In this day and age, gamers are pretty much accustomed to expansions and DLCs being the norm. A successful game rarely passes on the opportunity to release additional post-launch content, be it premium (as a way of getting more revenue out of customers) or free (simply to say thanks to all the fans who bought the base game).
2023 was particularly fruitful in this regard, delivering several noteworthy DLCs and expansions, so we thought there was enough to warrant a separate end-of-year category. Without further ado, here’s our selection of the best five pieces of additional content released in the past year.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (9.2)
CD Projekt RED had originally planned multiple expansions for its Cyberpunk 2077 game, just like for The Witcher 3. However, following the complicated launch (especially on consoles), the Polish studio had to devote significant resources to improving the base game’s performance. As such, they had to shift their plans to make just one expansion. Thankfully, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty delivers when it comes to both quantity and quality, providing a meaningful and memorable addition to the game. It’s no wonder it’s selling so well and getting several awards. Here’s what I had to say in my review:
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty builds upon what was an already great game to deliver more fantastic storytelling (with a spy thriller theme, this time around), exciting combat, and very high-quality side content. The perk tree overhaul is a major improvement to progression, and additions like vehicle combat and the overhauled police system are very welcome, albeit not game-changing. If you’ve been holding out on Cyberpunk 2077 until now, you’ll find a huge game with over 120 hours of quality content and an incredibly immersive game world to literally lose yourself in. On top of that, it’s by far the most beautiful and technically advanced game available if you have the hardware for it (PC and RTX 40 GPU).
God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla (9.0)
Sony Santa Monica surprised everyone with the announcement and release of the free Valhalla DLC. Sure, there had been rumors about an expansion, but they mentioned it wouldn’t be released this year. On the other hand, the developers released this roguelike expansion on December 12, providing an excellent gift to the game’s millions of fans.
In Wccftech’s review, Francesco wrote:
For a free expansion, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla offers quite a lot. The roguelite take on the base game’s formula works extremely well, thanks to the excellent combat system, which truly shines in the extreme combat scenarios Kratos will have to conquer to confront his past and finally make a step towards the future. Its short length, which prevents the adventure from overstaying its welcome, and excellent accessibility with multiple difficulty settings that don’t lock content behind them, also make the expansion one that all those who loved the base game should play.
Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways
Another highly anticipated DLC was Separate Ways, which added Ada Wong’s own perspective on the story of Resident Evil 4. Fans received this piece of DLC with strong praise, and our Nathan Birch largely agreed, calling it even bolder than the remake’s base game.
Is Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways on the same level as the game’s core campaign? Not quite, but I laud Capcom’s decision to chart a ballsy new path with this DLC. There are moments in Separate Ways that hit just as hard as anything in the main Resident Evil remake, largely due to the element of surprise. I didn’t always know what Capcom was going to throw at me and that’s a great thing for this kind of action-horror rollercoaster. At only $10, Separate Ways is a fantastic value and an Ada-on not to be missed.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Future Redeemed
Monolith released one big story focused Xenoblade Chronicles 3 DLC in 2023: Future Redeemed. This expansion adds a new story scenario to the acclaimed JRPG, set hundreds of years before the events seen in the base game. Players also took the roles of an entirely new cast of characters (Matthew, A, Nikol, Glimmer, Shulk, and Rex), and their journey connects all three Xenoblade Chronicles games.
Needless to say, this is a must-have addon content for those who’ve spent dozens of hours enjoying the third mainline installment in the franchise. As a bonus, completing Future Redeemed unlocks a challenge battle that, when cleared, lets players add Shulk and Rex as playable characters in the main game.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
Guerrilla Games expanded on the awesome Horizon Forbidden West with a small yet tasty expansion. It is similar in size and quality to The Frozen Wilds, the DLC released for Horizon Zero Dawn, and is priced the same ($19.99). Burning Shores follows directly from the ending of the base game, asking protagonist Aloy to head further west to the ruins of Los Angeles. Here, she has to take down a remaining member of the Zenith collective, Walter Londra, who is exploiting the Quen’s worshipping of the Zeniths for his self-serving ends. Aloy also befriends Seyka, a member of the stranded Quen expedition, and has the option of starting a romance with her.
Burning Shores is largely more of the same for those already familiar with Forbidden West, but you can hardly have too much of a good thing.
Honorable Mentions
There were many expansions and DLCs released in 2023 that successfully augmented the original games. Here’s another five you should consider:
