seems like I struck a nerve lol
I can't argue against specific dlc vs crates bc yeah, it sucks as an alternative. my main point tho, is that I disagree with "unlockables barely exist anymore" bc games are so much bigger than they ever were. huge quests are buffed by side activities and quests, there's free updates to go with dlc, etc. remember when we used to complain about 30 ps1 games being too bloated? nowadays you wouldn't waste $60 on a game that short. and the way aaa games are designed, you can blaze thru the main quest and unlock all the areas of you want, or you can do all the side shit, climb all the tiers, get the dlc, and keep that shit going for like a solid year. so yeah it sucks that they put items behind a grab bag system, but it's ultimately irrelevant if you don't want to pay the extra cash because you'll still have a full game right there to play.