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Some DLCs introduce new and memorable characters and others open entire new maps to explore. Some DLCs unlock different outfits, classes, and more. It is no wonder fans typically feel like they are being forced to spend more money. After all, how could they not want that content if they loved playing through the base game?
Updated July 11, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: The term DLC is something that has elicited everything from wonder to horror in the modern age of gaming. While some developers do go above and beyond when it comes to adding these DLCs to their games, there are others that use the veil of DLCs to suck out as much money from a player’s wallet as possible. It’s a shame, and it’s great that the following games understood how to make good DLCs for their games.
25 Bioshock 2
BioShock 2 is a sequel to one of the greatest video games ever made, and most people felt like the sequel didn’t really add anything to the series. While this is understandable, BioShock 2 did succeed on one front — its DLC.
Minerva’s Den is one of the best stories told in the series that truly captures the heart of BioShock. It was a fitting sendoff to the city of Rapture, with BioShock Infinite moving its setting to the floating city of Columbia instead… until the DLCs came out, that is.
24 Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3 is a pretty great game that modernized the franchise…even though it might’ve given Ubisoft a template that they’ve copied over and over again for later games in the series with varying degrees of success.
It helped that Far Cry 3 had a pretty great DLC in the form of Blood Dragon as well. This entertaining piece of DLC was filled to the brim with boundless humor, further bolstered by an eye-catching art style that was perfect for its short-yet-sweet runtime.
23 Monster Hunter: World
The Monster Hunter series became incredibly popular after the release of Monster Hunter: World, which is widely considered by many to be the best and most accessible title in the series. A major release on all platforms really helped this series catch the eye of potential fans who weren’t into the whole idea of playing a tough game on portable consoles.
The sheer number of monsters that can be hunted in this game is high enough as is, and Iceborne increases the scope of the world even more. It’s easy to see why so many people find this DLC to be nigh-mandatory to enjoy the game at its full potential.
22 Dark Souls
Dark Souls is one of the greatest action RPGs ever made. If that wasn’t good enough as is, the DLCs are also absolutely splendid!
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Artorias of the Abyss fleshes out the story of the world while also adding some of the best bosses in the entire series. The move to faster and more aggressive styles that FromSoftware would eventually adopt can be seen in this DLC, marking the start of something truly magical.
21 Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs is one of the most underrated video games ever made. Born from the ashes of the True Crime series, Sleeping Dogs is a great title, with its open-world exploration and combat being pretty engaging indeed.
If that wasn’t great enough as is, the game also has three DLCs that are a ton of fun to play through. Nightmare in North Point and Year of the Snake are fun stories in their own right, but it’s the Zodiac Tournament’s homage to classic kung-fu movies that take the cake.
20 Splatoon 2
The Octo Expansion of Splatoon 2 changed the game for everyong, even for those who did not buy the expansion themselves. The MMO now had octoling characters running around. After all, what is cooler than playing characters of a race that were mostly known as the bad guys in the franchise? (However, it is revealed many of them were mind-controlled, offering extra context for their evil nature.)
Not only did the DLC give the player a new race choice, but many new missions and some new gear to wear. DLC like this helps keep fans engaged, and ensures the game never gets old.
19 Shovel Knight
Released in 2014, Shovel Knight is a game of much critical acclaim and a pile of awards for its character design, gameplay, and music. It also got its fair share of DLC as well as free updates.
The DLCs explored other characters and their stories. These included Specter of Torment with Specter Knight, King of Cards with King Knight, and Plague of Shadows with Plague Knight. Players can also download Shovel Knight Showdown, which is basically a fighting game.
18 Immortals: Fenyx Rising
Released in time for Christmas 2020, Immortals: Fenyx Rising is an open-world action-adventure from the developers of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. Just like Odyssey, Fenyx Rising has an Ancient Greek setting but doesn’t take itself anywhere near as seriously.
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Immortal’s art style and gameplay mechanics are more reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It also has a great sense of humor that is very tongue-in-cheek, a refreshing change from the somber and somewhat overly serious tone in most open-world Ubisoft games. Immortals is already a huge game, but its recent expansion Myths of The Eastern Realm introduces a new map and a brand new protagonist. It’s a significant expansion that almost feels like its own game, and is definitely worthwhile for fans.
17 The Hitman Trilogy
The new Hitman trilogy – also known as the World of Assassination trilogy – released in 2016, 2018, and 2020 respectively. The games functioned both as a sequel and a reboot for the series after Hitman: Absolution failed to meet the studio’s expectations.
With the new Hitman trilogy releasing under a “games as a service” model, the developers were able to update it with new targets, goals, and brand new rewards with the Elusive targets. In addition, the games have seen new DLC missions like Patient Zero which were significant to the narrative. Players are even able to add their own Elusive targets, creating their own levels and challenges to the game and ensuring it always feels fresh.
16 The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds resembles a mixture of Bioware’s Mass Effect franchise and Bethesda’s Fallout series, in terms of both story and gameplay. Like those games, Outer Worlds also got DLC: Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos.
