Once upon a time, video games launched, and that was that. Players bought and played the final, finished version of the game. Over time, video game releases have changed. Patches are released to address bugs and glitches, sometimes altering systems and tweaking mechanics. They usually result in a better, smoother experience.
RELATED:The Best DLC Of All Time
Some games have post-release downloadable content. These often provide players with more gameplay, story, and content. They often expand on what came before and sometimes improve the overall experience. But not every game gets DLC, even if there are obvious ways an expansion could be added.
Red Dead Redemption 2is an epic wild west simulator. It takes a long time to complete the single-player portion of the game, and then there’s an online component with plenty of story content too. But Red Dead Redemption 2 had a mixed reception upon launch, with many players disliking its pacing and gameplay.
This meant that Rockstar was less inclined to support the game after its release. Especially when their other big game,Grand Theft Auto 5, was still so successful. The online component of Red Dead Redemption 2 has seen few additions and expansions, and the single-player component has seen none.
7Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadronswas intended to be a smaller, more condensed, focused entry into the Star Wars series of games. It was meant to be all about climbing into the cockpit of the iconic ships and vehicles of the series and doing battle with one another.
RELATED:Best Spaceships In Star Wars Games
It also had a campaign in there for good measure. The problem is that the choice of ships and choice of locations was limited. The game was well received, but there was ample room for more content, ships, locations, and game modes.
6Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Hideo Kojima’s final Metal Gear game was intended to bridge the gap in the fictional timeline and tie up all remaining loose ends. On top of that, it refined the mechanics and expanded the stealth elements into a more fully realized open-world environment. The problem is that the game was launchedin an unfinished state.
RELATED:Metal Gear Solid 5: Easter Eggs Hidden In The Phantom Pain
Hideo Kojima and Konami had a falling out, resulting in Kojima being unable to finish the game and its story. That meant thatMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painhad no real ending, and rather than tying up loose ends, it created many more. DLC could’ve helped connect the dots and provide more closure. It could’ve also allowed for more variety in locations, perhaps adding a new open environment.
5Deathloop
Deathloopis a semi-open world game in which you must escape a time loop by assassinating several targets all in one day. After hours of trying to find out the best way to do this, the story has some significant reveals,and then it ends. A patch with an extended cutscene would help add some closure and explanation to the abrupt ending, but DLC that truly expanded on it would have been better.
Deathloop won several Game of the Year awards and nominations, but the reception to its ending was mixed. DLC that explored the characters, their choices, and perhaps even added new gameplay elements, would have been appreciated and would have improved the one real flaw of the game - its ending.
4Mass Effect: Andromeda
Mass Effect: Andromedawas a highly anticipated follow-up to the Mass Effect trilogy. One that promised new characters, in a new galaxy, with new possibilities. When the game was launched however, it was not received incredibly well, with criticism aimed at its animations, story, and characters.
RELATED:Mass Effect Trilogy Callbacks In Mass Effect: Andromeda
To address these issues and complaints, BioWare doubled down on patching the game. The result was that BioWare was then unable to work on the DLC they had planned for the game. That and the mixed reception made EA cancel the DLC entirely. The DLC would have focused on the Quarians entering Andromeda, and it would have filled some plot holes too. Luckily, that story has since been told in novel form.
3Super Mario Party
Super Mario Partyis a cooperative and competitive party game in which groups of friends gather around and compete in a board game-like simulator filled with mini-games and challenges. When Super Mario Party launched, it had limited boards to play on and only a handful of playable characters and mini-games.
The obvious way to expand on the game would have been to add new boards, characters, and mini-games. But Nintendo never did that. Instead, years later, Nintendo releasedMario Party Superstars, a new gamefeaturing remastered boardsand elements from prior Mario Party games. The content of this new release should’ve been DLC for Super Mario Party.
2God Of War: Ragnarök
God of War: Ragnaröktells a story all about its characters and by the end of the game, that story is pretty much wrapped up. There are a couple of loose ends and hints at the future, for the inevitable sequel, but the story is finished.
RELATED:The Angriest Video Game Villains
However, there is ample room for DLC in the game. Whether it’s a new realm or area to explore, with new enemies and challenges, an expansion to the story that wraps up loose threads, or something small like new armor and decals, God of War: Ragnarök could have and should have had some sort of post launch DLC. Instead, players will probably have to wait for the sequel.
1Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5 and its online component are big, expansive games. While the online component has seen many additions and expansions, including story-driven content, new missions, new jobs, opportunities, and more, the single-player portion of the game has seen little to nothing added to it.
This might be doubly disappointing when you consider that Rockstar claimed to have been working on single-player DLC, and thatGrand Theft Auto 4had two meaty expansions. Expectations were placed, and then slowly, over time, they were dashed. Much of what was planned as single-player DLC was instead tweaked and made online only, disappointing many of the single-player fans.
