Downloadable Content for Games: Are they worth it?

When I heard that the new Pokemon game Pokemon Legends had a DLC announcement pretty much the same day, heavily implying it was made alongside the main game. It got me thinking about what the deal is with DLCs and expansions in general.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I’m pretty new to the gaming world so a lot of the games I’ve played already had new content readily available. Some of which I hardly noticed, especially when they’re things like fancy armour and other cosmetic enhancements. Others I’ve felt are the definitive ending to a game, such as Trespasser for Dragon Age Inquisition, and there’ve been others that have felt like a bonus for when you’re not quite ready to leave that world behind just yet, such as Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine for The Witcher 3. Then there’s what was supposed to be a DLC, but got so huge that it became a standalone game in its own right - Hollow Knight: Silksong.

I want to talk about these in more detail and get to the crux of their worthiness and perhaps the point of them at all. I’m sorry to tell you that this post is going to mention some of the games I’ve already written about in previous posts, just from another angle. So, if you’d prefer not to read another word (especially from me) about the OG Oblivion, The Witcher, or Dragon Age, now would be a good time to bail. Everyone else, we ride at dawn…

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

I’m desperately trying not to talk too much about this game as I’m planning on writing a big post about it later in the year, but I felt I had to address its DLCs.

First released in March 2006, bonus content started to drop just a month later. These were small things like fancy horse armour (I’ll go back to this in a sec) and spell tomes. These were followed by new quests that involve players setting out to repair old, decrepit buildings to become their home, like a wizard’s tower, or a dwarven orrery. Expansions on the main game followed with Knights of the Nine and The Shivering Isles. As for the small downloads, I didn’t know they weren’t part of the original game, even though I did find it odd that I’d unlocked so many quests just by turning the game on.

The question is, now that I’ve played the game, could I have done without the DLCs? Yes… but why would I? The housing quests are actually very handy, especially The Vile Lair quest which unlocks an underwater den which is convenient if you happen to be trying to get rid of vampirism… 👀

What about the big, expansive quests? I haven’t done The Shivering Isles yet, but I can take or leave Knights of the Nine. The gear you acquire is pretty cool, the lore is interesting and there are some great dungeons to traverse and puzzles to solve, but I didn’t feel like it added to my overall game experience. I also found having to do every little thing NINE TIMES pretty tedious. Still, I can imagine this would be a great addition if you’ve finished the main game and want an excuse to keep exploring.

Going back to the horse armour…I believe there was some controversy around this particular DLC as it was just cosmetic armour that was expensive for what it was (around $2.50USD. This was almost 20 years ago when microtransactions weren’t a thing like they are now.)

Dragon Age: Inquisition

The end of each Dragon Age game brings about a lot of emotion for me. It’s a time to reflect on the experience - the new friends I made, the companions I kissed and those I fought with, and that we managed to conquer evil together, all while discovering a little bit more about myself and my journey as a gamer. Our collective effort saved the world and it feels like there’s little more to be done… That is until Trespasser.

As the main game of Inquisition came to a close during my first playthrough, I was curious about Trespasser. I knew many fans considered it to be the true ending of the game as it essentially extends things out a little further while also opening up possibilities for the next game.

First though, I chose to get on with the other expansions… The Jaws of Hakkon and The Descent both open up new areas on the map, introduce us to new characters, include new music from composer Trevor Morris, and a round of new challenges adding another 10-15 hours of content to the main game.

The most noticeable thing about these expansions is the huge leap in difficulty. Suddenly, things got really tough, especially the final bosses. On subsequent playthroughs, I haven’t bothered with Jaws or Descent again, instead going straight onto Trespasser. Terrible I know, but I felt like I’d seen enough with those two. Trespasser takes place a few years after the events of the main game and there’s a lot of angst (IYKYK👀) All in all though, these DLCs are a great addition to the main game and worth exploring if you haven’t already.

Also, I’d like to note that I’m aware there is a multiplayer mode for Inquisition which also has its own DLCs, but I haven’t dabbled so I won’t go into them. I’d love to know if anyone has given them a go though.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

I’m such a blatant, completely biased fan of these games it feels silly to even go there but I must! 😤

There’s around 16 free DLCs for The Witcher 3 that include new weapons, armour, hair and beard styles for Geralt and some small quests - all of which I didn’t notice were add ons because I played the Game of the Year edition 5 years after it first came out. However, the two big expansions made me feel like I was playing a brand new Witcher game! There’s nothing here that you’d want to skip and there’s no drastic jump in difficulty (unless you count the final boss in Blood & Wine, but let’s not go there…)

I bought these DLCs when I was about halfway through the main game for around the same price and I have no regrets (to be clear, my partner owned the main game but not the DLCs and I was using his copy. Needless to say, I had to rectify things pretty quickly!) They’re masterpieces in their own right (uh oh, here she goes...) and I got more than 20 hours of content out of them. I would love to go into more detail about them, but there’s so much detail and so much to explore, from the new areas that open up (Toussaint is exquisite, as is the fairytale world Geralt finds himself in.) The new characters we meet (I’d sell my first born for Dettlaff!) and some of the most stressful bosses (the Toad Prince) and the absolute worst, no good, evil bad guy (Man of Glass, need I say more.)

Some personal trivia - I had a huge, irl panic attack towards the end of Blood & Wine the first time I played it. I made a choice I wish I hadn’t and I was genuinely scared of what was transpiring. I had to stop for a few days to recalibrate and ultimately put a mod on to finish, after which I went back about 6 hours to make things right. Despite the anxiety, it’s still one of my favourite gaming moments!

Thank you so much for reading! To celebrate all my wonderful subscribers and for reaching over 113 of you (wow! Thank you!) I’m doing a little giveaway! One lucky winner will win a Steam (PC) key for one of my favourite cosy games Mail Time! Funnily enough, I wish this adorable game had some DLCs! Lol!

Anyway, to be in the running, like this post and leave a comment! Not sure what to comment? Let me know what you’re playing or what DLCs you wish existed! I’ll draw a winner on the 6th October! Good luck and thanks again! 💕

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Ko-fi