Is DLC The Best Content In A Game? 

I think the answer is gonna be: it depends

The Dishonored DLC with Daud was absolutely brilliant - giving so much cool backstory to a main enemy

"Should it be fully standalone or integrated into the base game?" Torna ~ The Golden Country: Yes

I love it when i watch a video and within the first 5 minutes all the things i thought would be interesting have already been said. And then I see there's another 10-20 minutes left that go so much deeper into the topic than I ever would have hoped from that video.

Rain World's DLC, Downpour, from earlier this year is a really good example of this. The damn thing is basically five fully fledged sequels to Rain World all in one as a DLC for the original game. It expands the world, lore, mechanics and overall content of the game so much that the original campaign from the base game now feels like a tutorial or a tech demo. Really insane stuff.

It's always a good day when Razbuten uploads 😌

Glad to see Crosscode getting a bit of spotlight, it’s an awesome game!

I love how Outer Wilds used its DLC to present a counter-point to its central themes and then dismantled that counter-point to STRENGTHEN those central themes. It's the kind of thing that probably couldn't have been done without being made as a DLC. The meta-knowledge of it being a segmented, additional part of the story allows us to separate it in our minds and let it act as its own argument.

In all honesty, both Xenoblade 2 and 3 have some of the best dlcs of all time. They adress complaints about the main game while improving the already great aspects, they have huge worlds that feel pretty much standalone, and are priced in a way that they feel like a steal. I loved both dlcs and I recommend both to anyone who has had a hard time getting into the Xenoblade series, torna for Xenoblade 2 and future redeemed for Xenoblade 3 are fully lengthed too so you will be getting the bang for you buck

I freakin love how you added some developer interviews into the video as well - always top notch content Razbuten!

This questiom reminds me of Torna and Future Redeemed, DLC for Xenoblade 2 and 3 respectively. Both are such great games on their own that improve and change so much from their base games that they basically are whole games. Like you said, they build off the base game and instead use the time to perfect everything, to where it all just seems better. They are of course, shorter, but still very worthwile experiences that I wouldve been happy spending another $60 for, but instead only paid $20-$40.

TOTK feels like a DLC in the best way possible. It feels like they weren't wasting ressources on re-inventing the wheel. More than that it felt like 'coming home' and 'being able to play my favorite game of all times for the first time again' and that is a feeling i have never had with any game ever.

thanks for reminding me i bought the isle of armor DLC for pokemon shield and didn’t even touch it

This video made me realize that BOTH my favourite bosses - strictly mechanically, not story-wise - from Hollow Knight, Nightmare King Grimm and Pure Vessel, came from DLC content. And both fights have what I would describe as really solid, steady rhythm. I guess Team Cherry really mastered the flow of their bosses after the completing the base game.

I like to wait for complete editions when possible.

Rain World's DLC that came out earlier this year was awesome; easily five or six times larger than the base game and full of fantastic content. What makes it quite unique is that the base game released in 2017, and this DLC came out in 2023, but it's really propelled the game's popularity recently.

Great video, very well edited, good points, it was a pleasure.

I have no clue how you didn't love TW3 but the DLCs in the game are so good.

Nowadays most things are just revered to as a DLC, but I like the older days when you just got a big expansion (Add-On) a Year later. Most games did this on PC and even some console Games got big expansions. With the DLCs there are more smaller things that get added and that's more frequent. This harms gaming more because the line is to bleary that is worth it and what is not. We should go back to this older naming scheme: - Expansion / Add-On: A big new thing, that is expanding the hole game - DLC: A new Quest Line or a new Weapon - Microtransaction: A skin or something else like it - Lootbox: If a game has this, it belongs in to the Trash!

If BotW’s DLC had come prepackaged as part of the game, can you imagine? You beat the 4 divine beasts and a secret 5th zone emerges? How amazing that would have been. Instead you pay for it and know exactly the product you’re receiving, but the experience suffers

I think the "window of relevancy" bit actually isnt that important. you dont necessarily want a dlc to come out just a couple months after the base game because the playerbase has largely been satiated by the base game. of course if you wait a few years people would rather expect a sequel, but releasing an expansion a year after release, give or take, gives time for the playerbase to move on and think about the game, so when an expansion is released they're past the digestion of the base game and are hungry for more

Its amazing you got the opprtunity to talk with the Outer wilds producers, never seen somene be able to talk to them and I was always interested in hearing them talk about their thoughts

What a nice thing to see right when I get off work

Alex Beachum quotes on a Raz video!!! Hell yeah. This was some fascinating insight from the developer side I'd never fully considered. Hats off for another brilliant video.

