Downloadable content has seen all kinds of variations throughout the year, and its impact on gaming has been huge. When I say downloadable content, (DLC) I’m talking about any kind of content that consumers have to pay extra to add to the base game. This can range from a new outfit to an expansions that includes a whole new story to delve into. Downloadable content has incited all types of discussions from gamers who have strong opinions about the subject. Most of the time it adds a bitter taste in their mouth, because they believe its not worth the money or that it should have been included in the original game. After playing through the excellent Blood and Wine expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I see an opportune time to discuss what elements make for good downloadable content.
First, developers need to highlight their plans for downloadable content as soon as they announce their season pass. We have to face the fact that the season pass is a gaming trend that’s here to stay. If developers insist on continuing to use this tactic of letting gamers pay for all their DLC content for one discounted prize, they need to give their fans an idea of what to expect. Rocksteady got a lot of flack for their Batman Arkham Knight season pass, because they set it at a $40 price without giving any information about what it includes. When developers do this, it makes their fans haggle over whether or not the pass will include anything worthwhile. After giving a more thorough explanation of what the pass will include, the fans eased up on their ridicule of the developer. Not letting the consumer know what they are spending their money on does not seem like a fair or even moral practice.
Now let’s get into what makes downloadable content worth the price of admission. The two things that make downloadable content worthwhile is creativity and expansive gameplay. Lets take a look at some of the best DLC that gaming has to offer for a few examples.
I have the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Blood and Wine expansion on my mind. This proves that CD Projeckt Red sets a standard that all other developers should follow when it comes to downloadable content. This takes Geralt to the land of Toussiant, a place filled with wine, knights, and mystery. This expansion boasts 20 hours of gameplay and offers something different from the base game. This can be seen in the much more colorful Toussiant and the happy feeling you get from the new land. The quests also puts Geralt in more humor-filled and creative circumstances. Another great DLC is Bioshock Infinite’s Burial at Sea, which was released in episodes and brought players to rapture (a “new” location for Infinite) and even let players control Elizabeth, a non-playable character from the base game. The Last of Us’ Left Behind let players explore the past of Ellie, your companion in the game, in a new, emotional story. Lastly, every expansion that Bethesda has released from Skyrim to Fallout offered unique and time consuming experiences.
All of these have two things in common: hours of content and creativity. For a DLC to be successful the content has to match the price. Left Behind was only $9.99, which is understandable for its estimated 2 hours of content. Fallout 4’s Far Harbor was $25 for about 20 hours of content. The price has to accurately match with the hours of content in the game. This should go without saying, but, sadly, developers have been known for ramping up their DLC price for a small amount of content. They can do this, because they know that some gamers (definitely die-hard fans) will pay any price to have some additions to their favorite games. DLC has to have expansive content that matches the price. It also has to have creativity and try something new. I think of downloadable content as ‘experiments’. It’s a place to add content that wasn’t able to make it into the main game. Its a place for developers to take risks and add unique content. I always find that downloadable content that does this is the most successful. Burial at Sea did this by going back to the setting of Bioshock 1 and 2. Blood and Wine did this by putting Geralt in ridiculous situations, like tracking down the missing genitalia of a statue. Fallout 4’s Far Harbor did this to mixed results by adding a long puzzle section to the game. Even if it was a chore to get through, I admire Bethesda for trying something new.
Developers need to take a look at these games to have an example of what good downloadable content is. They need to stay away from expensive cosmetics that don’t do anything other than make your character look different. The pay to win model is also disgraceful, because it allows players to pay money to get upgrades or weapons that other players can’t get. Different add-ons that could have easily been in the base game are infuriating as well as unfinished games being released that will be finished later with downloadable content.
The good news is that gamer’s voices can be heard, and developers will, hopefully, pay full attention to critiques and start giving us downloadable content that are both creative and offer hours of gameplay.
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