Kingdom Rush Vengeance - Hammerhold Campaign Review Summary

This DLC delivers a well-received new tower, a new hero, and five challenging, well-made levels for good value, though the modest level count may leave you wanting more.

DLC quality praised: Many players consider the DLC excellent, some calling it the best in the series and a major improvement over the base game. It is described as fun, polished, and well worth the price.

New tower well received: The new tower is widely liked, described as awesome, interesting, and fun to use. Players find it a strong and valuable addition.

Challenging, well-made levels: The new levels are noted for being neat, challenging, and well constructed. They are considered difficult yet interesting, with some nice gimmicks.

Good value for price: The content is seen as offering good value for its price. Players feel the price is fair for the quality and amount of content provided.

New enemies add challenge: New enemies and mechanics introduce a nice challenge. Players find the new enemies great and fun when combined with the new tower.

DLC is overpriced: Many players feel the DLC is too expensive for the amount of content it provides, often citing its short length and limited levels.

Only five levels included: A common complaint is that the DLC only includes five levels, which players find insufficient for the price.

Bosses destroy towers frustratingly: Bosses that destroy towers are a major source of frustration, especially when they can permanently remove tower slots or cannot be interrupted.

DLC content is too short: The DLC is criticized for being very short, with only about 1.5 to 2 hours of gameplay and very few levels.

Level route design is poor: The DLC's level route design is considered unpleasant and messy, with poorly placed tower slots.

DLC adds new hero and tower: Cluster 1 and Cluster 3 highlight that the DLC introduces a new hero and a new tower, which are core additions to the gameplay. Players frequently mention these as key features of the expansion.

DLC includes five new levels: Multiple clusters (2, 8, 20) consistently state that the DLC contains five new levels, often described as maps or stages. This is one of the most repeated details about the content.

Bosses can destroy towers: Clusters 4, 12, and 15 mention that bosses have the ability to destroy or remove towers, adding a challenging mechanic. This is a notable and frequently cited feature of the DLC.

DLC contains multiple bosses: Clusters 10 and 15 indicate that the DLC includes several bosses, including mini-bosses and a final boss. The exact number varies, but the presence of boss fights is a common point.

DLC increases difficulty: Cluster 7 points out that the DLC is harder than the base game, with tough enemies and high difficulty levels. Some players find it excessively challenging.

Crashes during final boss: Players report that the game crashes during the final boss fight, particularly when the boss uses certain moves. This prevents completion of the game.

Fullscreen causes black screen: Selecting fullscreen mode results in a black screen and returns the player to the desktop, making the game unplayable in fullscreen.

Crash when loading save: The game crashes when loading a save file, disrupting continuity for players.

Crash after tutorial: The game crashes after the tutorial when starting a new game, blocking progress early on.

Wait for a discount: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale or discount before buying the DLC. They think it is overpriced at full price but worth it when discounted.

Worth buying for fans: Several reviewers recommend the DLC for Kingdom Rush fans and say it is worth the money. They find it enjoyable and worth purchasing, especially for those who love the series.

Not worth the price: Many reviewers say the DLC is not worth the money and advise against buying it. They feel the content is too small for the cost and recommend saving your money.

Buy to support developers: Some reviewers recommend buying the DLC to support the developers and encourage future content. They see it as a way to back the Kingdom Rush series.

Prioritize pirate DLC: A few reviewers suggest prioritizing the other pirate DLC because it has higher quality. They recommend buying that one instead.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00.

Game completion: 3.0h.

Story completion: 2.0h.

Endgame: 0.7h.

Enjoyment appears to click after players push past a dull opening map and reach later maps, though many report the DLC never becomes fun due to boring maps, a weak hero, and a post-tutorial crash.

Friction: Boring first map; New levels are quite difficult; Crash after the tutorial when starting a new save; Boring Egypt-themed maps and weak enemy design; Weak hero and poor DLC value; Levels mostly uninteresting with boring enemies and bosses.

Unlock drivers: Reaching map 3 and map 4, which are described as among the best maps.

Nostalgic Series Loyalist: Plays every entry in the series, three-stars all levels, and buys DLC largely to support the studio and revisit familiar worlds. Motivation: Loyalty and nostalgia for the Kingdom Rush franchise, wanting to support Ironhide and complete everything the series releases. Stance: buy.

Value-Conscious Deal Hunter: Evaluates playtime and content against cost, waits for promotions, and buys opportunistically rather than at launch. Motivation: Getting a fair content-to-price ratio, buying only when the DLC is discounted or bundled. Stance: sale.

Hardcore Challenge Seeker: Pushes impossible/veteran difficulty, optimizes hero-and-tower combinations, and replays to conquer the hardest content. Motivation: Overcoming tough stages on the highest difficulties and earning full stars, badges, and achievements. Stance: buy.

Monetization: The reviews focus on a paid expansion for a one-time-purchase tower defense game. Complaints concern price relative to five stages, a hero, and short playtime, while some reviewers defend the DLC or advise waiting for a sale. There is no direct evidence of in-game purchases, paid gacha, loot boxes, pay-to-win, or convenience monetization. Under the criteria, traditional DLC pricing complaints cap the score in the fair range.

Paid DLC overview: The game offers paid downloadable content, sold individually and in bundles. Reviewers note it is still receiving new DLC, including a soundtrack.

Short playtime of 1-2 hours: The DLC offers only about one to two hours of gameplay, with some reviewers finishing in an hour. This short duration is a common complaint.

First paid DLC in series: This is the first paid DLC in the Kingdom Rush series, whereas previous DLC were free. It is also the first full-fledged DLC for Kingdom Rush Vengeance.

Price relative to base game: The DLC is priced at a large fraction of the base game price, sometimes the same or about half to two-thirds. This high relative price is a point of criticism.

Content light compared to base: The DLC's content is considered light and pales in comparison to the main game. It offers only a fraction of the base game's content.