Crosscode's a New Hope is a very good example of the knowing your audience for DLC as while there were some who criticised the base game for it's dungeon length I was firmly in the camp that loved how extensive they were and really got so much out of puzzle mechanics and enemies and was ecstatic to find out that a New Hope leaned into it

For me, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Frozen Wilds was a great DLC, absolutely loved the extra little story that came with it as well as the fantastic map design in a completely new environment (ice and snow), plus the inclusion of many new mini ways to play the game e.g. new quests (like you talked about in the video about creating fun challenges once the playerbase knows the basics of the game). Another thing that was massively improved was the conversation side of the game, characters weren't static anymore and had a lot more life while speaking to each other, with funny and awkward interactions with better scripts and voice acting to back this up, which just added to the immersion and fascination for me. That's all, rant over. Great video as always!

With every video you make, the quality gets a lot better. Keep it Up!

thank you for delving into this topic

It's always a good day when I can hear a 20+ minute rant about videogames in between studying for my engineering finals

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam is one of the best DLC's I've ever played. Vietnam felt like it could have been a standalone game with how much was changed/added from the base game, while still keeping the core fun intact.

The Old Hunters🏃 (Can't imagine playing BB without it)

Man i love your videos sooo much man keep up the great work. And its realy cool that you put in some perspective from the developers because at least for me its hard to imagine how mutch work goes in to making dlc because alot of the game is already there so it helped hearing someone talking from the other side. Im realy exited for the next video so there can be some more of xour high quality cintent on yt.

Crosscode is such an amazing game with an amazing expansion. I wish more people talk about it.

My gold standard for a dlc is road to gehenna for the talos principle, giving you more of what made the game in a significantly distinct and coherent experience. Your point on the studios decision to make a dlc a stand alone game made me think about far cry blood dragon and i would be more than open to more studios taking that third route of a stand alone « side game » instead of the classic dlc or sequel conundrum. Thank you for yet another great job on a thought provoking video. Cheers

Dude! so awesome you got to talk to such amazing Devs 😄

Love how you asked developers about the process of making dlc as a uni student for game development it’s cool to see more information about the process of developing games and dlc and peoples thoughts on them

Yay! More limelight for Crosscode 🥳. Great video, as always!

Outer Wilds was such an affecting game for me that though I own the DLC I'm afraid to replay it. I'm afraid that it will negatively affect what was personally an important moment in my life.

Damn this was a great video. Really opened my eyes to how DLC is made and why it usually stands out so much.

Love your videos. :) You recommded us outer wilds and a short hike, two games I really adore. Thanks

It really depends for sure. I’m just thinking about how we weren’t sure how the outer wilds dlc was going to add anything meaningful, and then I was crying at the credits again

The first ever big DLC I ever played was Skyrim’s amazing “Dawnguard” expansion. It has now been overtaken as “best DLC ever” by Blood and Wine, but it will always hold a special place in my heart. Go play it if you haven’t

Great video! If I could make one suggestion, I would love to see a label for each game you show. Sometimes in your videos you'll show a clip from a game that looks interesting, but I have no context clues to even figure out what the game is. Would love to have a little overlay saying the game's title (which I do realize is extra work on your part). Thanks for all the great content!

Thank you so much for this video! Thanks for your time and your work :D

Seeing some CrossCode was very nice. Also, when one of the game's devs talks about creating a long dungeon, I can assure you they mean *long*. To beat the NPC you race most dungeons with, you must complete the dungeon in less than two hours. This is an enormous dungeon with 5 floors for 58 rooms, some of which absolutely gigantic, that makes you switch from advanced puzzle to tight combat, both making use of literally everything in the game, in the blink of an eye, the timer will be very tough to beat.

