10 Greatest Open World Recreation DLCs, Ranked

Expansions – or just DLCs, in case you choose – have develop into a vital a part of the gaming business these days, typically including extra content material akin to tales, characters, mechanics, and new areas that considerably lengthen the unique expertise.

And it occurs very often with open-world structured video games. In any case, we’re speaking about video games that supply an in depth world to freely discover at your want and lots of hours of gameplay – and why not add much more on prime of that?

That stated, I caught myself pondering that a few of my favourite expansions ever are from open-world video games, since lots of them are removed from being simply additional content material, however really facet tales that deepen their base sport, both narratively or gameplay-wise (or each!).

If I could say, a few of them are pretty much as good as their authentic sport – and even higher, however that may be a subject for one more listing. For now, we could take a more in-depth have a look at 10 of the most effective open-world sport DLCs?

10

The Iki Island

Ghost of Tsushima

Once I completed Ghost of Tsushima’s major story, I felt that its protagonist, Jin Sakai, nonetheless wanted correct closure as a personality, and the Iki Island enlargement supplies precisely that, regardless of not presenting something that goes removed from the bottom sport by way of construction.

You’ve got a model new map with new facet actions, but the enlargement actually shines by way of narrative because it takes Jin on a deep journey to straight face traumas from his previous.

We get to see him confronting his inner demons that take care of the burden of the samurai’s legacy and his father’s reminiscences – who handed away on this very island. There may be additionally a harmful new villain who manipulates Iki’s inhabitants with a poisonous substance, leading to far tougher encounters.

Sadly, its major story is kind of brief, taking roughly 5 hours to finish.

9

Freedom Cry

Murderer’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Launched as the one enlargement for Murderer’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Freedom Cry is by far essentially the most criminally neglected and underrated DLC in historical past – in my head, a minimum of.

It’s set greater than 10 years after the bottom sport and follows Adéwalé, Edward Kenway’s former quartermaster, who has simply develop into a full-fledged Murderer within the West Indies, particularly Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti), which is one-sixth the scale of the Black Flag map.

He’s on a mission to free slaves and combat in opposition to the brutal slave commerce of the area – and his dedication to it’s extremely shifting, which struck me whereas taking part in it. You’ll be able to really feel his ache and emotions of helplessness, making the story very exceptional.

Additionally, it’s spectacular how Adéwalé has a novel fight along with his machete, which is so satisfying and totally different from Edward’s swords and weapons. The unhealthy information is that it’s unbelievably brief, with all of the content material lasting solely 5 hours, when it deserved to final a lot longer.

8

Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Maintain

Borderlands 2

In case you are a Borderlands 2 fan, I do know that you just keep in mind the sensation of taking part in Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Maintain for the primary time, since it’s fairly good, to say the least.

It’s a distinctive DLC the place the characters from the primary story are taking part in “Bunkers & Badasses”, a tabletop RPG much like Dungeons & Dragons, the place each participant actually steps inside its fantasy-themed world – with some Borderlands taste on the facet, in fact.

Tiny Tina is the Dungeon Grasp, which makes the story utterly loopy and unpredictable, even making enjoyable of the occasions of the bottom sport, like necessary deaths and such.

On prime of every thing, its double talent factors and excessive loot drops add much more enjoyable to the combination, encouraging you to check out builds that you wouldn’t usually put collectively in the primary sport. A fully superior informal model of Borderlands to choose up and play.

7

The Ballad of Homosexual Tony

Grand Theft Auto IV

The Ballad of Homosexual Tony is a implausible addition to town of Grand Theft Auto IV, and I need to confess that I had extra enjoyable with the enlargement than with the bottom sport.

Whereas Niko Bellic settles his private vendettas, one other younger man named Luis Lopez finds himself struggling to handle his private life and his job as supervisor of two nightclubs he owns along with his pal Tony Prince.

That makes the DLC focus extra on the glamorous, high-risk world of Liberty Metropolis nightlife. It combines motion and crime with extravagant events and drug-fueled chaos, leading to a extra participating story with a sooner tempo – like a loopy GTA one-shot.

We must also point out that it has a pleasant, nostalgic vibe to it by including the return of some basic mechanics like parachutes, sticky bombs, tanks, and, in fact, humorous cheats.

6

The Destiny of Atlantis

Murderer’s Creed Odyssey

The Destiny of Atlantis might be my favourite DLC from the Ubisoft franchise, since it’s the most spectacular one by way of scope and design.

After taking part in Murderer’s Creed Odyssey for about 100 hours (I actually favored Kassandra), I keep in mind that I used to be fearing I might get burned out of the sport if I attempted the enlargement immediately. To my shock, all the extra content material felt so refreshing!

Elysium and Atlantis’ environments are extraordinarily spectacular, boasting a implausible design and rating among the many most stunning areas in any Murderer’s Creed. All the brand new enemies and executives have very totally different assaults from something within the base sport, which makes encounters much more enjoyable.

