Downloadable content (DLC) has been a staple of the video game industry for over two decades. From the Dreamcast being the first console that allowed players to download content online to the more recent spree of microtransactions and loot boxes, it’s hard to find a corner of the gaming market that DLC hasn’t impacted.
Related:Games That Should’ve Had DLC
While many publishers and developers use DLC to improve or support their games, sometimes what is added ends up overshadowing the main product. Whether it be because the base game failed to make an impact or the DLC itself represents peak game design, there are numerous cases of DLC that completely surpass the central product.
10The Following - Dying Light
DLC should always aim to improve upon an already quality game, especially paid DLC. In the case of 2015’sDying Light, it was important for the developer Techland to stick the landing with the game’s only extra main story content, especially when many fans considered the main story of the parkour zombie survival game to be relatively weak.
The Following improved upon the base game while adding many new features. With a new massive open world, fun-to-control vehicles, and, most importantly, a captivating story that drawled the original game’s narrative, there was much to explore and do with The Following.
9Whistleblower - Outlast
The 2013 first-person survival horror gameOutlast is undoubtedly a terror-filled video game. Developed by Red Barrel Games, plenty of great qualities can be found in this massive commercial success of the horror genre. Yet, there were also some criticisms leveled toward the story and sometimes tedious level design.
Whistleblower, released in May 2014, was regarded as a vast improvement over the main game, especially regarding storytelling. By focusing on a different character, Whistleblower answered many lingering questions that the first game left while adding its own unique moments.
8Bounty of Blood: A Fistful of Redemption - Borderlands 3
In terms of gameplay,Borderlands 3was an improvement over its predecessor. On the other hand, it’s easy to find plenty of fans disappointed by the writing and storytelling, which was deemed a massive letdown, especially followingthe beloved Borderlands 2.
Related:The Best Borderlands Games, Ranked
Borderlands 3 first of four DLC Bounty of Blood: A Fistful of Redemption may not have been on par with the writing of past games, but it was a definite improvement. It put players in a unique setting, and along with the many new additions, it felt like a callback to the old days of Borderlands 2.
7Witch Queen Expansion - Destiny 2
It’s challenging to find a game series with more dramatic ups and downs thanBungie’smassively online looter shooterDestiny. It has reached the top of the mountain, only to fall back down numerous times. For much of the fanbase, 2022’s The Witch Queen was as high as this series climbed.
AsDestiny 2neared the end of the light and darkness storyline, Bungie needed to establish the stakes. The Witch Queen, for many, genuinely felt like something from Bungie’s Halo days. Along with several new gameplay additions, The Witch Queen was Destiny 2 at its peak.
6Vaas: Insanity - Far Cry 6
Developer Ubisoft has long been criticized for a lack of innovation in its long-running series. 2021’sFar Cry 6’slukewarm critical reception reflected a yearning for something new. For the string of DLCs, Ubisoft decided to cling to what the series is known for: its cast of fantastic villains.
Far Cry 6’s first DLC, Insanity,brought back Vaas from Far Cry 3 (played by Michael Mando), widely regarded as one of the most iconic villains in gaming history. While the gameplay isn’t revolutionary, Mando’s performance and the mind-bending story make Insanity a significant upgrade from the base game.
5The Lost Crowns - Dark Souls II
Most well known for their immensely difficult and wonderfully creative Soul’s games, FromSoftware has a nearly spotless track record. Yet occasionally, they stumble, andDark Souls 2is considered the black sheep in the studio’s string of hits.
Related:Every Soulsborne DLC, Ranked
While still regarded positively, the game has a fair number of criticisms for its sometimes brutal difficulty spikes and messy design. The series of DLC released for Dark Souls II, The Lost Crowns, addressed many of the gripes the fanbase had and built back up any lost goodwill.
4Stasis Interrupted - Alien Colonial Marines
Sometimes DLC can be considered an improvement purely by the main game being regarded as exceptionally poor. 2013’s Alien Colonial Marines is still remembered as an incredibly disappointing game, despite being based on one of the most iconic science fiction properties ever.
As such, it wasn’t too difficult for the game’s only story-focused DLC, Statis Interrupted, to be considered a refinement over its middling predecessor. Still, to developerGearbox’scredit, the DLC told a much more engaging story while improving many of the mediocre gameplay elements from the base game.
3Citadel - Mass Effect 3
LabelingMass Effect 3as a bad or even subpar video game is an unfair conclusion. If it wasn’t for the highly controversial ending, Bioware’s fantastically crafted conclusion to their iconic trilogy could’ve been held in the same breath as games like Halo 3.
This intense desire for a happy ending to the tale of Commander Shepard resulted in the final of Mass Effect 3’s four DLCs, Citadel. This much more light-hearted story is adored and loved by the fanbase and shows that the ending to the original game did little to hamper Bioware’s fantastic storytelling abilities.
2Far Harbor - Fallout 4
When it comes to DLC is better regarded than the base game, and developerBethesdamight be the champion. From the Elder Scrolls franchise to Fallout 3, each Bethesda release has been blessed with expansions that trump anything in the main game, and 2015’sFallout 4is no exception.
Related:Fallout: The Best DLCs, Ranked
While Nuka World is also considered a great DLC, Far Harbor is cited as the best of Fallout 4’s additional open-world content. The Lovecraftian-inspired expansion takes players to a unique new setting and pits them against terrifying creatures in a story that seems to belong in anObsidiangame.
1Minerva’s Den - Bioshock 2
Bioshock 2 is one of the more unlucky sequels in gaming history. Following up a predecessor, which is often used in the “video games are art argument,” was a tall order for developer 2K. While the 2010 follow-up didn’t hold a candle to the original, it was far from a below-average game.
One title thatBioshock 2holds over its predecessor and 2013’s Bioshock Infinite: it has the series' best DLC. Minerva’s Den is considered one of if not the greatest DLCs in all video games, and for good reasons. Its storytelling, level design, and atmosphere are still remembered fondly.