Interesting points. I think I've had a similar experience with DLC's, for instance the ones from Fallout games which were pretty surprising. I think it's also because devs have less pressure once the game has been released. The crunch period is over, some ideas were left behind and they can now be used for some additional content. People expect a slightly different experience so they have the freedom to offer something unexpected. 😌

Wish youtube would recommend channels I'm subbed to. Good thing I remembered to look. Love all your vids, Raz :D

love your perspective as always, Raz. one thing i find a little weird about the whole DLC thing is when you do have to complete the game first in order to play the, in a lot of cases, superior DLC stuff. the witcher 3 is a great example. the smaller scope and bigger focus on the things within that scope are why i really want to play that game's DLCs. but, i have tried to slog through the main game multiple times and gotten nowhere. it's a difficult one, because obviously DLCs aren't usually made for people like me who haven't played the base game.. but i guess i just wish some of them were!

My man Raz, I wanted to recommend you a brazillian indie game called "The legend of hero" which is a 16 bit plataform game where a song is playing on each level and it sings about what you are doing at the moment. If know your taste for games from the other videos, I bet you are going to love it Ps: if for some reason it does not show on steam, look for the original name "A lenda do herói"

I think Jedi: Survivor (though I am yet to play it), and Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 (though that is also yet to have any gameplay reveal), will also be good examples of games that build off of their predecessors, like you said with GoW2 and Tears of the Kingdom. I think it's something that is growing in the industry.

The two Monster Hunter DLCs - Sunbreak and Iceborne - are some of the best ever. Both have: - Campaigns comparable in length to the base games. - All monsters are made more aggressive and have 1-2 new moves. - Around 30 monsters are added. - Brand new mechanics that radically change the dynamics of combat. - 2 new areas. - An spectacular final boss. - A strong endgame system that adds so much longevity to the game. - All gear is redesigned. - Only cost $40 each.

Old Hunters from Bloodborne is crazy good

The thing about the placement of the dlc is really important. I loved bugsnax and was excited for it's dlc but it just felt wrong to keep feeding the islanders buxsnax after experiencing the main game's ending. I actually didn't finish the dlc because of that. And the game also makes you play as if you don't know what will happen eventually .

You know what game deserved good DLC? Zelda II. (Actually, I'm not even kidding. If DLC existed when Zelda II was released, that could have given Nintendo a chance to take advantage of its unique gameplay with more polished level design. Zelda II would be a great, one-of-a-kind game if the level design was better.)

Did the heaets of stone frog for the first time on deathmarch ng+. It really tested me on my knowledge of base game mechanics. I honestly didnt expect it to be so tough, even considering i was on deathmarch, because it was so early in the dlc.

Hey! Thanks a lot for this informed video, it was very interesting to listen to video game creators. They mentioned creating DLCs is some kind of rush, but they didn't touch on associated topics that often come out in video game production : crunch, mental health issues among the teams, etc... on another note, i wonder if AAA DLC follow the same logic!

I know uncharted Lost Legacy is not a true DLC but I think that kind of expansion could be made more often. It was visibly a uncharted game but something felt different and I think DLC should be like that not changing too much from the base game but providing something new and intriguing which completely sold me.

Yo Crosscode!!! I love the team behind this game and they put in so much polish and detail with the puzzles and combat that it's actually quite intimidating at first. I hope their next project is super successful!

This rings super true for the first and second Neverwinter Nights games! Shadows of the undertide and Mask of the betrayer are amazing expansions on the first games (the original Neverwinter Nights was purposly a little dull in order to inspire people to create their own adventures with the modeling kit but still). Here the base game was established and now they could dive into an amazing out of this world adventure that I consided some of the best to experience in Role-playing games!

Shadow of raam for gears of war 3 is incredible. It always stuck with me

I think it must be similar to writing a sequel. When I wrote my fiction novel, I spent a lot of time thinking about the basics like how characters look, how they behave, and what they sound like when they speak in dialogue. I spent a ton of time thinking about the world and what it looked like and the rules of the universe I was building. When I wrote the second book, the sequel, all of that basic stuff is established. I could focus more on the fun stuff like the plot and where I wanted my story to take the reader. Sure, I needed new characters here and there, but the bulk of the work was done. The world had been built. Because it was easier for me, I think the sequel was a better story. The third book, though, I have been procrastinating starting it because I know my characters end up in a new olace never seen before and I'm kind of reluctant to get back into world building mode. Also, I have the valuable experience to draw on when writing the second one. I have had an entire book's worth of practice.

