Top game add-ons that are worth your time and money
As the gaming industry experiences a lull with few major releases scheduled for 2024 and several studios facing layoffs, players might find themselves with extra time but fewer new titles to explore.
This scenario presents an opportune moment to dive into some of the best game expansions, revisiting favorite universes with add-ons that are truly worth your investment. Whether you're looking to deepen your engagement with beloved game worlds or discover new facets of storytelling, these expansions deliver rich experiences that extend the value of the original games. From enriching narratives to expanded gameplay mechanics, each add-on promises to enhance your gaming sessions without remorse over the time or money spent. For those who enjoy a seamless and engaging gaming experience, exploring what Stay Casino has to offer can be an excellent complement to playing these worthwhile expansions. Just as these DLCs enrich beloved games, Stay Casino provides a platform that enhances the overall gaming thrill with its variety and quality.
"Hearts of Stone" and "Blood and Wine" for "The Witcher 3"
Let's start with the obvious - add-ons for the third part of "The Witcher". Surely even fans had a feeling of fatigue at the end of the threequel. The game turned out to be large, interesting, emotional, so to take on the impressive DLC forces could not be enough. But if you missed the addons in your time, we strongly advise you to catch up.
"Hearts of Stone" tells about an unusual contract, by which Geralt is sent to kill a huge toad. But soon the witch has to make a deal with the mysterious Glass Man and fulfil difficult requests in order to repay the wish-fulfiller. And the addition "Blood and Wine" is dedicated to vampires, for the extermination of which Geralt goes to the sunny principality of Toussaint.
Hilarious quest with a wedding, where the main character lends his body to another person, crazy adventures in the world of fairy tales, arranging your home, a chance to talk to Plotva, and intrigue, new monsters and adventures - additions to "The Witcher 3" will hardly leave any fan of the game indifferent. And the final episode "Blood and Wine", in which Geralt addresses the player, will melt any heart.
The Assignment and The Consequence for The Evil Within
Two story add-ons for Tango Gameworks' horror game show the main plot from a different perspective. You will be playing as detective Julie Kidman, who works for the mysterious organisation "Mebius", but as time goes by she begins to doubt the reliability of her employers. The story in The Evil Within is interesting, and the DLC reveals many of the secrets of the main game, including Kidman's past and the motives of Mobius.
Unlike the original The Evil Within, the protagonist can't fight enemies effectively, so she has to hide and use improvised means. It's very annoying at first, but the stealth segments aren't too difficult, and the new story details are worth suffering a bit for them.
Iceborne for Monster Hunter World
A huge add-on for the monster hunter simulator, in which the hero goes to the continent of Frostborne. There you will not only have to solve the mystery of the strange behaviour of wyverns, but also to explore unseen lands. There is a lot to do: you will have to spend about 35 hours just to complete the story campaign.
Iceborne is a large-scale expansion, where all the new content will take a long time to list. Monsters, story, biome, weapon techniques, armour, tools, difficulty level - and even this is not all. The number of big monsters with DLC almost doubles, and there are also new gameplay mechanics. Iceborne for Monster Hunter World fans is practically a must-have addition.
Sunbreak for Monster Hunter Rise
Another great DLC for Monster Hunter, but this time for the Rise release. Events unfold in the trading port of Elgado, whose designers took inspiration from the European style with its huge castles and shining armour. There's also a lot more narrative in Sunbreak compared to Monster Hunter Rise itself, though that's not as important to the series.
There are new monsters, weapons, and locations in the add-on: a reworked Jungle from Monster Hunter 2 and a brand new location with man-made structures. Some fans even believe that Rise without Sunbreak is hard to consider complete, but with the DLC the game gets enough content.
Undead Nightmare for Red Dead Redemption
A massive addition to the first RDR turns the world of the harsh wild west into a grim zombie apocalypse. The player once again takes on the role of John Marston, who this time is looking for a cure for his infected family. The basic formula hasn't changed: you have to travel a lot and run various errands, but the new quests are more suited to the creepy setting. The player will have to clean up graveyards, burn the dead, ride a half-rotten horse and do other fun things.
