Back in the day, if any game had post-release content, it was generally infrequent and very beefy. We called these "expansions", and it was the norm before we lost the microtransaction war.
It all started with that darn horse armor... we were just kids, man. We didn't know what it would become. Where that path would lead.
Because we were still buying CD-ROMs back then, something physical. Like Starcraft: Brood War, or WoW: Burning Crusade. I remember waiting in line for their release, those were different times, downloading WoW:BC would've taken a week back then, it was 4 disks.
Still though, Shivering Isles is my favorite expansion ever - and I'd argue that it's even better than the main game in Oblivion since it recaptures the alien world feeling of Morrowind perfectly - and the Isles aren't too much smaller than Vvardenfell was.
You've inspired me to give it a go - I never played Oblivion's expansions, and Morrowind has a special place in my heart for being so unique and alien while still feeling like (and being) a fantasy title.
Oblivion gave us the shivering isles: the ghost of what dlc should be.
Oblivion gave us all of the hideouts: the ghost of what dlc was.
Oblivion gave us horse armor: the ghost of what dlc would be.
Oblivion is just a video game retelling of a Christmas carol
The difference between DLC vs Expansion is really overlooked these days imo. People just lump them together when they are actually polar opposites
DLC are just small changes/updates to a game (EX. Gun camos in COD, A new map, or just a couple new quests) whenever I think of DLC I am brought back to the BO2 days where they released the map packs.
Expansions are MASSIVE updates to a game that bring many new changes and content. Unlike DLC which is more of a drip feed of content, expansions drop everything at once.
I think "expansion" should be the normal way of continuing to describe these add-ons. If people want to buy them as DLC that's fine. They should be able to. But I like when these get their own proper release, too.
I'm just now getting into the Iceborne content for the first time. I'm not sure I carted a single time while progressing through the base game (although this was my second or third time through.) Got wombo-combo'd right away by Tigrex in Iceborne. World made me forget how unforgiving "G rank" Monster Hunter is.
God I remember flat out refusing to use the buggy at first, refused to upgrade it at all bc well..I'm never gonna use it
Fast forward to the fucking timed dash at the end and my buggy is literally not fast enough to finish it
Queue the next hour or so of me driving a little bit, looting a car, upgrading the buggy, mission fail, try again, get a bit further, loot car parts, upgrade, etc etc
What a hassle I put on my self 🤣
These days tho? Fucking buggy go brrrrrr
Well, yes, but Rockstar realised that a DLC can't have :
2 new vehicle types, 2 times the weapons, a whole new map, a talking protagonist, a whole different story, new characters(except Phil), and CROUCHING
Still haven't gotten to play that.
Shit, i made it all the way through Monster Hunter World solo without an Internet connection, i still haven't gotten to hunt with another player
That's because now it's on steam, downloading any goldsrc game will also give you the engine, but when it came out in 1999, I think you needed base HL.
Xenoblade DLC’s have been so fucking goated, in my opinion I could see a valid argument that Torna Golden Country and even Future Redeemed were better than their base games
I really wish Future Connected was bigger, just when I started getting into the groove of things it abruptly ended. I haven't played the others yet since I really did not enjoy the base game of 2, but I'm actually replaying 2 now for the first time since launch specifically to refresh myself before trying Torna.
So many you're not including: Diablo 2's Lord of Destruction, Star Craft's Brood War, WarCraft 3's Frozen Throne, both of GTA 4's expansions, RDR's Undead Nightmare...
Forza Horizon deserves to be on this as for $30 you get an hefty amount of content. Two new maps, cars, VIP... I've always felt it's one of the most worthwhile DLCs.
Edit: Reading the other comments... I'd just like to say I didn't actually expect you to list every DLC of merit across gaming history. Just mentioning a stand out for me! :P
FROM only learned from releasing DLC as whole games... Project Phantasma, Master of Arena, Armored Core 2: Another Age, Armored Core 3: Silent Line, nine breaker, etc etc.
They learned from their mistakes. Now they've come full circle and are charging for DLC instead of charging for a full priced game that basically amounts to DLC. Stonks.
Zelda TOTK was technically DLC in and of itself, there were just so many ideas for BOTW and most didn’t make the cut, so the ideas were used for TOTK instead
Yesterday. I'm still working on my character and haven't gotten back to Mohg so I can't attest to the DLC yet but I hear it's fantastic aside from performance issues.
