10 Most Overlooked Pieces Of Video Game DLC
Cold Cold Heart is a masterpiece.
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00:00 When it's done right and not horrifically overpriced,
00:03 video game DLC can be an absolute treat.
00:05 It's a really good reason to revisit a beloved game
00:08 from a new lens or with different mechanics.
00:10 I used to be somebody who would put a game down
00:12 once the credits rolled and moved on,
00:14 not really considering dipping back in for DLC.
00:17 Then I played add-ons like Mass Effect's Lair of the Shadow Broker
00:20 and The Witcher 3's Hearts of Stone
00:22 and realised how wrong I was.
00:24 Those aren't the DLCs we're setting the spotlight on today, though.
00:27 Instead, we'll be looking at the DLCs
00:29 that you probably overlooked for one reason or another.
00:32 Maybe because of when they released,
00:34 maybe the game they spawned from was unpopular,
00:36 or perhaps there was a different DLC for the same game
00:39 that most people gravitated to instead.
00:41 Whatever the reason, we're exacting some justice today
00:44 and giving these DLCs the attention they sorely deserve.
00:47 I'm Jess from WhatCulture
00:49 and here are the 10 most overlooked pieces of video game DLC.
00:53 Number 10, Cold Cold Heart, Batman Arkham Origins.
00:57 Now, if you haven't played these ones for yourself,
00:59 you do not have to dig far into the internet
01:01 to find out that the Batman Arkham games
01:03 are very popular and for a very good reason.
01:06 Batman Arkham Origins might not have been
01:08 the most universally beloved entry, but it was solid.
01:11 That said, its perception as one of the less impressive
01:14 Batman Arkham games may have contributed to players
01:16 missing out on some of its excellent DLC,
01:19 namely the Cold Cold Heart DLC,
01:22 featuring none other than Mr Freeze.
01:24 The story DLC came six months after the release of the base game
01:28 and called on players to aid the Dark Knight
01:30 in his efforts to thwart Mr Freeze's assault on Gotham City.
01:34 The story, which is set a week after the events of the main game,
01:37 is genuinely engrossing.
01:39 Mr Freeze's intro and backstory is cool,
01:42 you'll add new equipment to Batman's arsenal,
01:44 which freshens up the gameplay,
01:46 and plenty of players found it was actually
01:48 even more enjoyable than the main game.
01:50 And yet, when the game arrived on Wii U,
01:52 the planned port of the expansion was cancelled
01:55 due to what they said was a lack of interest.
01:57 So it's safe to say not enough people played this one.
02:00 Watch Dogs had a shaky launch back in 2014
02:06 as one of the first victims of what we'll call
02:09 the over-hyped train.
02:11 People were way too excited for this,
02:13 and while it delivered in a bunch of different areas,
02:15 server issues and indications of graphical downgrading
02:18 undermined the experience for some players.
02:21 While that meant a bunch of players dropped off the game
02:23 at various points, many more would have completely
02:26 missed the Bad Blood DLC.
02:28 The DLC released four months after the base game
02:30 and puts you into the shoes of the eccentric hacker T-Bone
02:33 instead of the original protagonist Aiden Pierce.
02:36 Turns out this was a pretty good move,
02:39 as it let the 10-mission long DLC take on a
02:41 refreshingly lighter tone with an entertaining new protagonist.
02:45 Ubi also added in a remote-control car,
02:47 which is a blast to use, and it's a wonder
02:49 it didn't make it into the game proper.
02:51 There are new weapons to use, plus additional perks
02:54 and side missions, making this more of a good thing
02:56 for those who lacked Watch Dogs.
02:58 Of course, given there was so much controversy
03:00 over this game's launch, it's safe to say
03:02 a ton of people would have missed out on this one.
03:05 Should Trespasser have been included in Inquisition
03:11 since it's basically the super important ending
03:14 that Inquisition is meant to have but only arrived
03:16 as a paid DLC? Sure.
03:18 But it's also a pack a lot of players missed out on
03:21 since it was the last to be released,
03:23 and you'd be forgiven for having moved on by then.
03:25 Inquisition had a lot of great DLC packs,
03:28 from the smaller additions like the Black Emporium
03:30 that let you pick up powerful items and alter their appearance,
03:33 to the Jaws of Hakkon that took place on a whole new map.
03:36 Trespasser takes place several years after the events
03:38 of the main game, and it basically explains
03:41 why Solus disappeared at the end.
03:43 Without spoiling anything, it covers some really
03:45 important plot points.
03:47 Apart from being imperative to the future of Dragon Age,
03:50 this DLC also lets you dip back into hanging out
03:53 with your buds and whoever you chose to romance,
03:55 so that's pretty awesome given this game is riddled
03:58 with great companions.
