DLC lately have been seeing a decline in quality. Many have noticed that lots of DLC have been just skin packs, or highly hated by the community. As James Thomas writes on the Cultured Vultures, “Many times I have found myself shaking my head at the sheer cheek of some of the gaming companies that charge you £10 just to buy an additional outfit for your character to use in-game. As anyone who knows me can attest, they are constantly reminded by me that I genuinely hate that aspect of the gaming industry today.” Some of these DLC don’t only do that but make the game actively worse.

This DLC is $20 without sale which is half of the game’s cost.

That does not mean we need to lose our hope for DLC done right. There are instances where downloadable content has successfully enhanced games and provided meaningful additions that resonate with players. When DLC is thoughtfully developed and offers substantial content, it can greatly enrich the gaming experience. DLC done right goes beyond cosmetic changes or superficial additions. It adds new gameplay mechanics, expands the narrative, introduces compelling characters, and provides fresh challenges and experiences for players. Most importantly, good DLC is easily avoidable if the player doesn’t enjoy the new features added, or just doesn’t feel like engaging in it for a bit.

DLC Done Right

A good example of a DLC done right is the Survivor’s of the Void DLC for Risk of Rain 2. Survivor’s of the Void was released on March 1st, 2022 and adds the following:

New Playable Characters: With the DLC, players gain access to two new survivors: the Railgunner and the Void Fiend. The Railgunner excels at long-range combat, dealing substantial damage. On the other hand, the Void Fiend possesses a unique Corruption mechanic that toggles between two forms, balancing health and damage output. Both characters introduce fresh abilities and mechanics for players to enjoy.

Expanded Item Selection: The DLC introduces a whopping 40 new items to the game, expanding the possibilities and combinations available to players. Among these additions are 18 “normal” items and 14 corrupted Void versions of these items. The Void Items corrupt other items in the same class, modifying their effects and often making them more potent.

Dynamic Interactables: A new set of interactables related to the void, a new zone that can appear on any stage where you take damage in it until you kill all of the void enemies on the stage. After clearing it you gain access to void items that are hidden inside of the interactables in the void “seed”.

Fresh Stage Selection: The DLC enriches the game with five new stages to explore: Aphelian Sanctuary, Sulfur Pools, Siphoned Forest, a Void stage, and an endgame stage. These new stages not only expand the game’s lore but also infuse the planet Petrichor V with a more vibrant and perilous atmosphere.

Unfamiliar Enemies and Bosses: Survivors of the Void introduces nine new monsters, two bosses, and two Elite types, presenting players with fresh threats and challenges.

Endless Wave-based Mode: Simulacrum: The DLC includes a new wave-based horde mode called Simulacrum, set within the Void simulation. Players can team up in multiplayer to confront enemies that grow progressively more difficult with each wave. If at least one person survives by the end of a wave, the entire group revives to face the next challenge.

Everything is optional

One of the things that Survivor’s of the Void does right is the fact that everything is optional. You can choose not to play with the new characters. You can decide not to pick up any of the new items. You can ignore and avoid the void seeds. You can use Newt to skip the new stages and you needn’t play-the new Simulacrum mode. This makes it so if you don’t like a specific part you can just ignore it. Better yet, each time you are about to start a new match you can decide to disable the DLC no hassle.

No Multiplayer Lock

Many games with multiplayer features force all players to own the DLC to enjoy it. This can make it annoying and seem extremely cash-grabby by the developers. In Survivor’s of the Void, only the host needs to own the DLC and after that all other players can enjoy all features besides the new characters. This allows players to play with each other even if one player doesn’t want to own the DLC and incentivizes those who don’t own the DLC to buy it if they want to play the new characters.

Nothing Annoying

Furthermore, Survivor’s of the Void DLC avoids any annoying or intrusive elements that could disrupt the gameplay experience. There are no excessive micro-transactions or pay-to-win mechanics that undermine the integrity of the game. The DLC focuses on providing substantial content that adds value to the base game without compromising its integrity. Many of the enemies added are fun and enjoyable to fight against or are just downright cute.

Continued Support and Updates

Another aspect that makes Survivor’s of the Void an example of DLC done right is the developer’s commitment to continued support and updates. The developers of Risk of Rain 2 have a track record of listening to their community and implementing changes based on player feedback. This dedication to improvement ensures that the DLC remains relevant and enjoyable over time, further enhancing the overall gaming experience. Survivor’s of the Void has had a patch as recent as May 24th, 2023.

The Game Was Already Complete

One thing many game studios do that it is horrendous is release DLC’s for their incomplete game, or even worse, releasing DLC to supplement parts that should of already been in the game. A good DLC shouldn’t be coming out until the game is fully complete and out of early access. Many games like the Sims 4 has so many of its features locked behind the DLC that the game isn’t enjoyable without the DLC.

Overall

When developing a DLC for your game, or looking at DLC for a new game and wondering if you want it consider the following:

• Are the features added not annoying or cumbersome?
• Is the game complete without this DLC?
• Does/will the developer keep supporting the game after the release of the DLC (both DLC and base game)?
• Does the DLC add something that should be part of the base game?
• Is the DLC’s value proportional to its cost?

If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of those the DLC is through the first step of being good. All that is left is making sure the content itself is good.

Funding

This article was funded by Aachen. If you would like to request your own article or just fund and see future ones early check out my Ko-fi. Currently I am running a discount with code AUG20 that will give 20% off until August 20th.