What Were They Thinking?
Over the last couple of years, loot boxes and other microtransactions have managed to worm their way into gaming to such an obscene degree that it has managed to get the attention of both the Mouse House as well as politicians. While things seem to have somewhat eased off, there’s still a long way to go before this shady system has been cut down to size. After all, who could forget these debacles?
#5: “Tom Clancy’s The Division†(2016)
As scummy as loot boxes can be, at least most of them promise something of value. “The Division†must have not received the memo because, man, what lackluster loot boxes… While other games will offer some kind of guarantee for an “epic†or “legendary†item that will be of some use, “The Division†does the opposite, typically giving the player…clothes. Well, if you’re into different colored ski jackets and camouflage backpacks, then these might be up your alley. As for the rest of “The Division†community, Version 1.7 was the update that all but killed the game.
#4: “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds†(2017)
It’s bad enough that an Early Access game has microtransactions. It’s a swift kick in the shin when those microtransactions are loot boxes. Even though these crates contain pure aesthetic items like clothing, it can come off as a bigger rip-off than three sprays and a victory pose. At least your collection of jeans and tanktops will grow…tenfold. The nicer outfits are so rare that the thought of buying ONE crate feels like a potential waste of money. However, if, for whatever reason, these outfits are important to you, feel free to cough up a couple hundred dollars for that skirt.
#3: “Forza Motorsport 7†(2017)
Loot boxes don’t have to be extremely complicated…or, so we thought. While “Forza 7†still uses microtransactions with the CR currency, they have now implemented “prize crates.†With these, you won’t just get cosmetic items for your driver and car, but “modsâ€, which you can apply to races in order to change up the gameplay and get more CR to get more crates. Why couldn’t game modifiers just be a feature in the game? We have to earn our right to make the game more interesting now? Well, ArsTechnica didn’t call this a “pay-to-earn†system for nothing.
#2: “Star Wars: Battlefront II†(2017)
No season passes? Yes! Wait, loot boxes? God damnit. The hype for this game was, indeed, real…up until October 2017, when beta players were greeted with a “Get More Loot Boxes†icon at the corner of their screen. While we’re fine with the cosmetic stuff, the ugliness comes from the inclusion of Star Cards in the progression system. Those with fat stacks of cash could buy crates in bulk to increase their chances of drawing powerful cards or earning enough Craft currency to afford the upgrades, ultimately establishing a “pay-to-win†system. Thankfully, EA and DICE have addressed our raised eyebrows and are currently making tweaks to the system.
#1: “Middle-Earth: Shadow of War†(2017)
Its number one for a reason. In the sequel to the 2014 acclaimed hit “Shadow of Mordorâ€, Talion and Celebrimbor must recruit an army to wage war against Sauron. That army can be grown in a number of ways, including – you guessed it – loot boxes! These loot boxes will give you some of the most powerful characters in the game, which you’re definitely going to need if you want to get the TRUE ending. You heard right! Pony up some money if you want that story content! Otherwise, the last mission is going to be a pain to get through.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Another Top 10 Worst Pay To Win Games.
