Expansions – or simply DLCs, if you prefer – have become an essential part of the gaming industry nowadays, often adding more content such as stories, characters, mechanics, and new areas that significantly extend the original experience.
And it happens quite often with open-world structured games. After all, we are talking about games that offer an extensive world to freely explore at your wish and many hours of gameplay – and why not add even more on top of that?
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These games have such immersive universes that the optional content ends up being just as good as the main campaign.
That said, I caught myself thinking that some of my favorite expansions ever are from open-world games, since many of them are far from being just extra content, but actually side stories that deepen their base game, either narratively or gameplay-wise (or both!).
If I may say, some of them are as good as their original game – or even better, but that is a topic for another list. For now, shall we take a closer look at 10 of the best open-world game DLCs?
10
The Iki Island
Ghost of Tsushima
When I finished Ghost of Tsushima’s main story, I felt that its protagonist, Jin Sakai, still needed proper closure as a character, and the Iki Island expansion provides exactly that, despite not presenting anything that goes far from the base game in terms of structure.
You have a brand new map with new side activities, yet the expansion really shines in terms of narrative since it takes Jin on a deep journey to directly face traumas from his past.
We get to see him confronting his internal demons that deal with the weight of the samurai’s legacy and his father’s memories – who passed away on this very island. There is also a dangerous new villain who manipulates Iki’s population with a toxic substance, resulting in far more challenging encounters.
Sadly, its main story is quite short, taking approximately 5 hours to complete.
9
Freedom Cry
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Launched as the only expansion for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Freedom Cry is by far the most criminally overlooked and underrated DLC in history – in my head, at least.
It is set more than 10 years after the base game and follows Adéwalé, Edward Kenway’s former quartermaster, who has just become a full-fledged Assassin in the West Indies, specifically Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti), which is one-sixth the size of the Black Flag map.
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He is on a mission to free slaves and fight against the brutal slave trade of the region – and his dedication to it is incredibly moving, which struck me while playing it. You can feel his pain and feelings of helplessness, making the story very remarkable.
Also, it is impressive how Adéwalé has a unique combat with his machete, which is so satisfying and different from Edward’s swords and guns. The bad news is that it is unbelievably short, with all the content lasting only 5 hours, when it deserved to last so much longer.
8
Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep
Borderlands 2
If you are a Borderlands 2 fan, I know that you remember the feeling of playing Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep for the first time, since it is quite brilliant, to say the least.
It is a unique DLC where the characters from the main story are playing “Bunkers & Badasses”, a tabletop RPG similar to Dungeons & Dragons, where every player literally steps inside its fantasy-themed world – with some Borderlands flavor on the side, of course.
Tiny Tina is the Dungeon Master, which makes the story completely crazy and unpredictable, even making fun of the events of the base game, like important deaths and such.
On top of everything, its double skill points and high loot drops add even more fun to the mix, encouraging you to test out builds that you would not normally put together in the main game. An absolutely awesome casual version of Borderlands to pick up and play.
7
The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Ballad of Gay Tony is a fantastic addition to the city of Grand Theft Auto IV, and I must confess that I had more fun with the expansion than with the base game.
While Niko Bellic settles his personal vendettas, another young man named Luis Lopez finds himself struggling to manage his personal life and his job as manager of two nightclubs he owns with his friend Tony Prince.
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That makes the DLC focus more on the glamorous, high-risk world of Liberty City nightlife. It combines action and crime with extravagant parties and drug-fueled chaos, resulting in a more engaging story with a faster pace – like a crazy GTA one-shot.
We should also mention that it has a nice, nostalgic vibe to it by adding the return of some classic mechanics like parachutes, sticky bombs, tanks, and, of course, funny cheats.
6
The Fate of Atlantis
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
The Fate of Atlantis is probably my favorite DLC from the Ubisoft franchise, since it is the most impressive one in terms of scope and design.
After playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for about 100 hours (I really liked Kassandra), I remember that I was fearing I would get burned out of the game if I tried the expansion right away. To my surprise, all the additional content felt so refreshing!
Elysium and Atlantis’ environments are extremely impressive, boasting a fantastic design and ranking among the most beautiful locations in any Assassin’s Creed. All the new enemies and bosses have very different attacks from anything in the base game, which makes encounters even more fun.
