Do you know that feeling when a game hooks you so much that you play it through and through, but it quickly ends, and you want more of the party? That’s exactly what add-ons are for.
Some call them DLCs, some call them add-ons, but the essence is the same. Expansions are designed not only to breathe new life into games and bring back old players, but also to add new details to the world, to make it more complete. Sometimes DLCs turn out to be almost more successful than the main story. Let’s talk about those – here is a list of ten add-ons that are definitely worth checking out.
- “Hearts of Stone” for “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”
- “Citadel” for Mass Effect 3
- The Last of Us: Left Behind
- Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
- Burial at Sea for BioShock Infinite
- “Shivering Isles” for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
- Episodes from Liberty City for GTA 4
- The Frozen Throne for Warcraft 3
- The Old Hunters for Bloodborne
- “Two Colonels” for Metro Exodus
“Hearts of Stone” for “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”
It’s hard to single out just one expansion for The Witcher 3. Both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine were really cool. CD Projekt exceeded all expectations of players, who initially attacked them with criticism. Like, yeah, they decided to make even more money on us with paid DLC. But their discontent turned into admiration, because the developers not only added new locations, but also wrote a new storyline with truly exciting quests, dialogues and situations.
And if I had to choose the best of the two add-ons for The Witcher 3, then Hearts of Stone is the stronger DLC for me personally. Blood and Wine attracts with its scale and a full-fledged new region, and Hearts of Stone has a much stronger plot – the ending alone is worth it!
“Citadel” for Mass Effect 3
Oh, remember how hard people took the ending of Mass Effect 3? It was mostly because of it (though, of course, not only because of the ending) that the game’s rating on Metacritic was lowered, which is, of course, not enough for a game of this level. Although, in my opinion, the ending of Mass Effect 3 was NORMAL. Do you hear? NORMAL . However, this is all subjective. Now we are not talking about the ending of Mass Effect 3, but about the add-ons. And the add-ons “From the Ashes”, “Leviathan” and “Citadel” that came out some time later perfectly complemented the third part.
If I were to choose the best DLC, I would single out Citadel, in which the authors seemed to have decided to take a break from all the intrigue and serious thoughts and filled the plot with humor, references to previous parts and gave the opportunity to have a good time with your favorite partners from the three parts… for the last time.
The Last of Us: Left Behind
Some call this add-on exemplary, some call it optional but cute, and some truly consider it the best in the history of video games. But everyone agrees on one thing: this DLC turned out to be cooler than some full-fledged games.
Left Behind tells the story of Ellie and her friend Riley before the events of the main game. And it is not at all necessary to have completed The Last of Us to understand the essence of the plot. After all, the creators worked out the script so that both a fan of the series and a newcomer would understand the story. It is even a pity that the add-on does not have time to really get boring and is completed in only 2-3 hours.
The DLC is a great addition to The Last of Us itself , but it also works great as a standalone story about two teenagers in unusual situations.
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
The third part of the cult shooter from Ubisoft left a noticeable mark on the development of the series. After all, many mechanics that first appeared in Far Cry 3 are still used in modern games – and, it seems, more often every year. The developers successfully combined a good script (which is rare for such games) with a huge sandbox, seasoning it all with a memorable antagonist, Vaas Montenegro.
And there were even enough of them for an independent add-on, which was initially positioned as an April Fool’s joke. The add-on turned out to be a successful experiment with acid graphics and the spirit of the 80s. A kind of parody of the sci-fi action films of those years with the corresponding humor. Surprisingly, many remembered this joke almost more than the original – perhaps due to the short duration and the general cluster of events.
Burial at Sea for BioShock Infinite
There are story add-ons that are meant to explain the connection between one game in the series and another. And the add-on called Burial at Sea for BioShock Infinite is one of them. The developers tried to explain the connection between the underwater Rapture from the first BioShock and the flying Columbia from the third.
In Burial at Sea, you will see old heroes Elizabeth and Booker again, but this time in the setting of the iconic city of Rapture. Over two episodes, which will take no more than five hours to complete, the player will learn about the history of the Big Daddies and the history of the creation of the nightingale, a huge bird that guarded Elizabeth.
Not to mention the sea of nostalgia and goosebumps when returning to the underwater city for the first time after so many years. A benchmark story addition.
“Shivering Isles” for The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
“Trembling Isles” is the coolest addition to the legendary fourth part of “The Elder Scrolls”. This is simply a huge addition to an already huge game. And it’s not even about the cool plot. But how well this DLC fits into the canons of the world of magic.
The player finds himself on an island state divided into two zones. On one half of the island live the bright and cheerful people of the kingdom of Mania. On the other half live the gloomy and sullen citizens of the kingdom of Dementia. And the island is ruled by a crazy and two-faced man endowed with superpowers. You will have to make many difficult decisions and visit the most beautiful places.
Episodes from Liberty City for GTA 4
Once upon a time, Rockstar still released story add-ons for GTA . And these were add-ons with a full storyline and charismatic characters – in fact, separate games. At that time, GTA Online did not exist and for Rockstar it was almost the only option to earn a little more money.
For the fourth part, two DLCs were released – “The Ballad of Gay Tony” and “The Lost and Damned”. Despite their relatively short duration, they fit perfectly into the world and felt like a logical continuation of the original game. And for good reason, because we already met many of the characters during GTA 4, so now we will see many events from a different perspective.
The Frozen Throne for Warcraft 3
The greats are talked about even after many years: the works of famous composers and writers of the past live for centuries, and cult films are watched until they are worn out. The same is true for games: Warcraft 3 was released in July 2002, but it is still played, and even tournaments are held for it.
This is, without a doubt, a great strategy that was in every computer club in the early 2000s. And it is, by the way, the progenitor of Dota – one of the most popular disciplines in eSports. It is not surprising that such a cool game received an equally cool addition, which not only sprouted new content, but also finally elevated the series to a cult.
Moreover, The Frozen Throne also continued the plot of the original Warcraft 3. Without the add-on, it is now difficult to imagine the third part, so closely are the game and the DLC connected to each other.
The Old Hunters for Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a great game. The Old Hunters is a great expansion. Every new DLC for Souls games is high-quality and extensive. Nothing is added for the sake of appearances – everything appears for the sake of new sensations that can increase the already off-scale adrenaline level. And The Old Hunters is almost the best expansion ever released for Souls games.
There are five new interesting bosses that are even more difficult to defeat than in the original. There are three beautiful locations. There is a new story with its own intrigue. And there are 16 unique types of weapons. If you thought that Bloodborne was the maximum difficulty, then you definitely need to test yourself in The Old Hunters.
“Two Colonels” for Metro Exodus
This add-on takes two hours to complete, but what a powerful mark it leaves on your soul. If you somehow held back your tears after the end of Metro Exodus, then you will experience the same thing after finishing this add-on.
I don’t want to spoil it and ruin the fun for those who haven’t played Metro Exodus yet. It’s just that if you were looking for games that not only have interesting gameplay but also a cool narrative, then this is just the case.