Things get stranger and stranger — Strange Brigade Season Pass impressions

DLC has become a part of most games at this point. These additions come in the form of characters, weapons, levels, cosmetics, and much more. In some cases, developers plan out a roadmap of DLC, and offer season passes for gamers who want to get all of the planned content. The season passes tend to be a packaged deal that costs less than buying the included DLC individually. Strange Brigade has done the same thing, and I took the time to try out some of what they’ve released so far.

Back in September, Rebellion revealed everything that’s coming out post-launch, with some of it being free, and some of it being part of the season pass. The free updates include two score attack missions and one horde mode level that came out in early October, another group dropping in late October, and a final set releasing in November. The season pass includes one new character and one campaign mission being released alongside each of the aforementioned levels. Tessie Caldwell and The Thrice Damned 1 mission are out now, Hachiro Shimizu and The Thrice Damned 2 comes out late October, and Anjali Khan and The Thrice Damned 3 arrives in November. Each character has their own unique weapons and amulets, while the missions are a three-part adventure.

In addition to the content above, Patrick “Bash” Conaghan was also released, so I tried him out as well. Bash actually uses weapons that were already being used by the original members, but he does introduce a new amulet: Wrath of Quetzalcoatl. This power lets Bash leap forward and slam the ground, shooting out a wave of electricity all around him. It’s a quick and flashy move that can stun and even eliminate any groups of enemies nearby. His special attributes let him recharge his dynamite faster and achieving headshots causes explosions. This made every headshot feel even more brutal, and I felt more powerful as well. From my experience, it seems like Bash wants to focus on getting explosive results.

Tessie is a different story; she feels like a jack-of-all-trades type of character, and she quickly became my new favorite adventurer available. Her default gun is the Colbeck Wildfire SMG, which fires very quickly, but has a high recoil. If you can adjust your aim to counteract the recoil, you can mow down hordes of enemies like a badass. Her Hydes & Sons Compact pistol gives her a slower yet powerful handgun for more precise shots. I found myself swapping back and forth quite often, which is rare for me when my secondary gun is just a pistol. Tessie also brings along the Glacier Bomb, which freezes every enemy within the explosion radius. This sets foes up for some easy shots, or if you’re feeling a bit brutish, you can shatter them with a good punch. Her special attributes give her more health and also increase her explosive recharge rate. The Infernal Firestorm amulet finalizes her place as a powerhouse character. This power lets her launch a fireball forward, which pierces through enemies, burning them to a crisp. Get a group of enemies lined up and use this move to clear your way in an instant. The point is, Tessie can deal with her foes in a variety of ways, and she can hold her own incredibly well.

After testing out the new characters, I ventured out to the Isle of the Dead for The Thriced Damned 1 campaign mission. The story revolves around abnormal energy being discovered on this mysterious island. The Strange Brigade are sent to investigate, and soon find out that there’s more going on than they originally thought. They must fight their way towards a temple on the island that contains half of the shield of Bes. The mission ends after obtaining the piece, and it’s clear that the next mission will involve collecting the second half, while the last mission will probably focus on eliminating some sort of nefarious evildoer. This mission took me around an hour or so to complete, just like the campaign missions in the base game did. That being said, I’m looking forward to the other parts of this adventure. I can’t wait to see what new obstacles I will face, and how things play out.

Strange Brigade’s season pass is currently available for $34.99. That’s a hefty price, especially since the base game costs $49.99. All in all, the season pass includes four characters and three missions. If you plan on playing the game a lot, then the price might be worth it for you. If you aren’t going to put the time into the game, then it probably isn’t worth the cost. Everything that’s been released has added to the overall charm of Strange Brigade and made it more enjoyable. That being said, only you can decide if what you’re getting is enough to justify the cost. If you do get the season pass, then ready up, Strange Brigade! Prepare to pulverize the petrifying pests that are plaguing our planet!

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