If it’s Monolithsoft, then it is probably another entire video game for half of the price. In that case yes, absolutely. In most others? Almost certainly not.

Super interesting video, thanks Raz

Very nice vid, Raz!

I tend to draw a line between DLC and expansions. Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone are expansions. DLC is horse armour/a few small additions like some quests or weapons, etc.

Some of the best DLC's I've seen is for The Witcher 3 and Dying Light's The Following. Also Echoes of the Eye for Outer Wilds is awesome too!

That after credits scene was the best free DLC yet Raz

It’s nice when the games you love get expanded

I love Shovel Knight and the expansions were really good. I would say that should be the gold standard for DLC, but that was a massive risk for Yacht Club that took 6 years to complete. That’s not reasonable to ask of most games.

Xenoblade 2 and 3 DLC I like them better because the smaller compact size

I really love your content Razbuten. It's pertinent, on interesting subject and with often a lot of new perspectives to consider. You're one of my favorite video game essay channel if not my favorite. Something to consider for the "DLC are well made because the developper know their game better now", it's actually a common occurence accross a lot of media, not just video games. The public reception is part of what makes the game. The best game of the world would be incomplete if there was nobody to play with it. And often it is what bring new stuff to light for developpers and game designer as well : seeing how people interact and build around their stuff in unexpected ways.

Another benefit to DLC development is it provides a good testing ground for new talent. With lower cost investment and smaller risk than a full game, DLC gives the team the flexibility to try putting people in different positions. For larger companies, this can be the springboard for a new development division or a good opportunity to test new team leads before handing the torch down. An easy example is the COD Zombies Devs who gave some of the DLC map slots to Jason Blundell to helm the development of as he would be taking over as game director for the franchise from that point on.

Honestly haven't watched the video yet but I'm making a comment as early as I can so some people might see it: Dishonored 1 DLC is absolutely goated. Several levels better than those from the base game. Even the arcade mode DLC is crazy fun.

On the point of Squeals being Glorified DLC, back before DLC was a thing. You had Expansions and Stand alone Expansions, Hell Doom 2 is a Stand Alone Expansion as a Squeal, as it ran on the Doom Engine. So the issue of Calling everything a DLC is that we've lost the Ideas of Expansions and how that work what it is and more.

The second I saw this pop up I knew instantly that echoes of the eye would be here. The answer is yes just by that one dlc alone

Rainworld Downpour is one of the games where the answer to the question is yes, the dlc has 5 extra campaigns, more things in the sandbox mode, challenges, expedition mode and maybe a couple of things that i may be missing but it essentially doubles or maybe even triples the content already in the game along with more mechanics, lore, etc. that is without mentioning the workshop that is practically free and gives infinite more content but its not official.

2:15 with the recent news about overwatch i couldn't help but laugh my ass off

I really want to start making little indy games and I love how Yacht Club handled shovel knight. Include all future content for the early buyers and raise the price a little bit when expansion content is made. I hate how AAA publishers bank on DLC. It feels predatory that they plan on adding content and not including it.

Literally just got to the Witcher 3 DLCs last month as well. Such amazing pieces of content man. Also shoutout to Regis, the best fictional character to exist.

Great video. Thank you for making it.

You got balls of steel to make a tier list, considering how toxic people can be about defending their favorites

People didn't like Bioshock infinite but i did especially after the DLC, Burial At Sea. I liked the Base game as it is but with the DLC the story added just the right amount of information so it is complete with a unique emotional tone that i haven't seen in other games. *Spoiler Free* That exact emotional pay off, even if it's so so painful with barely a shed of light, it is the result of that Base - DLC relationship that Kevin Levin built. It allowed you to gather all the bits and make your conclusion. To me, that DLC was the first one where the characters popped out of the screen, Elizabeth by the end of it felt like she was real, the emotional complexity i have built up in my head of her is thanks to the care and detail they've given the game and the supernatural elements that make certain emotional positions possible. That DLC was one of those that made you think about the game afterwards. *Spoiler* The entire game, base and DLC is a tragic, morbid twisted tale of sacrifices and hope, the base story ending on morbid hope. The DLC ends on a tragic sacrifice; Elizabeth always found solace being able to see her alternative realities, dreams of a better life. This Hope lived as long she was lost among the sea of dreams of her other self's reality but once you cut her from it she'll have to face reality alone, her own reality, a sacrifice with no hope.. Base game and burial at sea Elizabeth is the same character, not two alternatives. The journey we were on was with the Elizabeth with dreams of Paris, a innocent character in the base game, a guilt heavy lost soul in the DLC. Those dreams were hers and hers only. It dies with her at the bottom of a foreign dark ocean. Base game, Solid but the DLC elevated it to a masterpiece in my book.

