We’re looking at new content for Tekken 8, Maestro and Darkest Dungeon II in our latest DLC roundup.
Tekken 8 – Season 2 Character & Stage Pass review (PS5)
Tekken 8’s second season of content arrives with a mix of excitement and frustration. The Season 2 Character & Stage Pass brings returning fan-favorite Anna Williams into the spotlight as the first new character, with three more characters and two new stages planned across the season. While this content has the potential to keep the experience fresh, it launches alongside a wave of big gameplay balance changes and system tweaks that might be a bit divisive – especially in the short term.
From a pure content perspective, Anna’s return offers a welcome dose of nostalgia. Her brutal elegance fits well within the game’s rich and varied cast, and her animations and audio design shine with Tekken 8’s usual polish. The two additional stages teased in the pass, while not available just yet, promise to expand the visual palette and add more environmental flavor. However, many players are currently more focused on the broader impact of Season 2’s mechanical changes than the new content itself.
The core combat system has seen notable tweaks that some players will argue disrupt the balance and identity Tekken 8 worked hard to establish – favoring certain playstyles over others. Specifically, the game pushes further into aggressive territory, in ways that may sideline more defensive and methodical playstyles. While developers hinted at an evolving roadmap, the rollout of these changes has sparked backlash within the competitive community, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do with that.
For casual players enjoying the PlayStation 5 version, the Season 2 pass is still a compelling way to re-engage with Tekken 8, especially with early access to future characters and stages. However, the current unease among long-time fans casts a shadow over the excitement, and you could argue that it’s worth waiting for more updates before diving in. The DLC’s visual and design quality remains high, but its impact on gameplay balance has ignited a community debate that Bandai Namco will need to address sooner rather than later.
Maestro – Doombound DLC review (Quest)
With Doombound, the latest DLC for Maestro on Meta Quest, the engaging VR music experience takes a bold step into darker, more cinematic territory. Where the previous ‘sorcery’ pack leaned into lighter music and nostalgia, this new expansion channels the sweeping drama of fantasy epics, drawing players into the soundscapes of The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. The transition feels like a natural fit for the game’s theatrical style, which already thrives on emotional weight through physical performance.
At the heart of the expansion are five new tracks that blend recognizable themes from TV and film with classical intensity, including Offenbach and Shostakovich. Each piece is a dramatic showcase, but the highlight is undoubtedly Howard Shore’s “The Bridge of Khazad-dûm,” where the swelling orchestration and grim atmosphere turn every gesture into a moment of tension or triumph. Hand tracking remains fluid and precise, though the DLC’s more demanding tempo shifts occasionally push the system’s responsiveness to its limits.
Visually, Doombound leans hard into its dark fantasy inspirations, swapping the elegant concert halls of the base game for gothic cathedrals and ominous landscapes. It’s a striking shift that matches the tone of the music and gives a sense of narrative weight to each performance. While the base game was already praised for its attention to detail and expressive environments, this DLC ups the theatricality, complete with themed batons, gloves, and costumes that elevate the sense of immersion.
For returning players, Doombound is a welcome evolution of Maestro’s core formula – more intense, more expressive, and more focused on high-stakes musical storytelling. The new tracks offer a fresh challenge that complements the existing library, and the visual and thematic overhaul gives the game a renewed sense of purpose. While some may prefer the lighter tone of earlier DLC, Doombound proves that Maestro can wield gravitas just as skillfully – we just there was more of the iconic Lord of the Rings soundtrack included here.
Darkest Dungeon II – Inhuman Bondage DLC review (PS5)
The Inhuman Bondage DLC for Darkest Dungeon II brings a concentrated dose of new content to Red Hook Studios’ roguelike. Anchored around a new optional region called the Catacombs, the expansion adds a grotesque new faction and sees the return of The Abomination – a fan-favorite hero reworked here with a dual-form mechanic. While not as expansive as the Kingdoms update, this content drop offers enough new challenges to draw seasoned players back in.
The Catacombs themselves are a high-risk side path, structured similarly to the Sluice but packed with more dangerous foes. Its distinct slime-based aesthetic gives it a unique visual identity, and the new enemy types introduce mechanics that force players to shift tactics, even if some of the new rewards feel less essential than hoped. Despite its compact size, the region succeeds in delivering tension and atmosphere that align well with the game’s grim tone.
The Abomination is the DLC’s standout addition, offering a gameplay style built around transformation – trading power for increased party stress. His presence adds a fresh dynamic to combat and integrates well with the game’s stress and positioning systems. Flashback sequences flesh out his backstory in a way consistent with the rest of the cast, making him a satisfying and thematically appropriate addition.
Technically, the DLC performs well on PS5, with responsive controls and strong visual and audio design that amplifies the dread-filled experience. While not revolutionary, Inhuman Bondage is a solid piece of add-on content that expands the game’s depth without overstaying its welcome – ideal for players looking for more risk, more reward, and more reasons to fear what lurks below.
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