The 6 Best DLC From This Generation That Were Worth Every Pretty Penny

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Champion’s Ballad

6 Best Pieces of DLC From This Generation So Far

Breath of the Wild was our Game of the Year for 2017. It was the complete package, filled with tens and hundreds of hours of gameplay to keep fans busy, and if there was a game this generation that did not need any DLC, one could certainly argue that it was BotW. It was surprising then to see how well-received the DLC for BotW was. While the Master Trials gave hardcore players something to work towards, The Champions’ Ballad wound up being the proper send off for players that needed that one final story-driven challenge.

It featured new shrines that will send you to all corners of the map. The competition was stiff, since what was in the game was already great, but they ended up being among the, if not the best in the game. It culminates into a final dungeon, and an epic boss fight that forces you to put together all the skills you picked up throughout a near 100-hour journey.

Champion’s Ballad was a full spread of dessert that followed the main course that was the original game. You didn’t need to play it, but if you felt satisfied with what you accomplished in the base adventure, and was looking for something else, something more than just things to do, Champion’s Ballad delivered on all fronts. Especially on the front of: give Link a kick-ass motorcycle.

Fallout 4 – Far Harbor

6 Best Pieces of DLC From This Generation So Far

While Nuka-World might have been the more content-rich DLC for Fallout 4, Far Harbor was the more balanced package. It has plenty to do too, and it has the far more memorable quest lines that ends up being among the best in all of Fallout 4.

In Far Harbor, you get to play as private investigator, looking into the disappearance of a young woman who is convinced that she’s actually a synth that has been made to believe she was human her whole life. She seeks out a mysterious community of synths that exist on an island off the coast of Maine. A group that, while peaceful, is at odds with a human settlement that fears them, and a third group, the radioactive material worshiping Children of Atom. All three groups turn up in your investigation, and ultimately, the fate of the entire island is your hands. You’ll need to decide which groups and individuals you trust, and ultimately, who lives and dies.

So much about Far Harbor is an improvement over the base game. Everything down to the dialogue, choice-making, story, setting and more were examples of how Bethesda was clearly self-evaluating, and seeing how they could top themselves, which is exactly what you want to see out of a DLC.

 Bloodborne – The Old Hunters

6 Best Pieces of DLC From This Generation So Far

Sometimes great DLC is as simple as giving the fans more of what they want, and not overthinking it. From Software knew exactly what the appeal of Bloodborne is: the spooky atmosphere and tough as nails boss fights. If you survived the base game, and were still sticking around Bloodborne by the time The Old Hunters was released, you got an expertly crafted second helping served up to you.

The Old Hunters didn’t do anything overly fancy. It added two remixed locations, two new areas, new weapons to mix up your builds, and arguably the toughest challenges seen to-date in any ‘SoulsBorne’ game. Bloodborne was our GOTY in 2015, and The Old Hunters ended up being the ultimate test for anyone that enjoyed the game as much we did. Good luck with the Orphan of Kos.

Horizon Zero Dawn – The Frozen Wilds

6 Best Pieces of DLC From This Generation So Far

There is a recurring theme in this article that has existed, and will continue to persist; it’s that the best DLCs seem to come from games that never even really needed them. Another case in point: The Frozen Wilds for Horizon Zero Dawn. The Frozen Wilds offers up a healthy serving of lore, helping to fill in some gaps from the game’s excellent base story. Just as worthwhile, if not more so, are the brand new machines that show up in the icy domain of the Banuk.

The AI of these mechanical beasts are top notch, and Guerrilla Games was able to flex their prowess of creating enemies that are capable of putting up an engaging and worthwhile battle. As editor Chris Jecks eloquently put it in his review of The Frozen Wilds last year: “You really do need to strip these machines down to avoid tough and drawn out battles, making each battle feel like a satisfying and deadly puzzle to solve.”

