Great concept, cynical execution. Offworld Trading Company is a game with stacks of potential, fun, fast-paced and manages to do something fairly unique in creating a non-combat experience which is competitive and adversarial. The core mechanics are simple, build a base, harvest resources and develop your company. Victory is achieved by buying your competitor before they buy you. Matches are typically short, and when one player gains the upper hand, the game is pretty much over, it's just a matter of how long the loosing player can hold off the inevitable, although it is (in rare cases) possible to pull off a comeback. The big let down is DLC, The game has clearly been built as a DLC vector and from the title screen the game pushes DLC into your face. You find quickly that the vast majority of the game - well over half of the campaign - is gated behind various additional purchases. If the game was actually complete it would be an instant buy, and a great value purchase, but as it is, factoring in all the DLC you would need to get the full game, this one is best avoided. A good - maybe great - game brought down by shoddy, cynical business practices.
