It’s that time again. With a new triple A release comes new pre-order bonuses and DLC. Sometimes they’re worth it, but sometimes they aren’t. Hopefully, we won’t receive another repeat of Unity‘s broken launch, but just in case it seems Gamestop is doing its best to have you commit early.
So… is it worth it to pre-order?
It’s a roll of the dice to be sure. Just because Unity was broken at launch doesn’t mean the same for Syndicate. Just remember that Black Flag came out after the derided Assassin’s Creed III and before Unity. Maybe the quality assurance skips a year?
What are the pre-order bonuses?
To be fair, there are quite a few. Though it’s up to the buyer to determine if they appeal to them individually. They are:
An Exclusive Shilling Necklace. According to Gamestop, “Pre-order Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and receive a wearable replica of Jacob Frye’s one shilling necklace – a GameStop Exclusive! This high-quality replica created from the in-game models acts as your membership badge, marking you as one of the gang when you encounter other Assassin’s Creed fans. Wear it around your neck or detach the coin and place it in your pocket – but be ready to display it at a moment’s notice whenever your allegiance is challenged!”
So, the necklace won’t appeal to everyone, but it’s nice that they’re promoting early cosplaying or just gaming fashion in general.
The second reward is by far the most substantial, being DLC missions in the form of “The Darwin and Dickens Conspiracy Mission,” which Gamestop describes with an official synopsis, “Embark on two pulse-quickening missions that will take you into the inner sanctums of London’s most influential men. Defend Charles Darwin’s discoveries from those who would kill to silence them. And help a friend of legendary writer Charles Dickens keep a secret that could get him killed.”
Both missions sound interesting from a historical perspective, though whether they will make for good gameplay remains to be seen. It’s also worth noting that if these are the only appearances of Dickens and Darwin, then we’re getting pretty short changed as consumers. Setting a game in Victorian London and then charging to meet Darwin and Dickens seems very underhanded, so hopefully that will not be the case.
The third reward is merely some kind of online currency, in this case 10,000 Bonus Credits, “Join the Family to earn a wide range of Assassin’s Creed rewards. Earn credits for being a fan and cash in your earnings for rewards, prizes, and even bigger giveaways.”
Anything else?
Not from Gamestop, at least, though other retails may announce different pre-order bundles. Hopefully, the DLC missions will become available to everyone after a certain date, but for now it’s up to you to determine if they’re worth the pre-order.
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