DLC culture has become a large part of the gaming industry in more recent years, developed bolting onto their already completed games paid expansions that build upon the existing story to explore new locations, characters and stories, bringing with them a wealth of new content and quests.
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Love or hate the culture, the influence and popularity of DLC cannot be denied, and in some cases, DLC offers more fun missions and quests than the base game itself, and there are certainly some that stand among the masses.
7Family Reunion (Jack the Ripper, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate)
Jack the Ripperadds a terrifying new challenge toAsssassin’s Creed: Syndicateinvolving the twisted killer that terrorized the streets of London in 1888, and now the Frye twins find themselves entangled in his web.
After investigations and chasing the threads by Jacob and then later Evie following her brothers' disappearance, players are then handed control of Jack in the quest called Family Reunion. It’s an unexpected and exciting twist to control Jack, even if the player is limited in what they can do. Though the player still gets to unleash merry hell by dispatching of the workers at the asylum, and letting the inmates run free.
6The Assault On Amaranthine (Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening)
Dragon Age: Origins - Awakeningis an exceptional expansion forBioWare’s much-loved RPG,Dragon Age: Originsthat can even be enjoyed solo, with the need to play through the main game, though players who import their game character will be treated to references toDragon Age: Origins.
The Assault On Amaranthine takes place in the latter act of Awakening, tasking the Warden-Commander with saving the city from the darkspawn that have overwhelmed the streets. Though what makes this quest so special is the player is burdened with a heavy choice–fight through the waves of darkspawn and risk further casualties, or burn down the city, and kill everyone–both darkspawn and civilians. This quest shows that inDragon Agesometimes there is never an easy choice to make, and BioWare is not against forcing the player to make that hard call.
5Bloodline (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard)
The Dawnguard expansion was a much-loved DLC forThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, that added new locations, new characters and a host of new quests for players to sink their teeth into,and a new companioncalled Serana.
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The Bloodline quest sees the Dragonborn and Serana travel to Volkihar Castle, after fighting there way through a few enemies blocking their escape dungeon they find themselves in. There, they meet Serana’s father Lord Harkon, and are treated to some more information on the family, and vampires. Lord Harkon then offers to turn the Dragonborn into a vampire, meaning the player can become a vampire and gain all the abilities and drawbacks that come with the transformation, allowing them to experienceSkyrimin a completely different way.
4Chapter 1: Ring The Church Bell (Resident Evil 4 - Separate Ways)
After completing the main game players are treated to the option of playing the add-on to mostResident Evil 4editions - Separate Ways. In this game mode, players assume the role of themysterious double agent Ada,and get to play her version of events, giving them glimpse into her goings-on inResident Evil 4.
The first quest involves Ada ringing the church bell to draw the heat away from Leon in the village, though the task is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Having to fight her away through a terrifying chainsaw sister, having to retrieve a key item needed for the door puzzle into the church, and then having to tackle the puzzle itself, this quest offers the most varied gameplay in the entirety of Separate Ways.
3The Man From Cintra (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood And Wine)
Vampires, a beautiful French-esque location and some noire-like investigations–those are they key components forBlood and Wine,the popular expansion toThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Many quests inspire, spook, and pique curoisity, but none can deny the allure of infiltrating a masquerade, something done already in the main game, but don’t fix what is not broken.
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The Man from Cintra sees Geralt once again begrudgingly dress in finery to rub elbows with dignitaries in the higher echelons of society for the sake of a mission. Though following breadcrumbs to the objective and playing homicide detective isn’t the only fun to be had. The player can choose to soak in the atmosphere and partake in the festivities, watching the performance of mimes, imbibing absinthe, and throwing paintballs at a canvas, offering a light-hearted reprieve to the bloody and broody story ofBlood and Wine.
2Heart Of The Many (Dragon Age 2 - Mark Of The Assassin)
Another party features in theDragon Age 2DLC,Mark of the Assassin. Here, Hawke is invited to Chateau Haine in celebration of them successfully slaying the wyvern, but Hawke and Tallis aren’t just there to sample Tevinten wine or cheese from Orlais, they are infiltrating further into the Chateau but must find a key to enter the locked door.
This involves Hawke and Tallis interacting with various NPCs in amusing ways to try and duplicitously get a copy of the key, one in which Hawke very dramatically declares they are going to die of a bee sting, but wish the world to know they died in Chateau Haine. The quest then devolves into the infiltration segment, giving players the option of a direct, confrontational approach, or an attempt to stealth through the corridors and evade detection, ending with a funadrenaline fueled boss fightagainst the Duke himself.
1Citadel: Party (Mass Effect 3 - Citadel)
The Citadel DLC was the final release of anythingMass Effectfans would see of the original trilogy, that is until the legendary edition dropped in stores May 2021. Nevertheless, the Citadel DLC remains in the hearts and memories of fans, as it served as the perfect send-off for Shepard and their crew.
Involving a daring casino infiltration, assassination attempt at a sushi restaurant, and even a Shepard Cerberus clone with an axe to grind, Citadel provided some much needed fun beforethe emotional finale. But even with all this amazing content, the party stands out as the most iconic mission of all, and all it involves if Shepard and their crew getting some much needed R&R. Whether it’s a rager with drinks and dancing, or a low-key event of games with friends, the player gets to control the tempo of the party and spend time with loved ones.
