Though Warlock: Master of the Arcane has only been out a week, you may have missed your opportunity to pre-order the game and get access to the Powerful Lords DLC pack. But those late to the party can, for the sum of $1.99, purchase this content. How do you know whether or not to buy it though? How do you know whether or not it’s worth that much, when the developer was essentially previously giving it away for free? Well, that’s what reviews are for.

The short answer to the question is no, save your money. What is included in this DLC pack are two “perks” which can be selected at the beginning of any new game, provided that you are willing to spend five talent points for either of the two powerful units (or ten points for both, if you’re ambitious).

In starting a new game and customizing your owner character, this DLC enables you to enlist a Blademaster and Imp Adviser to fight for your noble cause. Each unit, if selected, starts the game near your beginning town, ready to wage war on the nearest living being. And that’s pretty much all they’re good for.

The units do level up and become more powerful (or take damage and eventually die, if you suck that much at life). Beyond that though, they function just as any other unit would. Though the concept seems similar to what other closely related games would call hero units, the fact that the characters are singular is really the only similarity.

Consequently, the only people that really “ought” to buy this, are those who are desperately possessed of a love for this game. Ironically, those are most likely the people who pre-ordered and have already received the content for free. The content is akin to extra weapon skins or costumes and makes no functional impact upon the game, other than to provide you with a slight starting advantage offset only by the sacrifice you have to make in order to begin with those units – that doesn’t make the DLC a very good long term investment, inside the game as well as in reality.

Really the target demographic here is, “people who think they actually missed out on something and have extra money lying around.” There’s no reason that should be you.

Final Score: D

Compared to:

Pink Lancers: As far as functionality goes, pink lancers look like a better bargain. Why? Because you could kind of make the excuse that maybe it distracts your opponent with laughter long enough for you to run him through, and even if it doesn’t distract them, you will at least have died in a public expression of how pink isn’t just for sissies (except that you died, so you didn’t really think that through very well). But when you talk pricing, three dollars is too much, making both these DLCs equally awful.

DLC Quest: With as much press as DLC is getting, with public outcry over “on-disc” or locked content, the subject has never been more ripe for satire. If DLC is getting you down, thankfully there’s a game out there made just especially for you. Why not check out an awesome Indie title and join in the rebellion by purchasing… something… that you can… download? Oh, DLC Quest, I see what you did there…