Few video game genres immerse players likehorror games. These popular titles dare the player to continue, with tense nightmare worlds filled withdemons, killers, and monsters. The genre is filled with classics; games that stand the test of time and are played as much now as on release.
Developers often release DLC content to help continue a game’s shelf life. While some expansions offer small upgrades, such as new weapons, enemies, or skins to the base game, some DLC content includes a lot more. Some of the best expansions bring new levels, stories, and characters to the game. They expand on the game’s lore and world, providing hours of additional content for gamers to enjoy.
TheDead Spaceseries became a highly regarded addition to the horror genre. It followed Isaac Clarke’s struggles with the terrifying Necromorphs and the Markers that made them, bringing players intoa gruesome nightmareof bodily dismemberment. While the first two games included some heart-pounding action sequences, they were still horror games at heart.Dead Space 3changed this, leaning more into the action, with the horror coming a close second.
While this broadened the spectrum of players, manyDead Spacefans were disappointed in the game’s direction.Dead Space 3’s DLC,Awakened, for many, was how the base game should have been. Leaning more into the horror that madeDead Spacesuch a memorable moment in gaming.Awakenedfollows Isaac Clarke and John Carver as they escape on the ship, Terra Nova. While this DLC is criminally short, fans of the first twoDead Spacegames will enjoy this worthy addition to the series.
The Last Of Usquickly became one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time. Its blend of survival horror, stealth action, and emotional storytelling captivated players around the world. Its stunning DLC release,Left Behind, was a perfect companion to the base game, telling a self-contained story that links in with the main narrative.
Left Behindis set both during and before the main storyline and blends a touching tale of first love in apost-apocalyptic worldwith stealth horror gameplay. The expansion cuts between Ellie’s struggle to keep Joel alive after being fatally wounded and the story of how she was bitten in the first place.Left BehindcontinuesThe Last of Us’shigh level of gameplay and narrative storytelling. This creates an expansion that fits perfectly with the story and characters portrayed in the game.
Dying Lightis an open-world action horror game, where players explore the quarantined city of Harran. The city is ground zero for a terrible zombie outbreak, where the few survivors hide in the ruins of their destroyed city. While leaning heavily into the action side of horror,Dying Lightis a fun, fast-paced game that found a loyal fanbase.
Its fantastic DLC changes things up, bringing a fresh story, with anew large-scale map. Set just outside the city limits,The Followingcontinues the story of Kyle Crane as he investigates a possible cure for the zombie virus. The DLC opens up the gameplay, introducing wide open spaces filled with hordes of zombies that players can mow down in customizable dune buggies.The Followingis a brilliant addition toDying Light, with an interesting and engaging story, a welcome location change, and fun new vehicles and weapons to use.
Alien: Isolationarguably set a new standard for survival horror. Its stunning recreation of the original movie’s design was beaten only by its tense atmosphere and groundbreaking AI technology. In the game, the Xenomorph actively hunts the player, learning and adapting to the movement and sound the player makes. This creates constant tension, as the Alien is never far away.
Alien: Isolationwas already set to go down as a classic, and its brilliant expansion only confirmed this.Crew Expendabletakes players into an alternate narrative of the original movie. Set soon after the Alien has burst bloodily forth, the crew of the Nostromo formulate a plan to flush it out. WithAlien: Isolationtaking so much influence fromthe 1979 movie, this nostalgic DLC is the perfect partner to one of the best survival horror games ever made.
WithResident Evil 7, thelong-running horror franchiseonce again reinvented itself by leaning heavily into its survival horror roots. With this new perspective, and a new protagonist,Resident Evil 7reasserted its dominance in the horror gaming industry. The game follows Ethan Winters as he investigates the disappearance of his girlfriend. Finding himself trapped in a broken and rotting home, and hunted by the deranged Baker family, the game is a heart-pounding blend of horror and action.
The excellent DLC,End of Zoe, leans heavily into the setting and follows Joe Baker as he attempts to save his niece, Zoe, after the events of the main game. This brilliant DLC expands on the lore of the Baker family while introducing fun new mechanics to the game. Joe Baker is a no-nonsense, ex-marine, who talks more with his fists than words. Players get to run around the swamps feeling almost unstoppable as Joe, quite literally, fist-fights his way through the many monsters trying to stop him.
Outlastis widely regarded as one of the best survivalhorror titles in modern gaming. While not subtle in its scares, the game follows an investigative reporter as he becomes trapped in a dangerous asylum, filled with deformed and deranged killers. Players have no weaponry and must use their camera’s night vision to proceed through the pitch-black corridors.
The game’s DLC, Whistleblower, works as a companion story, following the character Waylon Park, a software engineer working at Mount Massive. The expansion works as a prequel to the events of the game but then continues past, revealing itself to be a sequel. This slots the DLC in perfectly with the main narrative, making it a must-play addition for fans who enjoyedOutlastand are looking for more.