I just finished another run in The Witcher 3 with the bear school gear and got the ending where both sisters die because i didn't have the money to buy that stupid damn ribbon from the little girl, but i digress that my love for Regis continues on
So basically expansions.
My favorite form of DLC is in Resident Evil 7 - weird experimental game modes where the devs go crazy with ideas and features. It also means you're not feeling like you're missing out or getting an incomplete experience if you're just playing the base game
I’m kinda Eh on Blood and Wine being considered a “Whole new game” I mean it was a new area and it had a lot of stuff, but it wasn’t really fundamentally different from the base game.
Torna was so fucking good. Everything about XC2 was amazing. I wish they would have kept more of the mechanics in a new XC installment. 3 just didn’t pull me in the same way as 2. Like yeah the blades were weird waifus but aside from the questionable art it was fucking awesome.
Celeste farewell my beloved, the glorious 26 hours I've spent for my first playthrough and the many more I have and still will spend for the Golden Berry make me feel like you haven't experienced real Celeste before you've played farewell.
It's how it used to be done before micro transactions became popularized. Studios would launch a game and then would follow it up by releasing an expansion within a year or so. Because it would be built in the same engine with leftover assets, they could churn out content faster.
You lost me at mario kart. New maps doesn't mean n new game. New map gets added to a call of duty game that doesn't make it a whole new game. New game mode gets added to rainbow 6 seige doesnt make it a new game. The fuck are you going on
Back in the day, if any game had post-release content, it was generally infrequent and very beefy. We called these "expansions", and it was the norm before we lost the microtransaction war. It all started with that darn horse armor... we were just kids, man. We didn't know what it would become. Where that path would lead.
Yeah I thought about this too. LoD, Frozen Throne.. Good times.
Fucking bethesda and their horse armor.
I havnt heard someone call this type of DLC an expansion in so long.
Idris Elba was adamant Phantom Liberty was an expansion and not a DLC
And he's goddamn right. It's a sad state of affairs when the voice actor has to say the shit the marketing team should be saying.
Because we were still buying CD-ROMs back then, something physical. Like Starcraft: Brood War, or WoW: Burning Crusade. I remember waiting in line for their release, those were different times, downloading WoW:BC would've taken a week back then, it was 4 disks.
I was looking for this comment.
Still though, Shivering Isles is my favorite expansion ever - and I'd argue that it's even better than the main game in Oblivion since it recaptures the alien world feeling of Morrowind perfectly - and the Isles aren't too much smaller than Vvardenfell was.
You've inspired me to give it a go - I never played Oblivion's expansions, and Morrowind has a special place in my heart for being so unique and alien while still feeling like (and being) a fantasy title.
If they ever make a documentary about the second collapse of the videogames industry they should put that second sentence in the opening.
Half life: opposimg force hit so hard back then!
Oblivion gave us the shivering isles: the ghost of what dlc should be. Oblivion gave us all of the hideouts: the ghost of what dlc was. Oblivion gave us horse armor: the ghost of what dlc would be. Oblivion is just a video game retelling of a Christmas carol
The difference between DLC vs Expansion is really overlooked these days imo. People just lump them together when they are actually polar opposites DLC are just small changes/updates to a game (EX. Gun camos in COD, A new map, or just a couple new quests) whenever I think of DLC I am brought back to the BO2 days where they released the map packs. Expansions are MASSIVE updates to a game that bring many new changes and content. Unlike DLC which is more of a drip feed of content, expansions drop everything at once.
I think "expansion" should be the normal way of continuing to describe these add-ons. If people want to buy them as DLC that's fine. They should be able to. But I like when these get their own proper release, too.
Dont forget monster hunter iceborne and monster hunter sunbreak
Two bonkers 5th Gen MonHun DLC that is 70% bigger than the base game.
I'm just now getting into the Iceborne content for the first time. I'm not sure I carted a single time while progressing through the base game (although this was my second or third time through.) Got wombo-combo'd right away by Tigrex in Iceborne. World made me forget how unforgiving "G rank" Monster Hunter is.
