizing that you missed something. But to have it there trolling you harder than a Rare Stop N' Swop?

    Granted, I don't pre-order for in-game content for multiple reasons.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 05:28 PM
    This is the first I've heard of any game pulling a stunt like this with pre-order bonuses. It's one thing with some of the shooters out there that offer extra guns, or any game with costume packs since either one of those don't drastically affect the game. But this talisman sounds more like a necessary component and I can see how you would come to expect it to be part out the original game. It's just not right to pit a person's choice of where to buy the game by withholding a necessary component of it.
    Hopefully it's available later through DLC, and hopefully the same stunt is not pulled a second time around.
  • Mod
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 06:03 PM
    This is a unique way of approaching this, but I don't really have a problem with it I guess. It's a competitive world, and this is the kind of stuff retailers do to appeal to people. This is certainly a new trend with digital stuff, but it has been happening for years with little physical items, and if the infrastructure had been available sooner to do this with digital, it would have happened. Rubbing it in your face IS a little much though! Reminds me of DA:O when I was full of loot and wanted to stash it in that chest at my camp but it wouldn't open.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 07:24 PM
    This kind of stuff has been annoying me for awhile now. I remember when Mod Nation Racers was coming out, and you got something different depending on whether you bought it from Best Buy, Amazon, or GameStop. I hate the feeling that something's missing, especially if it's just because of what store you bought it from.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 08:01 PM
    I generally don't have a problem with it, especially if it's a complete game without it. For example, Halo 4's preorders are basically armor skins and that's really nothing special when you get down to it.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 08:46 PM
    So you noticed that too, eh? Good thing I bought the pack. ;-)
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 09:33 PM
    I had a similar experience with Forza 4; there were 5 different cars avaailable depending on where you bought. The car I wanted most was only available from Best Buy, and the closest store to me is 50 miles away as opposed to where I usually buy my games 15 miles away, so that was an extra inconvinience and expense. Now the other 4 cars are available as paid DLC, but the only way to get them is a pack with 5 other cars. So to get the 4 cars I don't have I would need to pay the usual $7 asking price for a 10 car pack even though I already have 6 of the cars.

    And in your case I agree, even if they add FREE DLC in the future it doesn't make up for that content not being available for you on your first playthrough just because of where the game was purchased.
  •
    by Friday, September 07, 2012 at 11:51 PM
    I completely agree with this. I hate all the most recent pre-order bonus stuff as of late or buying the game new to get all the of the game I should be getting anyway. I'm fine with getting bonus skins no one else has or some other trivial thing that doesn't really do much, Don't make me have to pre-order to be able to get the full game only if I buy it from gamestop or best buy etc.
  •
    by Saturday, September 08, 2012 at 08:09 AM
    In this particular case, I can't help but think of the people out there who are committed to playing games the old-school way without a guide & without any internet help. How are they supposed to know that the invisible monsters are part of a locked quest? Sure, some could say that gamers should do their research & figure out which store they want to buy the game from, but personally, I just don't think that's common practice yet. It's definitely not something I'm in the practice of doing yet (OBVIOUSLY, HAHA!)

    Also, people talk about it being incentive for the stores to sell the game, which I understand, but... I don't see this gaining a store consistent sales. "Hey Dean, where you been? Haven't seen you since SSX came out!" "Sorry man, you guys haven't had the pre-order bonuses I've wanted lately. The last few games I've bought, I've been more interested in the extras Best Buy had for them."
  •
    by Saturday, September 08, 2012 at 08:37 PM

    That stinks. I'd be upset too if I bought this game. It seems like something that should already be apart of the game, not something extra.

  •
    by Monday, September 17, 2012 at 01:17 PM

    I would have to agree with you on this point.  I believe that if the content is on the disk then I should be able to enjoy it, especially if I paid full price for the darn thing.

  •
    by Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 02:35 AM

    that is Bull. Don't they realise that no one likes buying from Game Stop

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