Whether you’re a PC or console gamer, we’ve all loved, fought and died on countless imaginary worlds. From Grand Theft Auto to The Witcher, the most special video games are filled with beautiful vistas, wonderful characters and truly memorable missions.
Whether it’s dispatching Mongol invaders on Ghost of Tsushima’s eponymous island, wandering the irradiated wasteland of the US Capitol in Fallout 3 or indulging in a game of Gwent on The Witcher’s Skellige Isles, these lands hold a special place in our hearts that make us homesick for a world we’ve never physically visited.
So when DLC packs offer up the chance to dive into these settings once more, we’ve booked our tickets and packed our weapons, ready to head into the fray once again. They give us another chance to rub digital shoulders with our favorite characters and engage in all-new story missions.
With that in mind, let’s revisit the very best video game DLCs that you should not pass up.
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Red Dead Redemption was a sublime hit that gave us John Marston, one of gaming’s most gruff and memorable antiheroes. Forced by the government to bring his former gang to justice, Marston is fighting a rising tide to right his own wrongs and rally against the forces of change in a new frontier.
In stark contrast to RDR’s typically western premise, Undead Nightmare serves up a slice of B-movie horror tropes. The untamed American setting is the perfect backdrop for the undead to roam and a chance for players to indulge in some deadeye action, pun intended. Instead of NPC gunfights, players must fend off all manner of unholy undead foes. The game also leans into the schlocky absurd, as we meet mythical creatures such as the Sasquatch and get to track down and ride the four horses of the Apocalypse. Gunslingers even get two multiplayer modes for their money: a 4-player coop horde mode and a PVP domination mode.
The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
The Witcher 3 has cemented its reputation as one of the finest RPGs of all time. Critics were also highly positive about its DLC, each of which could have been big enough to be separate games in their own right.
Following the events of the mainline game, our favourite monster disappearer Geralt receives a contract from the Duchess of Toussaint to investigate a series of grisly murders. What follows is a rich and deep mystery involving family conflicts and blood-sucking vampires. And in true Witcher style, multiple endings are possible, depending on Geralt’s actions.
The vibrant area of Toussaint also deserves a mention, with a castle set off a gorgeous backdrop of lush greenery and mountainous terrain. Sidequests are also seemingly simple yet unpredictably chaotic, thanks to some rich characters and excellent story beats. The main quest and side hustles, including running Geralt’s own vineyard, can soak up dozens of hours of playtime, making Blood and Wine excellent value for money and a must-play proposition for Witcher fans.
The Last of Us: Left Behind
Fans of the original The Last of Us who have already been rocked by the game’s gut-punch ending will find this DLC not without its bittersweet rug pulls.
In Left Behind, players take control of Ellie as she sneaks off from Boston military school to see her friend Riley, a character who only gets a cursory mention in TLOU. In it, we get to abscond into a deserted mall, as they’re forced to confront their own feelings and fears when it’s revealed that Riley is leaving to fight with the revolutionary group Fireflies.
With an emotional ending that truly resonates and kicks off the events of the mainline game, Left Behind is still the blockbuster blend of exceptional writing, acting and storytelling we’ve come to expect from this series. It’s an albeit short DLC, but nonetheless marries humour, tragedy and the melancholic fleeting of youth when all of us need to choose our own path in life.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Despite Cyberpunk’s problematic launch, CD Projekt has finally made good on this futuristic dystopian sandbox of cybernetically-enhanced superhumans. While free update 2.0 brings a welcome do-over of the game’s skill trees and enemies, it’s Phantom Liberty that offers the greatest revelation in its storytelling.
As cyber merc V, you receive a mysterious phone call from an aide of the NUSA President, warning that the Commander in Chief’s shuttle is about to crash into Dogtown, a new area of Night City. Race to save her, and you’ll be plunged into a saga of espionage, betrayal and cyber conspiracy.
Notably, a key choice in PL’s third act throws the main quest into one of two vastly different storylines and endgames — you’ll find no “choose red or blue” flavour endings here. Either way, there are agonising decisions with outcomes that pull no gut punches. That’s largely thanks to excellent turns by Idris Elba as FIA agent Solomon Reed and Minji Chang’s netrunner Songbird, who take centre stage in this thrilling story. With around 30 hours of new content and fresh mechanics, Phantom Liberty is an excellent reason to jack back into Night City.
Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
The DLC for one of the best-selling games of 2022 had to be something special, and FromSoftware nails it for this universally acclaimed title that many consider the best Soulsborne game yet. Players once again don the garbs of The Tarnished as they venture into the Land of Shadow hot on the trail of the enigmatic Miquella. Of course, this ain’t no river picnic, as this dark realm chucks grotesque, gory and ungodly beasts in your path. No less than 83 exquisitely designed bosses threaten to ruin your day, including the dual-wielding Rellana, the Twin Moon Knight, and Bayle the Dread, a monstrous dragon seemingly plucked from the fiery depths of hell itself.