Undead Nightmare received the highest marks for Rockstar's ability to seemingly change nothing, and seemingly make a completely different game. The add-on has an unusual story, interesting surroundings, cool quests, and owners of modern editions will get it all for nothing: DLC is already included in Red Dead Redemption re-release for Switch.
Phantom Liberty for Cyberpunk 2077
After the not-so-successful release of Cyberpunk 2077, the authors abandoned grand plans to support the game and decided to focus on one big story add-on. It's safe to say that the decision turned out to be right: Phantom Liberty received the highest marks from the press and players, and the accompanying free patch 2.0 fixed many of the original's problems.
In Phantom Liberty the player will have to get into the role of a secret agent and feel what the world of intrigue is like: when all sides claim that they are fighting for the right cause, but you can't trust anyone. The story is full of interesting plot twists and turns, and the characters, as in the original, are extremely charismatic.
Burning Shores for Horizon Forbidden West
In the first and only expansion for Horizon Forbidden West Eloi goes to the volcanic archipelago formed from the ruins of Los Angeles. It's a very beautiful location, but you won't have to stay there for long: the main storyline will take 6-8 hours on average. During this time players will pass about a dozen quests and meet new robots: four types of enemies in total.
Burning Shores is hard to call it a must-have add-on, but it will surely appeal to everyone who loved Horizon Forbidden West itself. And PC users won't have to make a purchase: the DLC is included in the full PC edition.
Separate Ways for Resident Evil 4 remake
The reimagined version of the bonus campaign shows the story of the main game on behalf of the fatal spy Ada Wong. Capcom managed to surprise even in the add-on: for example, they reworked the cat hook from the original, and now it can be used in battles. At the same time all the best features of the base Resident Evil 4 have been preserved: treasure hunt, side quests and "New Game +" mode.
Fans of the remake of Separate Ways can be recommended safely, but after passing Resident Evil 4 itself it's better to take a break. Ada predominantly explores the same locations as Leon, so repeatedly wandering around the island can get a little tedious. But that's probably the only downside to this excellent story DLC.
Iki Island for Ghost of Tsushima
Many were sceptical about this expansion, but Sucker Punch has turned out a great addition to a great game. In the story, Jin Sakai has dealt with the Mongol threat, but the inhabitants of nearby Iki Island are still suffering under the oppression of another tribe. The hero decides to help, and for him it is also an important personal journey: his father was killed on Iki Island, and the Sakai clan itself is disliked here.
The supplement is small, but of high quality. This time the focus was on the hero's struggle with childhood trauma, and the main antagonist is much more interesting than the villain from the main game. For example, she constantly gets into the main character's head and tries to find his weaknesses. You should not play Iki Island right after the finale of the main game, but it will definitely satisfy your sudden desire to return to Japan and swing a katana.
Relics of the Old Faith for Cult of the Lamb
In the expansion for this cute cultist simulator the main character receives a new task from a mysterious creature: he is asked to find four bishops and free their souls. First of all, the DLC is intended for those who liked the game, but lacked some depth: after all, the combat system in the basic Cult of the Lamb was too simple.
The expansion fixes many of the original's problems and adds a ton of content, including challenges, abilities, and modes. Best of all, Relics of the Old Faith doesn't break your wallet: it's completely free.
Valhalla for God of War Ragnarok
After the epic finale of Ragnarok, Kratos, together with Mimir, goes on a personal journey that makes him remember old battles. In Valhalla, the hero will have to accept his bloody past, let go of old grudges, and become a new god in the Scandinavian pantheon.
Valhalla was advertised not so much as a new story chapter, but as a new roguelike mode. However, there is enough narrative in the add-on, and a very important one for fans of the series. If you know Kratos from the old games, then it's all the more worth it to go through the DLC. And it's especially nice that you don't have to pay for it.