Additionally, it’s right here that we will discover the good, most intimidating-looking armor set in the entire sport throughout a torment that makes you battle Cerberos and outwit Hades himself.

5

Echoes of the Eye

Outer Wilds

Whether or not it’s as a result of I’m interested by video games which can be “curiosity-driven” or simply love something space-related, Outer Worlds is likely one of the most introspective and profound experiences I’ve ever had with video video games – and its Echoes of the Eye enlargement ties superbly to that.

The DLC introduces a model new, hidden world referred to as the Stranger, which was constructed by the Inhabitants, a species who got here to the Hearthian photo voltaic system after receiving a bizarre sign from the Eye of the Universe.

Its narrative actually is as mysterious because it sounds, and also you get to find and examine an alien civilization yet again, diving into philosophical ideas such because the worry of change, letting go of the previous, and the way necessary it’s to protect reminiscences.

With sufficient content material to final greater than 8 hours, the enlargement actually makes the sport twice pretty much as good because it was with out it.

4

Phantom Liberty

Cyberpunk 2077

My favourite solution to describe Phantom Liberty is that it’s precisely what I used to be anticipating from Cyberpunk 2077 when it was launched in 2020. Everyone knows how that went, however we’re right here to give attention to the nice a part of historical past.

Arriving three years after its launch, the DLC utterly overhauled the whole sport because it additionally got here with a bunch of common enhancements. Evening Metropolis is lastly “alive”, with extra real looking AI. It provides a brand new relic to the talent tree that enhances cyberware skills (also referred to as the cooler ones). And on the visible facet of issues, graphic particulars are even improved upon.

Add all this to a narrative that makes the protagonist V delve into an epic, intense espionage thriller with shocking twists and a number of endings, with a brand new character performed by Idris Elba – and also you get a masterpiece.

I additionally love that the enlargement brings a brand new (and fairly miserable, by the way in which) ending to the bottom sport, which is completely value returning for.

3

Undead Nightmare

Crimson Lifeless Redemption

I nonetheless keep in mind how a lot I laughed and had enjoyable after I first performed Undead Nightmare – and, really, it’s even laborious to not break right into a smile now whereas remembering it to write down about it.

It’s the solely enlargement for the primary Crimson Lifeless Redemption, and it has nothing like the bottom sport, apart from having John Marston as the primary protagonist.

The DLC introduces an alternate story the place a zombie outbreak ravages the American West, and it truly is as wacky because it sounds, beginning with Uncle infecting Abigail, who virtually instantly bites Jack’s neck – whereas everybody remains to be of their pajamas.

So it’s as much as John to combat to outlive and discover a treatment for the plague. To discover a map that you just already know, however is now taken over by zombies, is extremely enjoyable, particularly when each facet quest is as loopy as its premise.

The entire expertise has an 80s horror vibe that’s utterly irresistible.

2

Shadow of the Erdtree

Elden Ring

I nonetheless haven’t performed any enlargement from FromSoftware that’s not a exceptional expertise, and that continues to be true with Elden Ring, since Shadow of the Erdtree is totally unimaginable.

It’s a implausible DLC to an already wonderful sport, which reminds us how excessive the expectations had been – and it managed to exceed all of them.

Its world-building is solely *chef’s kiss*. Its artwork path, degree design, soundtrack, and boss designs are all good and top-notch. There are loads of moments the place my jaw drops whereas taking part in it, like the invention of Shaman Village, the exploration of Shadow Maintain, and managing to beat the Furnace Golems.

It undoubtedly magnifies and expands the bottom sport masterfully, amplifying every thing that was already nice about Elden Ring and taking it to the subsequent degree. I personally couldn’t ask for a greater enlargement.

1

Blood and Wine

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Little doubt that The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is likely one of the greatest open-world video games in historical past, so something to increase our time on the Continent could be greater than welcome. However that was not sufficient for CD Projekt Crimson, which determined to create two unforgettable DLCs.

The primary one is Hearts of Stone, which deserves a fast honorable point out since it’s nice, and the opposite one is Blood and Wine, simply among the finest tales that CD Projekt has ever written.

The DLC provides a 20-hour-plus story with a complete new map that takes our beloved Geralt to analyze some murders which can be plaguing Toussaint, which finally ends up coping with increased vampires, royal secrets and techniques, and one final ethical crossroads.

Toussaint is solely stunning and enjoyable to discover, and the narrative is so participating by having shocking twists and actually compelling characters – and it simply feels proper to be Geralt’s final journey as a The Witcher protagonist.

Additionally, the fairy story sequence is likely one of the most wonderful and artistic experiences I’ve ever had in my gamer life, and I’ll always remember the second that I fought Rapunzel’s ghost and stepped on Thumbelina by chance. An outstanding expertise!