Summary
There have been some great DLC expansions over the years. There are many games that have come out now that are almost expected to have some sort of bigpost-launch content expansion, especially for narrative-based games. A great example of this isStarfieldwith its upcomingShattered SpaceDLC, which is set to add a whole new storyline for players to experience.
The Xbox 360 era can be argued as being precisely when these types of expansions became not just mainstream, but truly impressive in their own right. Many of these expansions have served as the template for modern game’s DLC because they were so good, even. That said, here are some of the best expansion DLCs from the Xbox 360 era.
Recreating a Classic in a Modern Game
Battlefield Bad Company 2had a pretty good campaign but the real reason to play it was the incredible multiplayer. It’s no surprise then, that the game’s only major expansion was to this multiplayer, rather than to the campaign.Battlefield Bad Company 2: Vietnamis a PvP expansion that aims to recreate the classicBattlefield: Vietnamgame withinBFBC2.It adds period correct weapons and several maps from the original game. The expansion offers a gritty twist on the base game that’s a ton of fun to play, even today if you can manage to find a match.
7Halo 3: ODST
A Moody and Character Driven Expansion
Hot off the heels ofthe legendaryHalo 3, Bungie had gained its independence from Microsoft, and with it was tasked to make two moreHalotitles before moving on from the series. The first of these wasHalo 3: ODST, a roughly 6 to 8 hour narrative experience that puts the player in the boots of an ODST grunt rather than a SPARTAN super soldier.
ODSTis a lonely and moody experience in which the player is forced to navigate the winding streets of occupied New Mombassa in the dead of night. It features a great story, excellent performances and some of the best music you’ll hear in a video game.
6Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues
Hilarity, Twists and Endless Loot Awaits
What makes this DLC expansion so great is that, normally,Fallout: New Vegasis far more narrative driven than loot driven.Old World Bluesflips this by presenting the player with a region teaming with all sorts of interesting places to explore and rich rewards to uncover. It’s similar toFallout 3in this regard, though a bit more focused to an extent, resulting in a refreshing experience. The expansion is also utterly hilarious from start to finish, though not at the expense of the story being told. Many have describedOld World Bluesas must play, and they are absolutely right.
5Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn
A Dense and Visually Rich Homage to Morrowind
While this predeceasing expansion,Dawnguardended up being somewhat underwhelming,Dragonbornoffers a ton of new content for the player to discover in an all-new world space.The island of Solstheimserves as the setting for this DLC, just as it did forMorrowind’sBloodmoonDLC, resulting in an experience that pays homage toMorrowindrather heavily as far as visuals are concerned.
Along with new and returning enemies, the DLC features a new story revolving around Miraak, the first Dragonborn, and his relationship with the Daedric Prince of Knowledge, Hermaeus Mora.
4Half Life 2: Episode 1 & 2
A Pair of Quality Narrative Expansions
It’s hard to overstate the impactHalf-Life 2had on people when it was first released in 2004, so it is no wonder it received multiple narrative-based DLC expansions. BothHalf-Life 2episodes would be released (of course to wide critical acclaim) after the Xbox 360 came out, and would even be included inThe Orange BoxalongsidePortal,Team Fortress 2and other goodies in 2007.
These episodes continue the story of the main game after its cliffhanger ending, seeing Gordon and Alyx through their escape from City 17 and the aftermath of its destruction. It features bold new setpieces, improvements to the Source engine and an increased focus on supporting characters compared to the main game.
3Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
80s Action Fun Meets Far Cry
In some ways,Far Cry 3: Blood Dragonis a better experience than the main game ofFar Cry 3. This undoubtedly has to do with several key factors, such as the voice cast, 80s action movie framing and the character ofRex “Power” Colt himself. Compared to Jason Brody, Rex is absolutely the better protagonist to play as, no doubt due at least in part to him being voiced by Michael Biehn ofTerminatorandAliensfame.
The retro futuristic 80s satire also hits much more consistently than the base game’s somewhat dodgy attempt at parody of things like toxic masculinity. It features a similarly open-ended island setting to explore, and features explosive level design that is sure to leave a lasting impression ina way many ofFar Cry 3’slevels fail to.
2Fallout 3: Point Lookout
It’s Like Fallout 3, Only Much Creepier
Fallout 3is great about playing with its tone to elicit many different feelings from the player, butPoint Lookoutis just as great for sticking to its guns in this regard. P oint Lookout is creepy, its horizons obscured by dense fog that hides the presence of mutant swamp folk and the occult.Falloutisn’t known for being supernatural, butPoint Lookoutplays with it to just the right degree that it makes for a memorable experience, even enriching one of the base game’smost interesting mysteries. Compared toFallout 3’sother DLC expansions,Point Lookoutis a must play.
A Weird and Action-Packed Twist on an Iconic Game
Undead Nightmaresucceeds at transforming an almost melancholic western game into a funny and action-packed zombie-killing romp. This is to say, it flips the base game ofRed Dead Redemptionon its head completely, even re-purposing many of its elements to satisfy the change in direction. Aside from this, though, the expansion offers plenty of content to justify its price, including a new story, a horde mode, new weapons, enemies and more. It’s no wonder players have been demanding a similar expansion toRed Dead 2, becauseUndead Nightmarewas just that good to begin with.