Final Fantasy XIV – Heavensward/Stormblood

6 Best Pieces of DLC From This Generation So Far

When people think MMORPGs, they normally don’t think of great stories. You’re mostly in it for the near endless stream of things to do. While that stigma is slowly starting to fade in recent games, both of Final Fantasy XIV’s expansions, Heavensward and Stormblood, blow that stereotype clean out of the water.

Not only are both expansions a huge step up in storytelling over the base game, together, they elevate Final Fantasy XIV as a whole up the level of other main numbered Final Fantasy games. If you haven’t played it, or have a prejudice against MMORPGs, I’m probably going to sound crazy to you, but if you are a fan, you already know. Both the Heavensward and Stormblood sagas absolutely have better stories than some of the numbered Final Fantasy games. They are emotional, compelling, and filled with twists and turns that will surprise even the player that has days upon days of playing time. In Heavensward, you’ll put an end to the deadly and futile war between Ishgard and the dragons of Dravania, and in Stormblood, you take the first steps of striking back against the Garlemald Empire, an entity which has been a thorn at the player’s side since the game’s beginning, by liberating both Doma and Ala Mihgo from its grasp.

Stormblood in particular, which by the way was our expansion of the year for 2017, fulfilled the high expectations that came with adding two of the most classic jobs in Final Fantasy history, Red Mage and Samurai. Both were well-done DPS classes that have unique strengths and weaknesses and, for the most part, have had a smooth transition into higher-end gameplay, a challenge that often plagues MMORPGs.

The Witcher 3 – Blood and Wine

6 Best Pieces of DLC From This Generation So Far

CD Projekt Red’s Blood and Wine expansion is perhaps one of the most substantial pieces of DLC you’ll ever play. The 20-hour experience could quite honestly be an entire game, thanks to fantastic setting in Toussaint and a brilliant storyline that’s as meaty as anything in The Witcher 3.

Here, the grim dystopia of Velen is swapped for the warmth of Mediterranean-looking Toussaint and the flamboyant knights that protect their beloved realm. Geralt, though, isn’t on vacation, and a murder mystery pertaining to royal dignitaries and illusive vampires threatens to upset the balance of this normally idyllic wine-making region.

What makes Blood and Wine so special is that it takes the most impressive core aspects of the Witcher 3 —story, world design, and role-playing mechanics— and dresses it in an entirely fresh-looking new aesthetic with a genuinely engaging plot. There are brand new mechanics for players to get to grips with, such as Mutagens, which allow for totally new character builds and combinations of abilities, as well as neat new additions like the ability to dye different outfits. There are new Gwent Decks and a huge tournament to enter if you’re handy with The Witcher 3’s card mini-game.

Elsewhere, a full redesign of the game’s UI streamlines the menu and crafting systems looks much better than in the base game. In fact, improved performance across the board means that Toussaint runs substantially better than any other location in The Witcher 3.

In typical CD Projekt Red fashion, Blood and Wine goes above and beyond the depth of content you’d expect from a DLC. Like the main game, it totally resets the benchmark for quality, and it remains one of the most impressive expansions ever crafted for a video game

Final Fantasy XV – Episode Ignis

6 Best Pieces of DLC From This Generation So Far

It’s kind of a shame that it took until the third Final Fantasy XV DLC, the final in the first set of extra content, for Square Enix to get things right, but  better late than never, right?

Both of the other two episodes were lacking something. Gladio was a series of battles with little impact on the story. Prompto was a big improvement on the story front, but the gameplay was sketchy at best. Episode Ignis puts all of that together, and checks all the boxes that fans wanted out of these DLC packs.

It was a well-written emotional story that made sense on its own, and also filled in plot holes that desperately needed to be addressed from the main story. It took place in Altissia, by far the most beautiful locale in all of Final Fantasy XV (which is saying something), and zipping around it one more time is a huge plus for any fan of the base game. And finally, the combat was actually fun this time. Ignis could switch between three different elemental combat styles each with their own cost/benefits in battle. You need to not only figure out what element is best to use from a movement/attack perspective, but also factor in elemental strengths and weaknesses as well.

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What are your favorite DLCs from this generation? Which do you feel was worth every penny? Let us know in the comments below.