03:59 It did come out almost a full year after the base game,
04:02 though, so if you, like me, had moved on by then,
04:05 there's a good chance you missed this one.
04:07 It really does sound like we have a while to wait
04:10 until Dragon Age 4 arrives, though, so if you haven't
04:12 dug into this one and you want to, you've got time.
04:15 Number seven, Ashes of Ariandel, Dark Souls 3.
04:19 We're pretty spoiled for choice when it comes
04:21 to excellent Souls DLCs, but as a result,
04:24 that means they can't all get the equal recognition
04:27 and spotlight that they deserve.
04:29 For this entry, we're highlighting Dark Souls 3's
04:31 Ashes of Ariandel.
04:33 It might not be as big as some of the other Souls DLC packs,
04:36 but it's a meaty little add-on with some sublime encounters,
04:39 which gets unfortunately overshadowed by its hot
04:42 younger sister, the Ringed City DLC.
04:44 Don't let that put you off, though, as it's more than worth
04:47 it to pick up both DLCs, especially to see some of
04:50 the gorgeous boss designs and meet new story-rich characters
04:53 like Sister Freed and Father Ariandel.
04:56 Ashes is also the beginning of the overarching DLC story,
04:59 so you'd be doing yourself a disservice to skip it
05:01 in favor of tucking right into the far lengthier Ringed City.
05:05 Some Souls fans are also adamant that Ashes has
05:07 the best boss in Dark Souls 3, so you might not
05:10 want to skip this one.
05:12 Number 6 - Freedom Cry - Assassin's Creed Black Flag
05:15 There are a huge handful of Assassin's Creed DLCs
05:18 that could be right at home on this list,
05:21 from Syndicate's Jack the Ripper DLC to the
05:23 Tyranny of King Washington from AC3,
05:26 and both the Hidden Ones and Curse of the Pharaohs
05:28 additions for Origins.
05:30 While these are all criminally underplayed,
05:32 we're going to be highlighting the Freedom Cry DLC
05:35 from one of the best AC games ever made, Black Flag.
05:38 Releasing only a couple of months after the base game,
05:41 Freedom Cry casts you as Adewale,
05:44 a former slave-turned-pirate who was Black Flag
05:46 protagonist Edward Kenway's right-hand man.
05:49 The DLC is set 15 years after the events of the base game,
05:52 and was celebrated for swapping a side character
05:55 into the protagonist slot, its strong narrative,
05:58 exciting new weaponry, and stunning soundtrack.
06:01 The top-tier AC immersion you'd expect is well and truly here,
06:04 and you feel like an absolute freakin' hero,
06:07 because, well, you are.
06:09 Weirdly, not enough people seem to be talking about this DLC,
06:12 so we're doing our best here to change that.
06:14 Number 5 - Minerva's Den, Bioshock 2
06:18 I put this one a little further up because if you like DLC,
06:21 I'm betting you've already heard of Minerva's Den,
06:23 but there's still loads of people who didn't play this one
06:26 because it's attached to the least popular Bioshock game.
06:29 Adding to the inevitable sea of players who missed this one
06:32 was the fact that it was the final piece of DLC
06:34 that followed some significantly less interesting offerings,
06:37 and it didn't arrive until over six months after Bioshock 2 released.
06:42 That said, if you did miss it then, then you really missed out,
06:45 because Minerva's Den is arguably one of the best DLC offerings ever made,
06:50 like in video game history.
06:52 It improves the combat system in really interesting ways,
06:55 perfectly extends the main themes of the series in a surprising new direction,
06:59 and delivers a wildly immersive narrative
07:01 that you can't help but lose yourself in.
07:04 The environments are as enchanting and horrifying as they've ever been,
07:07 and if you're a Bioshock fan who missed this one,
07:09 you absolutely must check it out.
07:12 This might be one of the few DLCs so powerful
07:15 that it caused players to pick it up
07:16 even if they didn't really want to play Bioshock 2.
07:19 But because of the fact that it's a very good DLC
07:22 buried inside a less good game,
07:24 we're still going to call it overlooked.
07:26 Number four, Survival, Tom Clancy's The Division.
07:29 If The Division's jaw-dropping hype train moment
07:32 where we watch the protagonist close a car door
07:34 as they shift it across it while in cover changed your life,
07:38 then you've probably played all the DLCs.
07:41 If you just thought it was pretty cool,
07:43 then maybe you missed out on The Division's second DLC called Survival.
07:47 Survival threw you right into the frying pan
07:49 with no gear and a nasty snowstorm to battle.
