The latest DLC makes the complete collection somehow even more complete
“The Wider World of Atari.” That’s the name of this DLC pack, the first of two for the Atari 50 Anniversary Celebration collection. It’s a very deliberate name, because it’s also a very concise name as to what we get here: More Atari games, and the stuff around those Atari games.
This DLC is aimed squarely at the people who enjoyed 2022’s base game, adding 16 games and a new timeline pack with all of the stuff from around them, like mini documentaries and interviews. The gaming aspect continues to be cool from a historical standpoint, and includes some wild versions of things that we probably didn’t play. For instance, Berzerk is a well-known Atari game, and while this now packs in the 2600 version it also throws in the fan-made Voice Enhanced version of Berzerk. A 2600 game with vocalization. Weird and cool.
There are a lot of games I like (Red Baron!) and some I’m not a particular fan of (Skydiver, because the linear trajectory stuff is not my cup of tea), but there’s plenty to dive into.
One aspect I really liked is the info on Atari’s Art. Part of the documentary videos include interviews with the artist who inked and painted the original Atari logo, so it’s always great to see recognition for the creative people that aren’t typically front and center in a company.
The Wider World of Atari is a really well made and enjoyable expansion, but it’s not crucial to anyone outside of those of us who are really into video game history. It’s not thin on content, but it doesn’t feel heavy on content either. The games are all good, but they’re just more of the same Atari kind of stuff. The real reason to own this is the documentary footage, because there are some really fun stories being told. The programmers and the artists and the developers, they’re the ones with the stories to tell, and they’re the ones that they went to. That alone is worth the admission.
This review is based on a Steam code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher. It first appeared on The SideQuest for October 04, 2024. Images and video courtesy publisher.
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