Remember my thoughts are of someone who has literally done everything the game has to offer... and, done so, many times. I didn't put over 500 hours in it because I disliked the game. I easily got my 73 bucks out of it. (The price I paid for a Gold Version preorder via a steam trader.)
And I do recommend the game, as I said there is fun to be had, more so if you like loot games... but my recommend price is very much a combination of what its cost in the past... and the fact I'm not sure whats going on with it in the future... aka a Year 2 season pass.
Anyhow, the 1.6 patch is coming out next Tuesday... I'm not really feeling it as everything is PVP focused, which I don't mind when its done right but this game does it wrong, and continues to do it wrong. Last Stand, the last part of the season pass, is a dedicated PVP mode... The best part if it, everyone in said mode wants to get shot at and wants to shoot someone else in the face. Which is an improvement over DZ, which is really a PVEVP area, and all its douchebaggery BUT its gated off behind a paywall on a game thats for all purposes nearly dead. This means its going to have a small playerbase and all the issues that comes with it. I've also heard that it plays pretty bad.
Also, this patch sees a new section of the DZ opened up... This part of the update is free and Massive hopes that the bigger DZ with the same number of people in the DZ (24) will help with the douchebaggery that goes on. AKA basically the harassment of those who just want to do the PVE, which is unique to the DZ, or those without a group... Or even small groups. (Lots of 8 man groups just go around and kill everyone with the only intention of killing them.)
Anyhow, the rest of the season pass...
Underground, Its basically greater rifts from Diablo III but unlike DIII it gets stale far sooner... Its just not random enough. Its opening room, first chamber, connection, second chamber, connection, and then final chamber and while its random its not as random as it needs to be. You'll see all the pieces rather quickly, and figure out how they can all connect soon after that but I think the biggest issue is that take cover, seeing the enemies come out from only a handful of locations, and you realize your having the same fights in the same room far too often. Its also stupid grindy and that even if you are good and can do the top tier stuff you have to level up and unlock stuff. (Granted, a recent patch lowered how much XP you need so its gotten better. All in all this is my favorite "expansion" from the season pass.)
Survival, the most original "expansion" from the season pass, is fun... but takes time to play, its not a pick up and spend 5 minutes and feel you've made progress. Also its not random enough, Once you know the map, you know the best way to do everything... It does have a PvP mode which makes it far less random but if your not in a group your better of sticking to the PvE version. (The queue to start these modes is way too long now... I've waited 5 plus minutes and connected. Also in the end you get loot for your character, which is good, but consider this whole game is about getting loot and mode that takes away or your loot is going to be limiting in appeal.
Basically, you run it, hope for good loot, and then turn around and run it again with none of that loot.
Also, if you've been paying attention I've used "expansions" with quotes quite a bit... as they did promise us expansions but gave us new game modes instead... Also, they talked about giving us a new campaign via DLC but that ended up being a lie... Some suspect it will be in Season Pass Year 2 now and that's left allot of people salty as
(me included) because the community has routinely voted for PVE content like a new campaign and ask for a better option than the current DZ. Last poll I saw on the official forums had three options. Focus on PVE content, Focus on PVP content, or it doesn't matter I play both. 84% said focus on PVE, 8% said focus on either and 7% said PVP. (Those are insane numbers... Nothing should ever get close to 80% of a vote, it goes against human nature for all to be that agreeable, so you know something has gone wrong.
link to the poll)
Its really hard to understand...