07:52 It's a PvPvE mode where you'll basically be scrounging for clothes and equipment
07:56 so you can hold your own against the environment,
07:59 other agents, and hunters patrolling the game world.
08:02 If that sounds pretty fun, that's because it really is.
08:05 Needing to survive with limited time on the clock is a hell of a great vibe.
08:09 It sort of takes everything that's good about battle royale modes
08:12 and injects it with the tonally appropriate Division atmosphere to great effect.
08:16 You can squad up with four players, it's wonderfully intense,
08:20 and while the $15 price tag is arguably a little steep,
08:24 the mechanics and challenge are so enjoyable
08:26 you might find it all super worth it.
08:28 It's as if The Division's full experience
08:30 was poured into this little DLC pack and really distilled into its purest essence,
08:35 and it works really well.
08:37 If you haven't tried it or even heard of it, you might want to.
08:40 Number three, Overlord, Mass Effect 2.
08:43 I wouldn't insult you by insisting you really check out the lair of the Shadow Broker DLC
08:48 because that's sufficiently rated as an excellent DLC offering.
08:52 But Mass Effect does have Overlook DLC, and one such example is Overlord.
08:57 Perhaps because of the distraction of how good the Shadow Broker DLC was,
09:00 Overlord may have received less attention than it deserved,
09:03 but boy is it a good add-on.
09:05 It explores a Cerberus research project that seems to control the G.E.F.,
09:09 and to put it lightly, this DLC goes places.
09:13 The tone is legitimately creepy, you'll do a lot of planet exploring,
09:17 and the dark narrative really grabs you.
09:20 Not only that, but your choice at the end of the DLC will carry over into the next game,
09:24 so that's pretty cool.
09:26 There's also some visuals here that I really wish I could get out of my brain,
09:29 but that is what it is.
09:31 Number two, The Season of Infamy, Batman Arkham Knight.
09:35 We're back on Batman again, but it's for a very good reason,
09:38 and that reason is, how cool are the Batman villains?
09:42 Look, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
09:44 This one suffers from the Trespasser DLC controversy,
09:46 in that some players really feel like it should have been included in the main game from the jump,
09:51 but given it didn't release until six months later, it's possible it just wasn't ready yet.
09:56 The Season of Infamy DLC for Arkham Knight includes four missions with iconic villains,
10:01 Wonderland featuring Mad Hatter, Beneath the Surface featuring Killer Croc,
10:05 Shadow War featuring Ra's Al Ghul, and In From the Cold featuring our old pal Mr. Freeze.
10:11 Casting the spotlight on these iconic baddies is such a no-brainer,
10:15 and fans love digging deeper into the villain's stories,
10:18 and getting the opportunity to free-roam the city.
10:20 Each of them are so deep and engaging, they almost put the main game to shame,
10:25 which does seem to be a trend on this list.
10:27 Number one, Mooncrash Prey
10:30 I think it's fair to say that Arkane's 2017 FPS Prey is underrated and overlooked,
10:35 so its fascinating Mooncrash DLC definitely qualifies.
10:39 This separate game mode is a roguelike that randomises the placement of enemies and weapons with each playthrough.
10:44 You take on the role of Peter, a hacker tasked with learning how five people survived an attack on their moon base.
10:50 He does this by taking the place of one of the survivors in a simulation.
10:54 If it sounds a little confusing, it's Deathloop.
10:57 This is just Deathloop before Deathloop was Deathloop.
11:00 The goal is to help all five survivors escape within a single run,
11:04 and you'll unlock them as you succeed with each escape.
11:07 This DLC is brutally difficult, but in the most satisfying way.
11:11 The challenge is absolutely addictive, it's gorgeously immersive, infinitely replayable, and a joy to take on.
11:18 To sum it up, the gameplay takes everything that Arkane already nailed with the base game and makes it even better.
11:24 There's progression to help you become more powerful from one run to the next, and classes that play quite differently.
11:30 Weirdly, Bethesda barely promoted this one, and if it wasn't for a cult following that spawned from massive YouTubers shouting about just how good this game is,
11:38 even fewer people would have tried their hand at it.
11:41 If you still haven't checked this one out and you do enjoy Prey, it's an absolute must-play.
11:45 That's it for this list, but do let me know down in that comment section if you can think of any other overlooked pieces of video game DLC.
11:52 As always, I've been Jess from WhatCulture, thank you so much for hanging out with me.
11:56 If you like it, you can come say hi to me on my Twitter account, where I'm @JessMcDonald,
12:00 but make sure you stay tuned to us here, because we've got plenty more video game goodness for you.