Summary

Sometimes, a game’s downloadable content (DLC) doesn’t just add a few extra hours of gameplay; it blows the original experience out of the water. These expansions are so massive, so content-packed, and so good that they feel like full-fledged sequels in their own right.

Very few games have managed to reach that level of greatness, though, but the ones that have are constantly praised. It says a lot about a game studio caring so much about its fans that it gives them an even greater experience than they were expecting. When a simple DLC is about the size of an average AAA game, as a game developer, you know you’re doing something right.

The poster for the DLC of God of War Ragnarok showing Kraton standing infront of the gates of Valhalla.

Forget paid expansions, Sony Santa Monica decided to give God of War fans an unforgettably nostalgic experience with this DLC, for free.God of War: Ragnarok - Valhallaisn’t just some side content, it’s a full-fledged DLC that breathes new life into the game.

Without spoiling much,Valhalla is packed with nods and references to previous God of War games, like weapons and armor sets from the Greek era to callbacks to classic boss battles and iconic moments. It’s a love letter to longtime fans while also being accessible and enjoyable for newcomers, and a DLC of this size for free is almost unheard of.

Promotional poster of Rdr’s DLC showing John Marston’s zombie form.

Undead Nightmare takes the gritty realism of Rockstar’sRed Dead Redemptionand throws it into a blender with a zombie apocalypse. You’ll be hunting the undead instead of outlaws, using holy water and torches instead of revolvers and rifles. It basically has the same game mechanics, but now it is zombie-themed to perfection.

The expansion adds a whole new story campaign, side quests, challenges, and even mythical creatures like the Four Horses of the Apocalypse. It’s a completely different flavor of Red Dead, and it’s absolutely brilliant,increasing the replayability of the main game tenfold.

Dark Souls: The Chosen Undead Fighting A Corrupted Artorias.

Artorias of the Abyss isn’t just an expansion; it’s an unforgettable experience for hardcore Souls fans. This DLC takes you to the twisted land of Oolacile, a place that is consumed by the abyss, where you’ll face some of the toughest enemies and bosses in the entire series.

Artorias himself is a legendary knight turned beast, and his boss fight is perhaps one of the best inDark Soulshistory. In this DLCyou’ve basically gone back in time and are fighting creatures beyond your strength, like Black Dragon Kalameet and Manus, the Father of the Abyss.

Doing a major boss fight in the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty DLC.

Phantom Liberty is CD Projekt Red’s expansion to improve on the base-gameCyberpunk 2077exponentially, and since they’ve had amazing DLCs in the past, they hit their target this time too. You get to explore Dogtown, a dangerous new district of Night City, where you’ll go on a high-stakes missions alongside a new character, Solomon Reed (played by Idris Elba).

The expansion revamps the game by adding new weapons and cyberware and delivers a thrilling narrative with multiple endings. The release of Phantom Libertyredefined Cyberpunk 2077’s legacy.

Main character of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon played by 80s action star Michael Biehn.

This neon-drenched expansion is based on over-the-top 80s action movies, and the formula works for some reason. Blood Dragon takes the core gameplay of Far Cry 3 and injects it with a dose of self-aware cheesy dialogue and some of the coolest Cyberpunk-esque visuals you could ask from a game of that era.

It’s a hilarious journey along a neon-lit island, with a soundtrack that’ll have you humming along as you blast your way through hordes of cyborgs. It’s actually a standalone expansion for Far Cry 3, and the story is almost half the length of the main story.

A Dawnguard armored Dragonborn fighting a Vampire Lord.

Skyrim was already a massive game, but both Dawnguard and Dragonborn elevate it to a whole new level.The Dragonborn expansion allows you to travel to the island of Solstheim, which is smaller than Skyrim but still dense with things to do. You’ll ride dragons, explore Daedric realms, and even confront the first Dragonborn, Miraak.

In Dawnguard, the plot line is much darker, with vampires and vampire hunters and having the choice to join either. Both these DLC expand the main game by quite a bit and are packed into the latest edition of Skyrim available on steam.

Geralt standing infront of Olgierd and his crew in the Witcher 3.

Hearts of Stone proves that DLC doesn’t have to be just a side story. This expansion introduces a complex narrative that rivals the main game’s in terms of depth. You’ll face difficult choices and encounter unforgettable characters.

The mystery of Olgeird and Gaunter O’Dimm, along with their apparent animosity towards each other, makes for a great story, better than the main story in some ways. It’s quite long, too, because CD Project Red is an expert at expansions, and with many different endings, you can choose whatever path you want.

Geralt sitting on a chair while a vampire hangs above him in The Witcher 3.

The Blood and Wine expansion is the second major expansion ofThe Witcher 3that just barely outranks Hearts of Stone. This expansion is a visual masterpiece, with how it portrays the rich city of Toussaint.

Beneath the idyllic facade of Toussaint and its royals lies a sinister mystery involving vampires and a story about manipulation and betrayal. Some of the best content from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is part of the Blood and Wine expansion,and it’s a fitting farewell to Geralt’s story so far.

The player fighting Jyggalag, one of the toughest bosses of the DLC for The Elder Scrolls.

Shivering Isles took an already huge map for a game and addedin some of the most beautiful areas it could, making Oblivion stand out even more. In addition to the new areas, it also added new armor sets and weapons and the closest thing to perfect quest design as possible.

For its time, Shivering Isles was groundbreaking, and few DLCs have come close to achieving that level of completeness since. On top of that, we got a banger story featuring one of the most iconic Daedric Princes as well, Sheogorath.

Torrent in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree concept art.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreeis what humble Miyazaki toned down by saying that it was approximately the size of Limgrave. But that is far from the case, having many layers of content that are as long as half of the base-game.

Not only did it give us some of the best boss fights FromSoftware has ever put out, but it also gave us amazingly fleshed-out side quests and character arcs that rival those of even the base game. There’s not much else to be saidbesides that it’s basically Elden Ring 2 but disguised as a DLC.