10 Best DLC Packs Of The Last 15 Years
CD Projekt RED set the industry standard.
Downloadable content has been one of the video game industry's biggest buzzwords over the past fifteen years or so. SEGA's Dreamcast might have been the first to introduce the world to the term, but it was the heyday of Microsoft and Xbox Live that has helped make it often feel more like an inevitability than anything else at this point.
It's fair to say DLC has become a divisive topic with some gamers over the years, with some bemoaning the idea of having to pay to access parts of a game a player has already bought.
However, there have also been plenty of examples of companies fashioning together hugely entertaining and worthwhile packages that have made even critically acclaimed titles even better.
DLC gives developers a bit more of a free hand when it comes to letting their creativity loose a little bit more.
Without the shackles of the main plotline to follow, expansion packs can add new locations, classes, items and even storylines with entirely different 'feels' that would have felt out of place in a base game.
If we're talking the best expansions, which is number 1?
10. The Lair Of The Shadow Broker - Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 was already a universally acclaimed title when it was released in 2010, with the bulk of the game's praises being directed at its emotional depth, storytelling and complex characters layered throughout.
These elements were amped up even further in the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC, released originally in September 2010. Taking place after the events of the Mass Effect: Redemption comic book, the DLC follows the storyline of Shepard and Liara T'Soni attempting to find a fabled information dealer known as the Shadow Broker.
Lair of the Shadow Broker is split into two parts, both of which conclude with a pulsating boss fight. The first part takes place in the bustling planet of Illium, however, it is the second part onboard the Shadow Broker's ship that the DLC really comes alive.
The graphics of the ship's exterior are some of the best the Mass Effect series has ever produced, the inside is explorable and offers a superb battle experience, both of which combine to create easily the best expansion the game received.
The chemistry between Shepard and Liara T'Soni is also a definite high. The decisions players make in the base game have an impact on their dynamic in Lair of the Shadow Broker, helping to make the DLC feel like a natural continuation to the main storyline.