Do you use pre-order/retailer exclusive/bonus DLC?

[oggyraiding]

I'm playing the remaster of Bioshock Infinite, and it comes with all the retailer exclusive, preorder, and season pass bonus DLC. So once the game gets going, you've got loads of free gear and upgrades and money that you otherwise wouldn't have.

Similar thing with Fallout New Vegas. There were several different starter pack things, each exclusive to a specific retailer, but if you have the complete edition of the game you start with a bunch of good weapons and armours and useable items. The thing I enjoy most about RPGs is building up my gear organically from shit to powerful. I never know what to do with all these starter packs - using them is cheating, selling them gets you loads of money early on, but (as far as I'm aware) you can't turn them off so every playthrough you've got them. Can just stick them in a bin I suppose.

Recent Resident Evils have included preorder DLC consisting of a bit of ammo and a few health sprays, so I don't feel as guilty using those.

Do you think the addition of these add-ons ruins the game experience, essentially giving you an advantage just for buying it from GAME instead of Amazon for instance? Or is it a welcome boost to get you going on your playthrough?

From a different angle, it's cunty that content is gated off behind retailer exclusive deals.

[Pink Gregory]

It's annoying when it comes with the GOTY or complete edition of an older game, especially when it does't flag it up so you don't even know if you're playing with an early advantage.  It's not even a pride thing, these advantages will likely not have been balanced for the game and could affect, y'know, developer intentions and all that, though I appreciate that that is idealising AAA games to a ludicrous degree.

[Magnum Valentino]

WAR HORSE, yeah

[bgmnts]

Back in the early 00s I remember being excited enough by a few games to pre-ordee them and you'd get it a day or two early, it was mint.

Day One DLC console exclusive shit is shite though. I get it's to make it competitive for companies etc but it's anti-consumer and wank.