Also, it is here that we can find the coolest, most intimidating-looking armor set in the whole game during a torment that makes you battle Cerberos and outwit Hades himself.
5
Echoes of the Eye
Outer Wilds
Whether it is because I am interested in games that are “curiosity-driven” or just love anything space-related, Outer Worlds is one of the most introspective and profound experiences I have ever had with video games – and its Echoes of the Eye expansion ties beautifully to that.
The DLC introduces a brand new, hidden world called the Stranger, which was built by the Inhabitants, a species who came to the Hearthian solar system after receiving a weird signal from the Eye of the Universe.
Its narrative really is as mysterious as it sounds, and you get to discover and study an alien civilization all over again, diving into philosophical thoughts such as the fear of change, letting go of the past, and how important it is to preserve memories.
With enough content to last more than 8 hours, the expansion really makes the game twice as good as it was without it.
4
Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk 2077
My favorite way to describe Phantom Liberty is that it is exactly what I was expecting from Cyberpunk 2077 when it was launched in 2020. We all know how that went, but we are here to focus on the good part of history.
Arriving three years after its launch, the DLC completely overhauled the entire game since it also came with a bunch of general improvements. Night City is finally “alive”, with more realistic AI. It adds a new relic to the skill tree that enhances cyberware abilities (also known as the cooler ones). And on the visual side of things, graphic details are even improved upon.
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Add all this to a story that makes the protagonist V delve into an epic, intense espionage thriller with surprising twists and multiple endings, with a new character played by Idris Elba – and you get a masterpiece.
I also love that the expansion brings a new (and quite depressing, by the way) ending to the base game, which is totally worth returning for.
3
Undead Nightmare
Red Dead Redemption
I still remember how much I laughed and had fun when I first played Undead Nightmare – and, actually, it is even hard not to break into a smile now while remembering it to write about it.
It is the only expansion for the first Red Dead Redemption, and it has nothing like the base game, besides having John Marston as the main protagonist.
The DLC introduces an alternate story where a zombie outbreak ravages the American West, and it really is as wacky as it sounds, starting with Uncle infecting Abigail, who almost immediately bites Jack’s neck – while everyone is still in their pajamas.
So it is up to John to fight to survive and find a cure for the plague. To explore a map that you already know, but is now taken over by zombies, is incredibly fun, especially when every side quest is as crazy as its premise.
The whole experience has an 80s horror vibe that is completely irresistible.
2
Shadow of the Erdtree
Elden Ring
I still have not played any expansion from FromSoftware that is not a remarkable experience, and that remains true with Elden Ring, since Shadow of the Erdtree is absolutely incredible.
It is a fantastic DLC to an already amazing game, which reminds us how high the expectations were – and it managed to exceed them all.
Its world-building is simply *chef’s kiss*. Its art direction, level design, soundtrack, and boss designs are all brilliant and top-notch. There are a lot of moments where my jaw drops while playing it, like the discovery of Shaman Village, the exploration of Shadow Keep, and managing to beat the Furnace Golems.
It undoubtedly magnifies and expands the base game masterfully, amplifying everything that was already great about Elden Ring and taking it to the next level. I personally could not ask for a better expansion.
1
Blood and Wine
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
No doubt that The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is one of the best open-world games in history, so anything to extend our time on the Continent would be more than welcome. But that was not enough for CD Projekt Red, which decided to create two unforgettable DLCs.
The first one is Hearts of Stone, which deserves a quick honorable mention since it is great, and the other one is Blood and Wine, easily one of the best stories that CD Projekt has ever written.
The DLC adds a 20-hour-plus tale with a whole new map that takes our beloved Geralt to investigate some murders that are plaguing Toussaint, which ends up dealing with higher vampires, royal secrets, and one last moral crossroads.
Toussaint is simply beautiful and fun to explore, and the narrative is so engaging by having surprising twists and really compelling characters – and it just feels right to be Geralt’s last adventure as a The Witcher protagonist.
Also, the fairy tale sequence is one of the most amazing and creative experiences I have ever had in my gamer life, and I will never forget the moment that I fought Rapunzel’s ghost and stepped on Thumbelina by accident. A phenomenal experience!
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