Peril on Gorgon adds new perks, flaws, NPCs, items, quests, as well as an entirely new planet to explore. The level cap also got an increase, allowing players to build even stronger characters. Murder on Eridanos is a much more narrative DLC, appealing to players who love good storytelling. It also adds to the level cap and introduces new flaws and perks, new characters, and more items.
15 Diablo 2
While Diablo II may be over 20 years old at this point, it is still relevant to modern gamers. After all, the game’s remaster is set to be released this very year, with the DLC integrated with it.
The DLC that gamers loved so much for this title was the Lord of Destruction expansion. This DLC offered two new classes, Assassin and Druid. It also added an additional Act to the story, many more items, and the ability to play the game in a higher resolution.
14 Baldur’s Gate 2
Baldur’s Gate II is often compared to Diablo II, as both came out around the same time and were marketed toward fans of Dungeons and Dragons. Also like Diablo II, Baldur’s Gate II had popular expansion content. Throne of Bhaal provided the ultimate conclusion to the game, as well as taking a deeper dive into the protagonists’ history.
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Outside of story, the DLC also added a higher experience cap, a new dungeon, and a Wild Mage class. Plenty more abilities, new spells, and more items also became available to players.
13 Dishonored
Just like the Hitman series, Dishonored is a stealth series that is already packed with variety and content to keep players busy. This is thanks to the different approaches that are available for players in every mission.
The DLC content in the first game alone is worth the price of admission. Both The Knife of Dunwall and TheBrigmore Witches play and feel like their own games. They also act as a bridge into the sequel Dishonored 2, which has some fantastic standalone DLC of its own.
12 Red Dead Redemption
The first Red Dead Redemption released way back in 2010 and is still highly regarded as one of the best open-world action-adventure games of all time. Set against the backdrop of the American Wild West, Red Dead is an absolutely huge game on its own merit.
However, Rockstar outdid itself with the massive DLC expansion Undead Nightmare. It transformed the game into a stylized Hammer Horror-themed zombie game complete with weaponized Holy Water, Sasquatches and, more.
11 Grand Theft Auto 4
Compared to the somewhat colorful experiences seen in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto 4 was a much grittier experience in Liberty City. Not all fans fell in love with the game’s tone, but it still had some iconic moments like the Heat-inspired bank robbery mission.
It was the standalone DLC episodes, The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and The Damned, where the game’s story really shined. The Lost and the Damned allowed players to live out their Sons of Anarchy fantasy with its biker-themed storyline. However, The Ballad of Gay Tony is the real star of the show. It has an amazing cast of characters, a solid protagonist in Luis Lopez, and it expertly tells the story of the titular Tony through the eyes of the lead character. Additionally, it nicely wraps up the GTA 4 storyline in some very worthwhile content!
10 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has three DLC which were warmly welcomed by hungry fans. They are Dawnguard, Dragonborn, and Hearthfire. Dawnguard basically is taking part in a war between werewolves and vampires, Hearthfire lets you build a house and adopt children, and Dragonborn unlocks a new boss who was the first Dragonborn but got corrupted.
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All three are very entertaining and add many more hours of gameplay. You get a bit of everything from more characters to more equipment to more maps. If you love Skyrim, then it is a no-brainer to buy these three DLCs.
9 The Last Of Us
Some DLC takes a step backward instead of forwards. For example, The Last of Us had its DLC called Left Behind where it explored Ellie’s backstory before the events of the base game. While it won’t add as many hours as Skyrim’s content, it is very well designed and emotional. It helps understand more about Ellie and the tragedy she has gone through before meeting Joel.
This is the kind of DLC that can stand on its own rather than just be a part of a whole. It makes for a good short story.
8 Mass Effect 2 And 3
Mass Effect 2 and 3 had numerous DLC which fans loved. Mass Effect 2 had Lair of the Shadow Broker, Overlord, Kasumi - Stolen Memory, Zaeed - The Price of Revenge, Normandy Crash Site, Firewalker, Genesis, and Arrival.
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The third game had Citadel, Omega, Leviathan, From Ashes, and Extended Cut. So they had a lot of DLC, and a lot of it is worth the price if you love the series. In fact, some feel like they should be in the base game because they seem so integral to the story.
7 The Dragon Age Series
The Dragon Age series, like Mass Effect, has its share of content that is so good that fans feel like it should have been in the base game. Most notably of these is Dragon Age Inquisition’s final DLC, Trespasser, and Dragon Age 2’s Legacy DLC.
Other DLC from the series include Decent, The Black Emporium, Jaws of Hakkon, The Exiled Prince, Mark of the Assassin, Awakening, Warden’s Keep, The Stone Prisoner, and Return to Ostagar. You get a lot of everything with these DLCs from more characters to more locations, quests, and loot.
6 The Witcher 3
The most loved DLC for The Witcher 3 is Blood and Wine. It was the second and final expansion for the game which wrapped up the story, sort of like Dragon Age Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC.
The other DLC is Hearts of Stone which has some great content that focuses on relationship options, but if you have to pick between the two, Blood and Wine is the DLC to go for. Together the expansions add over 30 hours of gameplay, so the money is well spent.