With tonnes more mythic and ominous lore to uncover and a whole new Elden Ring adventure that can rival many other games’ playtimes, SOTE is an all-you-can-eat punishment buffet for those wanting to be beaten, pummelled and humiliated at every turn. And when you think you’ve had all you can take, this expansion dollops seconds of relentless yet glorious slop and forces you to keep on going.
Mass Effect 3: Citadel
Few videogame protagonists can boast the kind of combat CV Commander Shepard has. The first human Spectre has dealt with a full spectrum of extraterrestrial threats, including rogue AIs, giant psychic arachnids, and an armada of synthetic-organic ships hellbent on eradicating complex life in the galaxy. So if anyone deserves some R&R, it’s Commander Shepard and the SR-2’s motley crew of deadly compatriots.
Of course, in the Citadel DLC, Shepard barely gets time to hang up their combat armour before a case of mistaken identity threatens the entire team and their mission. As a story that features much smaller stakes, Citadel is a welcome break from dealing with the galaxy-ending Reaper threat.
The Citadel’s wider attractions are also open for exploration, including a casino, arcade station and battle arena. We also get some much needed 1 on 1 time with the crew before finally getting to let loose in a shindig for the ages. Citadel is a chance to slow down and let the Mass Effect universe breathe, as a homage to the original trilogy and the characters we’ve come to know and love.
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters
Soulsborne players looking for more difficulty spikes (and actual spikes) in this Bloodborne expansion might have their hunger sated in The Old Hunters. Set in the Hunter’s Nightmare, a hell-infused reimaging of the wonderfully Lovecraftian Yarnham, players need to survive an onslaught of not only brutal enemies but blood-crazed hunters.
TOH offers plenty of challenges, with some surprises that’ll vex even the most hardened saw cleaver wielders. And of course, combat is as aggressive, crunchy and brutal as ever.
As you might expect, the creature design is grotesque and imaginative, while developer FromSoftware’s level design is once again on point, with yet another world brimming with dark secrets and seemingly inane objects filled with unimaginable lore. This version of Yarnham also serves as a locale full of twisted, imposing architecture stained by blood and forebodingly teased into the player’s perspective.
Just hope that the rivers of blood in this horrible hellscape aren’t added to with your own red stuff.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Horizon Forbidden West might not have set the world alight like its original, but this is still an excellent post-apocalyptic game that lets you tussle with mecha dinosaurs with little more than some fancy arrows.
In Burning Shores, players again take the reins of everyone’s favourite arrow-flinging genius warrior redhead, Aloy. Journeying to the volcanic ruins of Los Angeles, you track down a rogue denizen of Far Zenith, a bunch of tech-bro jerks looking to mess things up for the Earth. Burning Shores continues Aloy’s character arc, with the weight of the world on her shoulders as seemingly the only one who can halt another world-ending disaster. Giving her much-needed comradeship is the addition of a new character, Seyka, who by all accounts could be an equal for our fire-kissed heroine. Their relationship feels earnest as it unravels alongside the story, which can be argued is stronger than the main campaign. It all culminates in a jaw-dropping David versus Goliath showdown that’s brutal and memorable. Plus, LA’s former tower blocks create lots of extra verticality in battles and water-based conundrums as you take down fearsome cyber creatures such as the acid-billowing Bilegut. It’s as utterly gorgeous as ever, as you can almost taste the saltiness of Venice Beach’s surf — just remember, some floors are literally lava.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps
Still not had enough of swinging through Manhattan as Ol’ Webhead? Lucky for you, The City That Never Sleeps is a trilogy of sizzling DLC chapters for Spidey’s much-lauded first reboot adventure. With Wilson Fisk still behind bars, the criminal power vacuum still threatens the Big Apple, causing a Raft-full of colorful characters to the fore. Chief among them is Spidey’s old flame, Black Cat, a feline-based thief in need of a manicure, as well as Hammerhead, a mob boss with a reinforced metal noggin. A standout story arc is police captain and Spider-Man ally Yuri Wantanbe’s brutal and emotional descent into vigilanteism after a mission ends in disaster.
Arguably, some of the side collectables and street crimes can get repetitive — including a series of missions featuring irritating crime and TikTok influencer Screwball, but this essential expansion fleshes out Spidey’s rogue’s gallery, with extra costumes to collect and fresh criminal types to web up. Most importantly, it offers plenty of excuses for you to fling yourself across New York’s beautiful skyline once more.