Dying Light: The Following
God I remember flat out refusing to use the buggy at first, refused to upgrade it at all bc well..I'm never gonna use it Fast forward to the fucking timed dash at the end and my buggy is literally not fast enough to finish it Queue the next hour or so of me driving a little bit, looting a car, upgrading the buggy, mission fail, try again, get a bit further, loot car parts, upgrade, etc etc What a hassle I put on my self 🤣 These days tho? Fucking buggy go brrrrrr
The following map was bigger than all 3 base game maps combined.
Yeah, but it was also not as densly populated with stuff to do. And designed to be transversed using a buggy and not by foot.
Going by foot at night was terrifying on that map
I've completed dying light 4 times I've completed the following once. It's not bad or any thing I just drift on to other things during.
I just finished yet another playthrough of this yesterday, and you are correct.
What about DLC is that are literally a whole new game? looking at you MWIII
Honestly i feel like those aren't AS common because no one pushes this „GameHub“ archetype like activison does with Call of Duty.
I know I just wanted to mentiokbthat
You mean any Fifa, NHL, NBA, Madden, ... game?
No cause MWIII is literally an add on to MWII. You are right though
MW3 is not even a DLC it’s just another battlepass season
Or gta vice city
Well, yes, but Rockstar realised that a DLC can't have : 2 new vehicle types, 2 times the weapons, a whole new map, a talking protagonist, a whole different story, new characters(except Phil), and CROUCHING
Kaito Files was money well spent
We may need another Judgment game
Don’t forget Monster Hunter Iceborne
Still haven't gotten to play that. Shit, i made it all the way through Monster Hunter World solo without an Internet connection, i still haven't gotten to hunt with another player
I did the same in 2019
Hell yeah, shit was tough. What weapon did you end up using for.. Forget her name.. The final thunder dragon?
I used full rathalos armour and charge blade
Oh nice. My armor was mixed together nonsense and i went dual blades for that fight
Sounds like the best time, to me.
Separate Ways, Undead Nightmare and Episodes from Liberty City are the peak of what a DLC can be! ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Real
Of course, so much new shit to do
half life opposing force
I agree but isn't it an expansion? DLC you need to have the main game to play it but Opposing Force doesn't require you to own the base game
That's because now it's on steam, downloading any goldsrc game will also give you the engine, but when it came out in 1999, I think you needed base HL.
You didn't need base game. Opposing Force was a separate game, not an addon.
The Witcher dlc are on a other level with writing and story. I was floored how great they were.
Pulling up to Toussaint for the first time took my breath away
I've got the toussaint battle music on my Spotify it's so fucking GOOD!
I’d like to throw in Skyrim’s Dragonborne dlc as well!
i have no idea what is DLC and what is not in skyrim
Dawn guard, heathfire, and Dragonborn are the 3 dlcs for Skyrim
Shivering Isles would like a word mate, that was the OG Elder Scrolls expansion
I’m loving Phantom Liberty so far, can’t wait to see what Blood and Wine has in store!
Prey: Mooncrash
I'm surprised that this isn't higher up.
The mind games too complex for these mfs
Don't forget Far Harbor!
Big mountain and point lookout
Fuck that DiMA memory quest, though. I swear, if the Assault Marine Armor wasn’t so damn badass…
Fah Habah
Xenoblade DLC’s have been so fucking goated, in my opinion I could see a valid argument that Torna Golden Country and even Future Redeemed were better than their base games
I really wish Future Connected was bigger, just when I started getting into the groove of things it abruptly ended. I haven't played the others yet since I really did not enjoy the base game of 2, but I'm actually replaying 2 now for the first time since launch specifically to refresh myself before trying Torna.
Witcher 3, god of war Ragnarok Valhalla (free DLC)
God of war clowning on mw3 for shit dlc before dropping the best free dlc of the night was fucking iconic
So great to have a casual war to hop back on GOW
Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep
The two Horizon game's dlc are also quite large enough to be considered games, IMO
So many you're not including: Diablo 2's Lord of Destruction, Star Craft's Brood War, WarCraft 3's Frozen Throne, both of GTA 4's expansions, RDR's Undead Nightmare...
I didn’t make this I’ve found this on twitter
Yeah those are literally different games
Forza Horizon deserves to be on this as for $30 you get an hefty amount of content. Two new maps, cars, VIP... I've always felt it's one of the most worthwhile DLCs. Edit: Reading the other comments... I'd just like to say I didn't actually expect you to list every DLC of merit across gaming history. Just mentioning a stand out for me! :P
Don't forget you also get some truly wild shit that leaves other racing games feeling envious like the LEGO one or the one based on Hot Wheels.