Can't wait to see how epic good the Factorio DLC will be

Mr. Razbuten! I always enjoy your videos, which is a little weird because you focus a lot on "big open world" games (or at least BIG games), the type that I really not get pulled into easily, it has to do with something about "taking it all in". See, I'm over 40 and one of the things I have always loved about games is I can see all the game has to offer, since the NES era for me, "seeing all the game" has been somewhat important, and with big games, I feel like I just can't appreciate all the work put into them. I got a 2nd hand PS4 from by brother with some games in it, fantastic games, but for example, I played The Last of Us 1 and 2 (wonderful by the way), but I got left with the feeling that I didn't see all that there is on them, some guy probably spent a whole week modeling or texturing a single house that you blaze trough and didn't get the chance to appreciate the work done, or the details inside some random garage, or the forests, buildings, etc. At this point you have about 600 comments on this video, doubt you'll catch this, but I always thought of this as an interesting topic.

outer wilds is my fav game EVER. the DLC was also incredible but it lost a lot of its impact for me cuz I had to google some important fundamental things that if I figured out myself it would have been crazy awesome. im sad I didnt get to experience that organically

The reason you didn't like the base game as much as the DLCs for TW3 is probably because the base game is a conclusion to the continuation of the book story, which, if you haven't read, can leave you confused and wanting while playing. Meanwhile, the DLCs are much more standalone products, with plenty of new characters and storylines that you can uncover. That and they are just higher quality in a lot of ways.

I closed my eyes every time Outer Wilds was on the screen

Lovely that you got audio responses from these devs too! I was wondering whether you'd mention EotE or not, guess I "underestimated" you with what you did instead! BTW you're a large part of why I bought OW in the first place, thanks for that!

Terraria is the greatest deal I ever had on a game, I bought it around 2011 and ever since then there's always new content. I love their approach so much that I've bought at least 6 extra copies that I've gifted to friends and family

Depends on the DLC just like it depends on the game.

17:04 WHAT I NEVER THOUGHT OF DOING THAT WITH THE SIGNS. I thought it was a gag the devs were doing

I neeeeed a TOTK essay, and even perhaps "what TOTK did differently" type essay video because personally? TOTK was such a glow up/step up from BOTW

Since there will recommendations in the comments here, I will add my own, which I believe is the only story based dlc I have ever fully completed The DLC for Dishonored 1, despite mixed reviews due to choice of protagonist, is honestly one of my favourite games of all time. The main reason is the revamped blink (teleport/dash ability) But also because it has levels that are "smaller" in scale, ie they aren't deciding the date of the country, they do in the end, but it doesn't feel like it. It helps with the roleplaying aspect, we get to play as an actual assassin that wants money and stuff, instead of saving the country or whatever. The climax(es?) is(are?) Pretty cool. Im not too good with words, so I'm hoping someone else will explain it better

This whole video and not one mention of Minecraft. I bought that over 10 years ago for like $15 and it's had so many updates and I've played it pretty consistently. Much more value for money than Shovel Knight ever was.

I remember being so in love with my experience playing Point Lookout in comparison to the main Fallout 3. Something about the smaller world and more interconnection between the quests was really magical.

I'm kinda curious what some thoughts you have on what happens when expansions become seperate from the main game and when studios can make that decision. Infamous First Light comes to mind.

Never thought about how the plural of DLC is really just also DLC and not DLCs. Takes some getting used to though

For me, my favorite boss of all time is currently Gael, also you can buy the entire Dark Souls trilogy for $30 with all DLC included, making that the most valuable $30 you can spend in all of video games

Razbuten has finally mastered the sponsor introducement at the end

Glad to see Crosscode getting some exposure. Absolutely amazing game.