Upgrade Complete 3mium pokes fun at awful free-to-play games

And ends up being oddly enjoyable

Did you like DLC Quest, conceptually? You might also dig Upgrade Complete 3mium, a short browser-based game that parodies the worst aspects of free-to-play gaming.

You’re forced to play the crappy lite version of the game and shoot down waves of alien ships to afford upgrades like “enable sound” and “font.” Best of all, the joke doesn’t outstay its welcome.

I haven’t played the earlier Upgrade Complete titles, but 3mium is fun. Well, maybe not fun — more like satisfying. In a clinical sense. Progress for the sake of progress. Lighting-rod guns for the sake of lighting-rod guns. And I was not prepared for that surprise ending. Or those jump-scares.

Upgrade Complete 3mium [Armor Games]

There are even faux in-game ads and, yep, you better believe there’s an upgrade to disable them.