Ok, this gonna come with ups and downs get ready.
What felt good what to see more stuff added to the game's content, ofc, we all love content. However the building pieces was advertised as Norwegian/Scadinavian themed and yes they are, in a way, they are not modern themed, they are viking themed and I think this should have been mentioned before the launch trailer. As a creator of a modern Scandinavian zoo I was a bit disappointed but I was looking forward to more wood building pieces. However, as it turns out they are not flexi colour which was another thing I wanted since to create a wooden structure with the colour you want you have to build it plank by plank and this takes some time. Overall I really like the wooden pieces as a viking theme but not as a Scadinavian theme.
Another downside is if you're not a Christmas fan which Im not. I was also looking forward to clutter because I love clutter. The Indian theme clutter is just on point but the arctic clutter is...Christmas. No comment. Im not too interested in the ice stuff but Im not gonna complain about them either.
The animals! I played the first DLC scenario and got a first feel for the animals. Nothing to complain about really. I loved the Scadinavian names for the reindeers and I hope to see more colour just like in our Scadinavian reindeers. I've seen complaints about the Polar bears due to the amount of space they need. They do indeed need a lot but I'm not among those who feel the need to complain about it but I thought it was worth a mention.
So, what is my overall impression?
I've seen more expensive DLCs but this is definitely too expensive for what it offers. Releasing a DLC just one month after release just shows you left stuff out on purpose for a long term payment model. It feels like a more expensive microtransaction. Or a cheaper version of the content packs we see in The Sims (thats not a compliment). Should you get it? I would recommend to wait until the price is reduced, you're not missing out on something amazing you can't really experience in the main game already.
What could have made this DLC better?
Being less holiday-themed. Those stars and Christmas trees might be fun now but not in two months or mid-summer. Scandinavian clutter, yes please! Traditional Scandinavian barriers and fences since yes that's a thing and I did actually hold off building my own in hopes I would see some in this DLC. Foliage, Id love to see more region-specific foliage, It's a DLC after all. Flexicolour wood to build classic Scadinavian red or maybe yellow houses.
And of course more content. I rather see fewer DLCs with lots of thought through content and maybe mechanics instead of lots of small ones. I know we are in the age of microtransactions but I do not look forward to going down the same path as JWE extra content does. I would have loved to see animals such as moose and muskox included here with maybe a few smaller animals as well.
Other:
Before releasing a DLC, please make sure your game is working properly and has all the features is was advertised to have. WHERE. IS. SCALING? Bugs such as animals being randomly put into boxes for no reason or sink through the ground. These issues together with the ones introduced the latest patch such as the new bins not working and more "animal escapes" inside habitats have certainly taken its toll on me. Again. where is scaling?
What felt good what to see more stuff added to the game's content, ofc, we all love content. However the building pieces was advertised as Norwegian/Scadinavian themed and yes they are, in a way, they are not modern themed, they are viking themed and I think this should have been mentioned before the launch trailer. As a creator of a modern Scandinavian zoo I was a bit disappointed but I was looking forward to more wood building pieces. However, as it turns out they are not flexi colour which was another thing I wanted since to create a wooden structure with the colour you want you have to build it plank by plank and this takes some time. Overall I really like the wooden pieces as a viking theme but not as a Scadinavian theme.
Another downside is if you're not a Christmas fan which Im not. I was also looking forward to clutter because I love clutter. The Indian theme clutter is just on point but the arctic clutter is...Christmas. No comment. Im not too interested in the ice stuff but Im not gonna complain about them either.
The animals! I played the first DLC scenario and got a first feel for the animals. Nothing to complain about really. I loved the Scadinavian names for the reindeers and I hope to see more colour just like in our Scadinavian reindeers. I've seen complaints about the Polar bears due to the amount of space they need. They do indeed need a lot but I'm not among those who feel the need to complain about it but I thought it was worth a mention.
So, what is my overall impression?
I've seen more expensive DLCs but this is definitely too expensive for what it offers. Releasing a DLC just one month after release just shows you left stuff out on purpose for a long term payment model. It feels like a more expensive microtransaction. Or a cheaper version of the content packs we see in The Sims (thats not a compliment). Should you get it? I would recommend to wait until the price is reduced, you're not missing out on something amazing you can't really experience in the main game already.
What could have made this DLC better?
Being less holiday-themed. Those stars and Christmas trees might be fun now but not in two months or mid-summer. Scandinavian clutter, yes please! Traditional Scandinavian barriers and fences since yes that's a thing and I did actually hold off building my own in hopes I would see some in this DLC. Foliage, Id love to see more region-specific foliage, It's a DLC after all. Flexicolour wood to build classic Scadinavian red or maybe yellow houses.
And of course more content. I rather see fewer DLCs with lots of thought through content and maybe mechanics instead of lots of small ones. I know we are in the age of microtransactions but I do not look forward to going down the same path as JWE extra content does. I would have loved to see animals such as moose and muskox included here with maybe a few smaller animals as well.
Other:
Before releasing a DLC, please make sure your game is working properly and has all the features is was advertised to have. WHERE. IS. SCALING? Bugs such as animals being randomly put into boxes for no reason or sink through the ground. These issues together with the ones introduced the latest patch such as the new bins not working and more "animal escapes" inside habitats have certainly taken its toll on me. Again. where is scaling?
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