The Top 10 Best DLC/Expansion Packs

 Salutations everybody!

When the term DLC come up in this modern era of gaming, people somewhat rightly have images of cheap cashgrabs that give the player subpar content. I don’t think I need to talk about the Horse Armor from Oblivion as such an example of bad DLC, however this isn’t always the case! For every bad piece of downloadable content, there’s usually an equal amount of it as well. Not only that, but back in the day some gamers may recall the various expansion packs for PC games, and like modern DLC it fluctuated between good & bad. Today I’d like to talk about what I think are 10 of the best DLC/Expansion Packs that have ever been released, and like many of my top 10 lists, it’s an odd one. Most of this list is composed of downloadable content that is geared towards FPS titles, but I do have some releases that’ll shake things up. So, without further delay, here are my top 10 best DLC/Expansion Packs. Let’s begin!

10) Diablo 3: Rise of the Necromancer (Video)

I was conflicted with what was going to be here. Like I said in September, Reaper of Souls effectively saved Diablo 3. With it’s gameplay improvements & additional content, it seemed like a shoe-in for this spot. However, I was in the beta for what I would actually put here, and that’s what ultimately led me to buy this DLC here. I think I can speak for all Diablo fans when I say that our jaws hit the floor when this iconic character was revealed at Blizzcon 2016, and when it came to Diablo 3 it was a giant nostalgia blast! I do think the 20 dollar price tag was a bit much, but at the same time it was worth it. Not only did we get a brand new class, but we got new skills & passives, items, voices, and even in-between episode cutscenes! This right here is an example of DLC that people asked for, and if you haven’t yet, I suggest you go buy it for a nice slice of nostalgia.

9) Shadow Warrior: Wanton Destruction (Video)

A bit of an oddball on an already oddball list, this expansion pack technically never had an official release. Despite the success of the main game, the lone official expansion that was being made stopped due to Shadow Warrior's nice but not as impressive sales when compared to the behemoth that was Duke Nukem 3d. However, the story only gets weirder from here: flash forward to 2005, when the former president of Sunstorm Interactive, Anthony Campiti, somehow found the files of Wanton Destruction on an old harddrive, and after contacting 3D Realms about it, he released it online for free!

There’s definitely a dent or two in Wanton Destruction. One of the secret levels is barebones, and there are some pieces in other levels that could have been worked on more. At the same time, it’s a pretty fun expansion pack! The Sunstorm vibe is very apparent, and despite the issues it obvious that the development team really cared for what they were making. The new customs models & textures were perfect for the setting, and the new lines for Lo Wang were funny like virtually everything else he said in the original game. Thanks to the Classic Redux release of the game in 2013, people who are interested in can now legitimately buy & experience one of the most obscure expansion packs in FPS history. Definitely worth the money!

8) Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles (Video)

Possibly one of the most charming tales in the franchise, the 2nd DLC for Borderlands 3 focuses around one of the most adorable gay couples I’ve seen in....quite honestly, any piece of media! As per usual, the story behind this DLC is way better than the main game. Basically, take one part romantic comedy, and mix in quite a bit of lighthearted Lovecraft & cosmic horror, and you have what is quite possibly one of the most ridiculous yet incredibly heartwarming tales at the same time. On top of that, the setting & atmosphere is perfect, the enemies are varied & odd, and the loot is awesome. If you like cute couples and want to cheer them on, then Guns, Love, and Tentacles is for you!

7) Skyrim: Dawnguard (Video)

I grabbed this DLC at the same time I bought the main game, thanks in part to it being on sale with the rest of the downloadable content at the time back in 2014. I was always a sucker for vampires, so it was a pretty easy choice for this list. Even not taking the story in considering, putting a system in for being a vampire. While outside in that form you’re still your normal self for the most part, you’re a magical bloodthirsy tank when you become a lord of the night. On top of that, there’s fantastic loot on the vampire side, or when you decide to become a member of the Dawnguard. Taking the story into consideration, it’s actually pretty good. There’s a moment or two where I scratched my head, but for the rest of the time I enjoyed it. The characters put in are entertaining & intriguing, and it’s interesting to see what happens to them. If by for whatever reason you never got this DLC while journeying across Skyrim, then you might want to see what the Dawnguard are offering.

6) Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Apocalypse (Video)

I’ll say this until the day I die, but Black Ops 2 is perhaps the best & most essential title in the Call of Duty franchise. The most reasonable & realistic in terms of the futuristic setting, the game has the best story and cast of characters when compared to 90% of the rest of the entries, and in my view is an example of Treyarch being at the top of their game. Even the DLC for BO2 was fantastic, as the multiplayer levels introduced were varied in terms of playstyle, but I contest to this day that Zombies was at it’s peak here. Apocalypse may not have had the best levels for multiplayer (2 of them were remakes), but what secured it’s place on this list is one thing....Origins!

For starters, it was really cool seeing younger versions of the original cast. They were radically different than what we knew of them at the time, yet there were little things that still made them feel familiar. Secondly, the setting was perfect. Take the muddy trenches & ruins of WW1 France, then slather everything in a thick coat of Dieselpunk. Oh, and don’t forget some giant Dieselpunk robots for good measure! The end result of this mixture is in my opinion the most grand level out of Zombies at the time, and maybe even today. It may be difficult to play solo, but it’s that challenge that makes it incredibly fun. For a bit of DLC to end Black Ops 2, it worked quite nicely.

5) Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City (Video)

As a way to conclude not just the 3rd game in the series, but the Dark Souls franchise as a whole, The Ringed City was a meaty package. A far more substantial piece of downloadable content than Ashes of Ariandel was, it also happens to be a considerably bigger challenge than that one. The world is at it’s most apocalyptic, the items & spells are of considerable quality for the most part, the monsters are tougher, and the bosses are perhaps more challenging than anything in the main game or the 1st DLC. As I delivered the blood of the dark soul to it’s recipient, I felt that the legacy of Dark Souls as a game series was cemented in the annals of virtual history. As a way to end it all, it’s damn good!

4) Blood: Cryptic Passage (Video)

Sunstorm Interactive. That name rings a nostalgia bell in the minds of certain gamers. For some, it’s because of their contribution to the iconic Deer Hunter series. For others like myself, they’re much more well known as a creator of expansion packs for the various build games. I already talked about one of their creations at no. 9 on this list, but this next one is a considerable step up! Blood itself is already an atmospheric game, but to see Sunstorm heighten that atmosphere across 10 levels (9 normal & 1 secret) is nothing short of incredible! Though there’s no new enemies or weapons, the level locales fit perfectly within the realm, and combined with custom textures and intricate level design, you know you’re playing a Sunstorm expansion. An opera house, a gothic library, and a creepy mountain pass are just some of the places for Caleb to slaughter his enemies, and they all lead up to the thrilling conclusion at a genuinely spooky castle. However, as great as Cryptic Passage is......there is another.

3) Duke Carribean: Life’s A Beach (Video)

Ah, Duke Nukem 3D, how much I love thee! Coming in on 25 years old next year, this classic shooter game still manages to spark the nostalgia flame in the hearts of those that grew up with it. It’s particularly personal for me, as I’ve met the voice of Duke Nukem many times, and it’s amazing at how genuinely nice he is. Back in the 90s, DN3D had a bevy of content. There were a horde of unofficial multiplayer map packs, but in 1997 there were 3 singleplayer expansions released to the public. Duke it out in D.C., Duke: Nuclear Winter, and the one I’ll be talking about here......Duke Carribean: Life’s A Beach!

Quite possibly the best piece of content that Sunstorm Interactive ever made, Duke Carribean is a blast! Though there’s no new enemies per se (Outside of seagulls that poop on you, and pigcops riding inflatable pool monsters), all of the existing ones have been decked out in tropical clothing that perfectly reflects the Carribean theme of the expansion. Same goes with the weapons: there’s nothing new, but they’ve all be reskined with a new tropical form. Pipebombs have become pineapples, the RPG has become the coconut launcher, and the shrink ray has become a voodoo ring. Even your inventory has been thematically changed, as your steroids has become a bottle of hot sauce, and your medkit has become a crate of bananas. Even the bright & colorful levels don’t escape the tropics! There’s a hotel, market, casino, and a water park to name just a few. Given the state of the world right now, perhaps a virtual trip to the Carribean is in order!

2) Quake: Dissolution of Eternity (Video)

My number 2 & my number 1 were hard. Really hard. I knew what was going to be here, but it was the order that was the challenge. It was only by a hair that this expansion to the iconic Quake got placed here at no. 2, but it was a very short hair. Even though there was Scourge of Armagon before this, I always loved Dissolution of Eternity much more than that one. Though you don’t get new weapons, you get a few new ammo types. Lava Nails for the nailguns, Cluster Grenades for the grenade launcher, Multi-Rockets for the rocket launcher, and Plasma for the Thundergun. There are also a bevy of new enemies for the Quakeguy to mow down. Haunted Swords, Wraiths, Electric Eels, and Hellspawns (Take the normal Spawns, turn them green, and make them faster) are just some of the foes that’ll get blasted away when they see you. Even the concept of this expansion I thought was cooler that Armagon, as it’s a mix of dimension hopping & time traveling. The 2nd part of it had the time travel sequences, as there’s Egyptian tombs, Mayan temples, and Greco-Roman temples to traverse. Coupled with the excellent soundtrack, and you have quite the expansion pack. If you’d like a slice of old-school fun, then you’d find this to be quite tasty!

1) Borderlands 2: Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty (Video)

Borderlands 2. Hard to believe that it’s been nearly a decade old this year, and it’ll be an actual decade in 2022. Despite Borderlands 3 having perhaps the best gameplay in the franchise at this point in time, B2 still is a very engaging game. It’s DLC is the stuff of legend, and to this day they’re all a lot of fun to play. However, it’s the first DLC that endeared me to Borderlands 2 for practically eternity. It’s one of the more simpler in terms of story, as you’re basically on a hunt for a buried treasure, but you have to deal with scurvy sand pirates.....that look & sound like British pirates that sail the seas. The loot you find fits perfectly with the pirate theme, and there’s even a series of items you find in special side quests that all have pirate curses placed upon them! I still smile to this very day when I think of this DLC, and playing it brings back some fond memories of the early 2010s for me. So if you feel like going on a grand adventure, then Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty is the adventure for you!  

And these were my top 10 best DLC/Expansion Packs! Definitely a weird list, and maybe a little two focused on First Person Shooters, but this is what I was feeling when I was making this. With the exception of Duke Carribean (Thanks in part to Randy Pitchford’s idiocy when getting the Duke Nukem license), you can find all of these for sale on various platforms & such for your enjoyment. With this out of the way, my review for my number 1 album of 2019 is near, but before that review I’ll be taking a look at one of the most obscure and bizarre anime.....and it’s technically not one at the same time. See you next week!