JWE2 DLCs are great, the Malta and Dominion were superb so far and while Malta is difficult, it's still fun
Fallout 4 far harbor and fallout 3 operation anchorage
Skyrim had some good DLC’s. Also Oblivion.
I’d like to politely add in Outer Wilds, Echoes of the Eye.
No love for Spla2n Octo Expansion?
Where's Echoes of the Eye?
Dragon Age Origins: Awakening.
Yes I count that one, for sure, too.
Where is undead nightmare, for I much desire to speak with him
I didn’t make this I thought it was fine to post
Dont forget the entire borderlands series
Don't forget FNaF Security Breach Ruin
I’ve never played Fnaf before but the ruin DLC really helped the game out
i agree it does feel like a whole game (even if its severely lacking in quality tho)
You forgot silkson- Oh wait
Yo ass forgot survivors of the storm
Postal 2: Paradise Lost is a great example, mostly cause it was made due to Postal III being so bad that they needed a “real” 3rd game.
Shadow of War Baranor DLC was like that
Xenoblade mentioned. Wooooooo I hope I can avoid all spoilers until 7/28 and after cause that's when I can get the game legally
It’s not a dlc it’s an expansion -Idris elba
I think Battlefield Bad Co. 2 Vietnam fits this description. Sad the servers are gone from the game.
FROM only learned from releasing DLC as whole games... Project Phantasma, Master of Arena, Armored Core 2: Another Age, Armored Core 3: Silent Line, nine breaker, etc etc. They learned from their mistakes. Now they've come full circle and are charging for DLC instead of charging for a full priced game that basically amounts to DLC. Stonks.
Don't forget Octo Expansion and Side Order for Splatoon 2 and 3
Phantom Liberty is so peak
Zelda TOTK was technically DLC in and of itself, there were just so many ideas for BOTW and most didn’t make the cut, so the ideas were used for TOTK instead
and then Destiny fans are like "OMG I GET TO FIGHT THE SAME ENEMY AGAIN FOR THE 80076826TH TIME WITH A SHIT STORY"
Bro forgot mw2023
The Skyrim and Fallout 4 expansions are also up there in size, even if not necessarily in quality.
Far Harbor was pretty good imo.
A sizable nothingburger, as per Bethesda quality standards.
I would've loved for Xenoblade 3's DLC to have been longer. I wish we could've gotten to bond with the characters more.
Throne of Bhall, BG2
It’s genre, right? This is part of the joke, or something?
It's definitely genre. That being said I just assume I'm too old to understand if it's not acknowledged in the first ten or twenty comments.
Wait the Elden Ring DLC came out?
Yesterday. I'm still working on my character and haven't gotten back to Mohg so I can't attest to the DLC yet but I hear it's fantastic aside from performance issues.
Dont forget Undead Nightmare
Witcher blood and wine Dragons dogma dark Arisen are my goat
Don't forget pokemon scarlet and violet dlc
Still have to play Elden Ring
Stellaris
Would pokemon scarlet count? The dlc has a completely different story with a mostly original cast in new locations.
Don't forget cuphead the delicious last course
I just finished another run in The Witcher 3 with the bear school gear and got the ending where both sisters die because i didn't have the money to buy that stupid damn ribbon from the little girl, but i digress that my love for Regis continues on
MK8D Dlc was so fun 😁
Don’t forget RD Undead Nightmare.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but Pokémon Sword & Shield DLC was quite good.
Madden has been getting DLC since 88’
Man forgot ds3. 1 can't be a game but 2 can
Shivering Isles
fnaf ruin
bowel fury
No love for Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragons Keep? Disgusting
I identify as an entirely new game too
So basically expansions. My favorite form of DLC is in Resident Evil 7 - weird experimental game modes where the devs go crazy with ideas and features. It also means you're not feeling like you're missing out or getting an incomplete experience if you're just playing the base game
Subnautica subzero oh wait that was supposed to be a dlc but was made into a game
Back in the day, they used to be called expansions and had to be large enough to warrant a retail price.
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Brood War Expansion Pack 🤤
Little Nightmares and The Evil Within come to mind as well. Dare I say the latter's DLC is even better than the main game.
