History VideoGame / DLCQuest

''DLC Quest'' is a satirical 2012 IndieGame for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh, and UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade that takes DownloadableContent to its [[ExaggeratedTrope logical extreme]]. In this game, ''everything'' needs to be purchased. Including things like "Pause" and "[[YouHaveResearchedBreathing Walk left]]".

Visit the game's homepage [[http://goingloudstudios.com/games/dlc-quest/ here]].

!!This game contains examples of:

* TheBadGuyWins: The bad ending.

* CanadaEh: The sole point of the Canadian Dialog pack in ''Live Freemium or Die'' is tacking a questioning "eh?" on the end of most dialogue sentences, alongside making it where the DLC store ApologisesALot.

* ExaggeratedTrope: This game is all about taking DLC practices to the extreme, particularly how some games go so hard on the {{Microtransactions}} you can barely play the game without paying for at least a few extra things after already buying, which is parodied here through the fact you ''literally'' can't play much of the game without buying something right after getting into the game, specifically [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing the ability to jump and move right]].

* EverythingsDeaderWithZombies: One DLC is a zombie pack, described as "This really doesn't really fit, but our marketing department said every game needs zombies."
* FanService: Mocked with the 5 coin swimsuit DLC that changes every single characters clothes for the rest of the game. (Everyone is an 8-bit sprite, including the player and the princess.)
* FatalFlaw: The true BigBad of both games would be nearly unstoppable in his final plan if not for the crippling flaw of [[spoiler:greed, as the DLC Shopkeep loves money so much he's willing to sell DLC packs of weapons that can hurt and eventually kill him just for a quick buck]].

* ProductPlacement: Parodied. During the second game, ''BUY POP'' billboards appear everywhere (you can pay for making them go away, which just replaces them with advertising for the studio which made the game), and there is a ''POP ZONE - BROUGHT TO YOU BY POP'' area.

* RealIsBrown: Parodied with the ''High Definition Next Gen Pack'' which does nothing but making everything brown and pale. It references the trope name in its flavor text.
* SaveThePrincess: The goal of the first game.

* SchmuckBait: There's a sign in the snowy area that mentions how so many lives were lost installing spikes at the bottom of a pit, which sounds a lot like the game trying to trick you into avoiding a secret area. [[spoiler:Turns out that no, there is indeed a spike pit at the bottom. You are given an Awardment for ignoring the warning to sate you explorer's curiosity, though, so you at least get something by falling for the bait.]]

** The "Finish the fight" pack is a little jab to ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}''[='=]s tagline.

** The achievement for getting a gun is [[Series/TheITCrowd "I've Got A Ruddy Gun!"]]

** Here Lies Ryan (??? - 2013) Tried to fight the creatures. [[LetsPlay/NorthernLion Died from dumb damage.]]

* {{Troll}}: There's a sign near the [[AllTrollsAreDifferent troll]] saying "No solicitors", and when the player realises he needs a better weapon, the troll responds, "Problem?"

* VisualPun: One collected item in ''Live Freemium or Die'' is the "Humble Indie Bindle", which references the Humble Bundle discount site for indie games while also literally being a "humble" bindle.

* RainbowSpeak: Like many other aspects of [=RPGs=] and other games, ''Live Freemium or Die'' parodies the tendency of text-heavy games to highlight important words with colored text through the [[purple:Incredibly Important]] Pack, as the Mayor is literally unable to tell you quest until you buy the DLC to allow him to "speak" in color.

* WallJump: Wall-jumoing replaces double-jumping in the second part.

* VoiceOfDramatic: The narrator in the trailer does his best.

* NiceHat: The top hat DLC. Yeah, its a waste of 5 coins, but you look so spiffy after buying it!

* BottomlessPits: With the introduction of dying in ''Live Freemium or Die'', second only to SpikesOfDoom are of course gaping chasms into endless abysses. [[spoiler:One particular Awardment requires you to jump into the extra big hole in the middle of the pit zone, something that will likely come easily since, as the description says, you're will to explore knows no bounds.]]

* DeconstructionGame: The game is also about satirizing overreliance on DownloadableContent.

* JokerImmunity: {{Exaggerated}}, {{Parodied}}, and {{Exploited}}. The bad guy is well aware that you can't kill him (because if you did, [[MediumAwareness they wouldn't be able to make a sequel]]) and he rubs it in your face. In fact, you can [[spoiler:shoot him in the chest]] and he survives, seemingly without a scratch.

* LongLostRelative: The HandWave for the InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals.
* MacGuffin: {{Lampshaded}}. The princess is named "Princess MacGuffin".

* {{Metroidvania}}: There's backtracking involved.

* CanadaEh: The sole point of the Canadian Dialog pack in ''Live Freemium or Die'' is tacking a questioning "eh?" on the end of most dialogue sentences.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading: ''Live Freemium or Die'' is less optimized and more prone to loading areas than the first part due to the developer not seeing it as important enough to delay for fixing. Naturally, there's a DLC for a patch to fix that.

* BlatantLies: "This is a dead end."

* CosmeticAward: Called "Awardments".
* DeconstructionGame: Of overreliance on DownloadableContent.
* DoubleJump: Has to be bought, of course.

* ExcusePlot: Parodied. The opening cutscene shows you and a princess--helpful arrows will point out which is which--as she is kidnapped by a bad guy, also identified with a helpful arrow. Finally, the bad guy grabs the princess and runs away, and another arrow helpfully provides a label saying "Motivation".

* {{Microtransactions}}: The premise of the game is that it's a satire of this model.

* UpToEleven: The DLC practices. All in the name of Deconstruction of course.

* WallJump: Takes the place of the double jump in the second part.

A sequel of sorts was released in 2017 that parodies shameless consumerism even further: ''VideoGame/LootBoxQuest''.A

* UnwinnableByInsanity: Actually grinding at the grindstone manually without buying the DLC leaves you with some extra cash, which you can use to buy things other than the DoubleJump Pack when it's needed to get enough coins to actually finish the game. Soon you will have no money to even buy the pack and be unable to access the ending.

!! This game contains examples of:

''DLC Quest'' is a satirical IndieGame for [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PC]], UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh, and UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade that takes DownloadableContent to its [[ExaggeratedTrope logical extreme]]. In this game, ''everything'' needs to be purchased. Including things like "Pause" and "[[YouHaveResearchedBreathing Walk left]]".

----

* TheBadGuyWins: the bad ending

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: You get an awardment for killing all sheep and humans in the game, including the shopkeepers[[labelnote:*]]which you can still talk to for DLC-related business[[/labelnote]]. [[spoiler: This becomes a plot point in ''Live Freemium or Die'']].

Naturally, in keeping with the parody of shameless consumerism in modern video games, there is a MissionPackSequel: ''Live Freemium or Die'', which takes sends Player on an all-new quest to collect coins and spend them on even more DLC (oh, and save some villagers from a monster or something).

* UnwinnableByMistake: Actually grinding at the grindstone manually without buying the DLC leaves you with some extra cash, which you can use to buy things other than the DoubleJump Pack when it's needed to get enough coins to actually finish the game. Soon you will have no money to even buy the pack and be unable to access the ending.

** [[PimpMyRide "We heard you like jumping, so we put a jump in your jump, so you can jump while you jump."]]