Frustrating DLC (Spoilers)

[Mr. Gilly]

Let me first say that I consider The Messenger to be one of the best games of 2018. I completed it (100%) twice and even admit to having the soundtrack on my workout playlist. It is simply amazing. That being said...

I cannot seem to find a flow/rhythm in the DLC. Too much of the game feels masochisticly difficult, meaning I spend more time falling into instant death voids and watching my health get peppered away by cheaply designed enemies and attacks. Where the main title's levels had character, all of Picnic Panic feels like one giant secret area to get a stupidly hard to reach Power Seal.

None of the trudge through frustration feels rewarding either. Since completing the main game is a prerequisite to unlocking the DLC, you already have EVERYTHING. There are no upgrades or abilities to gain. You just carry on with no incentive to move forward. Sure, there are collectable mask pieces and feathers, but these just pad the DLC.

At this point, I am at the "Race The Dark Messenger" portion of the game. This whole section is an exercise in repetitive and cheap frustration. About 3 segments in, the Dark Messenger's course seems to have no challenge compared to yours. He climbs a wall while you grapple through saw blades. You fight enemies while he walks through them in an alternate time line. It's laughably ridiculous and I can't fathom how anyone enjoys it.

The good? In classic Messenger fashion, the dialogue and music are both phenomenal. I'm convinced the developers could make an anime or comic that would top the charts at this point. Visually, it looks beautiful too. The time transition is still wonderfully and seamlessly implemented. Also, it's FREE, making all my previous complaints full of entitlement and void of relevance. I just need to give it up or get gud.

[dirthurts]

I didn't have too much trouble with it. Sure, the difficulty was ramped up, but this is end game stuff. The totum gave me some grief but the rest of it was mostly pretty easy.
I do wish there were some more skills or something.
But, I'm not complaining. It was free.
I'm ready for the next game.

[DaylightDemon]

honestly i didnt find it much harder than the main game if even. i had a break of some months of last playing and the dlc. the totem boss and the race against the dark messenger where the points where i got a little frustrated. but in the end it wasnt that hard after all.

[felipe]

The only thing I didn't like about the DLC is that I missed the gameplay of The Messenger so the first level (surfing) is definitely not what I was wanting to play. Other than that I really liked the new levels and I thought the race was really fun (trying to get the perfect run is a pain in the ass though).

[Honigdachs]

I agree with the OP. The base game was absolutely brilliant. With the DLC though I feel they kind of dropped the ball. It clearly doesn't have the same elegance and brilliance that the main game has, with its perfect blend of flow and challenging difficulty, but truly does feel more like those dumb homebrew "impossible" levels of famous games that people used to make. At some point, I noticed that I really wasn't having the same kind of fun like I did playing through the original experience, and after some particularly stupid "haha, gotcha" sequence, I just kind of couldn't make myself care any longer.

[Pawlogates]

They absolutely have NOT "dropped the ball" what the hell are you guys even saying ffs, this dlc is free and it just screams passion all over...

[Sam Spade]

I just finished the game and DLC 100%, including the mask pieces and feathers. The payoff is in NG+, where when u get to the first portal to the shop, you can do "The Deal" with the Voodoo Mask.

[Steven]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.