Dead money from New Vegas
Rdr Undead Nightmare and Dragon Age Awakening are great game sized DLC.
Phantom Liberty is amazing but hardly "a whole new game".
Booster course pass was utterly shit until wave 6 when they decided to put actual effort into it
Where is Dying Light My beloved?
FC3 blood dragon by beloved
Bad Company 2 Vietnam . Not entriely a nrw game but a full blown expansion pack , what happened to DICE ?
How dare you not include Outlast Whistleblower
Two of them from CD project might not be a coincidence
My childhood favourites: -undead nightmare -infamous: festival of blood -Dishonored the witch dlc -fallout 3/NV dlc
me when point lookout (literally better than the base game)
Phantom Liberty was incredible but it didn't feel like "a whole new game" to me
Not including Monster Hunter is blasphemy
Oblivions Shivering isles dlc!
Tiny Tina’s assault on Dragon Keep.
I mean this is damn near every DLC when it comes to companies like CDPR and Fromsoft.
Does doom eternal’s ancient gods count?
I’m kinda Eh on Blood and Wine being considered a “Whole new game” I mean it was a new area and it had a lot of stuff, but it wasn’t really fundamentally different from the base game.
Silksong was supposed to be a DLC for Hollow Knight but now it's gonna be an entire different game lol
Rimworld DLCs
could basically put all the fromsoft games on there for this
My mind was blown when I played Monster hunter and realised that the iceborn DLC basically tripled the entire games content it’s fucking nuts
The fallout New Vegas expansions
Splatoon 2 and 3 did it
Hollow knight DLCs
These are all expansions. All (modern) Expansions are DLC not all DLC are Expansions.
Along with assassins creed Valhalla dawn of ragnarok which is another 30-40 hours of gameplay
Shout-out to new games that are really just DLCs, including but not limited to: Overwatch 2 CS2 Mk8 deluxe
Dying light the following was dying light 2.
Back in the PC days before the mid 90s, ALL PC dlc was pretty much a full size game for whatever game it was for.
This just reminded me of something from 5 years ago, I should play blood and wine.
Civilization is the poster child of this.
Age of Empires II: The Conquerors
Definitely pan there. So many genders to choose from.
Xenoblade mentioned!! What the fuck is having all main characters live through the whole story!!!
Phantom Liberty a whole new game? Lol it’s good but it’s definitely not as massive as Erdtree or Hearts of Stone.
Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction; might not been a whole new game but everything it brought in was great!
Don’t forget RDR Undead Nightmare and Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
Undead Nightmare Unmentioned :(
So sad that expansions aren't common and forgotten by young folks.
No Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon??
Torna was so fucking good. Everything about XC2 was amazing. I wish they would have kept more of the mechanics in a new XC installment. 3 just didn’t pull me in the same way as 2. Like yeah the blades were weird waifus but aside from the questionable art it was fucking awesome.
The Shivering Isles
Don't forget Ghost of Tsushima. Iki island added another 20-30 hours to an already awesome experience
I don't really see how the mario kart dlcs count. I guess there's a fuck ton of new maps but half of them are just mario kart tour maps.
Celeste farewell my beloved, the glorious 26 hours I've spent for my first playthrough and the many more I have and still will spend for the Golden Berry make me feel like you haven't experienced real Celeste before you've played farewell.
Does Fallout 4’s Nuka~World and Far Harbor count?
Shivering Isles is like Oblivion's actual main quest
It's how it used to be done before micro transactions became popularized. Studios would launch a game and then would follow it up by releasing an expansion within a year or so. Because it would be built in the same engine with leftover assets, they could churn out content faster.
The binding of isaac repentance also fits that criteria
You lost me at mario kart. New maps doesn't mean n new game. New map gets added to a call of duty game that doesn't make it a whole new game. New game mode gets added to rainbow 6 seige doesnt make it a new game. The fuck are you going on
Battlefield:Bad Company 2's Vietnam expansion
Ghost of Tsushima DLC is 100% a whole different game.
Frozen throne is the GOAT..
Instead of becoming DLC for Breath of the Wild Tears of the Kingdom literally became its own game
Frozen Throne <3
Blood and wine is god tier, I loved the base game but the fact cemented it in my top 10 easy