The 10 BEST Recent Video Game DLCs

“Assassin’s Creed Valhalla” (2020)

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As if Assassin’s Creed Valhalla wasn’t a big enough game already, Ubisoft released multiple large DLCs to further expand Eivor’s adventures, and by far one of the best was the Wrath of the Druids expansion that sends Eivor to the shores on the emerald hills of Ireland. The beauty of Ireland stands in stark contrast to the base game’s overcast and mountainous regions and the politically charged narrative will send Eivor to all corners of the gorgeous countryside. The game also introduces new enemies to keep combat engaging and varied enough to separate it from the familiarity of Valhalla’s normal enemy roster. While much of the gameplay remains unchanged from the base game, the story is by far one of Ubisoft’s strongest in years, full of religious conflict, memorable characters, and plenty of twists and turns to keep players interested enough to see the DLC through to the end.

“Sea of Thieves” (2018)

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Since its release, Rare’s Sea of Thieves has managed to save itself from walking the plank, and with numerous expansions has delivered the definitive pirate experience the famed developer initially promised. The ever-expanding scope of the game has seen players cross paths with numerous other famous pirates, including the legendary Jack Sparrow, but by far the best pirate crossover comes from players landing on the shores of Melee Island and crossing swords with the nefarious Captain Lechuck alongside the famed adventurer Guybrush Threepwood. Lovingly recreating the iconic locations of classic games, players are free to explore the entire island and cross paths with many fan favorite characters as well as a never ending supply of the ever versatile rubber chickens. For fans of the original games, The Legend of Monkey Island is a love letter to the series and introduces newcomers to one of the funniest series in the history of video games.

“Monster Hunter World” (2020)

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The first of many on our list in which the size and scale of the DLC almost matches the base game itself, Iceborne packs so much content from new monsters to equipment and locations, it could almost be a sequel to the already fantastic Monster Hunter World. There’s a myriad of new armor for players to collect and craft, including an all-new more powerful rank for loot and armor that will draw even those with the strongest equipment from the base game to the next great hunt to increase their stats. The increased power of the equipment comes alongside all new and more difficult monster encounters through some truly stunning environments full of hidden areas and oftentimes multiple levels to explore. With numerous quality of life improvements as well as new mechanics, particularly the Clutch Claw, Capcom easily could have made this a full-fledged sequel.

“Resident Evil Village” (2021)

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The ending of Village was a satisfying conclusion to Ethan Winter’s story, but not only does the expansion offer new extras such as a 3rd person perspective for fans to replay the main game with, the update to Mercenaries also lets players step into the enormous heels of Lady D. The main draw is the new story content continuing the saga of Ethan’s daughter Rose as she returns to the titular Village to discover a way to rid herself of her mold powers. Rose has her own set of powers to take on the new enemies she encounters and some of them, such as the Weeping Angel-style mannequins, are truly unsettling. While the new story content is on the shorter side, returning to the Village with a new perspective as well as new ways to play still offers more than enough motivation to replay one of the best entries in the long running series.

“Gears 5” (2019)

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For those who weren’t fans of Gears 5’s semi-open world approach and one of the longest campaigns in the series so far, the Hivebusters DLC was a welcome return to the series’ roots longtime fans can appreciate. Featuring new characters, each with their own special abilities as well as some brand-new enemy types, Hivebusters swiftly guides players through its 6 chapters and varying arenas that offer both open and close quarter combat scenarios. Hivebusters also features some of the most varied environments in the series so far and each one is visually stunning as you run, gun and chainsaw your way through every encounter. Paired with the equally fun Escape mode, Gears 5’s DLC manages to blend the best of the old and the new and is a great throwback to the series’ roots for longtime fans.

“Control” (2019)

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Remedy’s SCP game Control was an immediate hit with its twisting narrative, equally twisted hallways and power fantasy gameplay. Given the Bureau of Control investigates paranormal incidents, naturally Remedy was able to tie this directly into Alan Wake and with the AWE expansion, the two worlds finally collided. As Jesse explores the Oldest House, Alan will narrate his entrapment in the dark place as if Jesse is a character in one of his novels. Fans of the 2010 game will find much to appreciate with references to events of the first game as well as tying up loose character threads. Combining the mutative powers of the Hiss and the Darkness create some of the most horrific designs in the game and while even those who are unfamiliar with Alan Wake can still enjoy this expansion, this is clearly aimed at longtime fans and the narrative threads lead directly to Alan Wake 2.

“Final Fantasy VII: Remake” (2020)

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake had been a long time coming and Square managed to deliver an experience that balanced the best elements of the classic original with modern day combat mechanics. While the game might not have told the complete story in its first entry, fans did get some additional content to help flesh out the world as well as upgrades to the overall experience. Released a year after the base game, Intergrade sharpens the visuals to 4K, reduces the load times and increases the framerate to 60. For PS5 owners, the new episode Intermission lets them see a new side of Midgar with the new playable character Yuffie exploring her arrival and subsequent journey leading her to team up with Cloud and company in Rebirth. Most importantly, Intermission adds additional content to the game’s base stinger scene and shows Zach arriving at Aerith’s church in Midgar after the events of Remake.

“Dead Cells” (2018)

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Some crossovers make so much sense it’s remarkable no one thought of them before. Combining the excellent rogue-like Dead Cells with the king of Metroidvania games managed to elevate an already great game and pay homage to one of the classics of the genre that hasn’t seen much love in recent years. Dead Cells’ style already took heavy inspiration from the Castlevania series so guiding your Prisoner through the halls of Castle Dracula was a natural fit. More than a simple reskin of the base game, musical tracks have been remixed to include classic tracks from the Castlevania series and the player can collect many classic weapons and items from the series that inspired it. Players can even unlock a special level in which they embody the whip cracking vampire hunter Richter Belmont and a level designed in the style of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

“God of War Ragnarok” (2022)

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While the conclusion of God of War Ragnarok of course left the door open to future installments, no one could have predicted we’d receive DLC a year later or that it would see Kratos traversing the afterlife as a rogue-like. Kratos battles his way through multiple levels of Valhalla, each representing his memories as he learns to deal with his past actions during the Greek saga and their repercussions. Not only were we excited for any new God of War content, but longtime fans got to face down familiar Greek enemies and unlock new armor sets as well as the ability to replay Ragnarok as a young Greek Kratos. Kratos using the repetition of combat as a means of therapy is completely on point and seeing him learn to finally accept his past through Christopher Judge’s beautiful monologue was the closure we didn’t know we needed.

“Cyberpunk 2077” (2020)

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CD Projekt Red deserves a lot of credit for turning Cyberpunk around from its initial train-wreck of a release, and with their Phantom Liberty DLC, they were finally able to fulfill their promises for the game and then some. Not only did the DLC provide some brilliant new story content that could also have an effect on the main game’s overall conclusion, but countless quality of life improvements were made to the UI and combat, and numerous new fan requested features such as a functioning metro system were introduced. Players were also given an entire new district to explore full of new weapons and upgrades, vehicles and cyberware. The sheer scale and scope of the DLC is reminiscent of their massive Blood and Wine expansion for The Witcher 3 and CD Projekt Red even suggested players who had completed the game start a new run to experience the best possible version of their latest epic masterpiece. Which recent DLC kept you coming back to your favorite video game? Let us know down in the comments.