Best Open-World Games to Play for Their DLC Story

Contrary to what some non-gamers might think, video games are capable of telling great stories. Games like The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last Of Us aren’t just fun to play, they tell awesome, compelling stories that make it difficult to put down your controller. In a lot of ways, we live in the golden age of video game storytelling, and open-world titles ascend with each console generation.

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These open-world games feature a variety of classes for players to choose from, contributing to a diverse playing experience.

Sometimes, these expansive open-world games are made even greater thanks to expansions and DLCs. These story DLCs are just giving gamers more of what they want. Some of the open-world games with the best stories have great story DLC. The games on this list are all known for having great stories, but you’ll need to invest in the DLC if you want to get the most out of them.

8

Cyberpunk 2077 – Phantom Liberty

A Spy Thriller That Unlocks a New Ending for V

Cyberpunk 2077’s long road to redemption was officially completed in 2023 with the release of its long-awaited story DLC, Phantom Liberty. The DLC added a whole new borough of Night City to explore thanks to Dogtown and mostly told a standalone spy thriller-style story. But that story’s ending did have major repercussions for V’s story as a whole.

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Those familiar with Cyberpunk 2077 will know that the original came with four main endings, all of which involved some variation of a final raid on Arasaka Tower. Yet, Phantom Liberty came with a unique finale to V and Johnny’s tale. Once the DLC’s story is completed and V has ingratiated herself with the President, Reed V will be offered an alternative ending. They can accept a surgery that removes the chip stuck in their head, but in doing so will be left unable to ever use cyberware again. It may not be Cyberpunk‘s best ending, but then again, that’s a matter of choice. Outside the extra ending, Phantom Liberty fleshes out some of Cyberpunk‘s lore for those who haven’t played the tabletop game.

7

The Witcher 3 – Blood And Wine

An Epilogue to Geralt’s Story That Sees Him Retire

For many fans, The Witcher 3 was so close to perfection that its DLC had a lot to lead up to. It’s easily one of the best dark fantasy open-world games ever made, renowned for its brilliant storytelling and the happy ending for the trilogy. That made CD Projekt Red’s decision to make Blood and Wine a kind of epilogue for Geralt’s story pretty brave. Set three years after the end of the base game, it tells a mostly standalone story.

Throughout its run, references are made to decisions the player made in the main game, but the DLC’s story is mostly its own. However, it’s still a must for anyone who enjoyed Geralt’s journey. That’s because Blood and Wine attempts to give Geralt a proper ending, with him potentially retiring from monster hunting to live in his own vineyard. Whereas the base game told the end to the story of the Wild Hunt and Geralt’s search for Ciri, it left Geralt’s fate much more open-ended.

6

Fallout 3 – Broken Steel

Fixed The Base Game’s Ending By Allowing the Protagonist to Live

Fallout 3 is an amazing game and one of the best post-apocalyptic games of all time, but many who played it were left feeling cold by its ending. Prior to release, Bethesda had made a big deal about the game having hundreds of endings, but in reality, there were just a few. These mostly came down to whether the water purifier was destroyed, whether players sacrificed themselves, or whether they infected the water supply with FEV. Whatever ending the player chose, there was no option to carry on playing after the credits rolled, which was a bummer.

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Fallout 3’s ending felt kind of abrupt, and fans wanted the option to keep playing. Broken Steel delivered just that. It picks up after the base game’s ending and has the player teaming up with the Brotherhood of Steel to take on the evil Enclave. The DLC does an awesome job of showing the consequences of the decisions the player makes at the end of the base game and lets the player put an end to the game’s most powerful evil faction. Most importantly, Fallout 3’s ending was a bit of a dud, and Broken Steel helped fix it by letting the player continue their story.

5

Dying Light – The Following

Two New Endings to Further Kyle Crane’s Story

7/10

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Dying Light

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Survival Horror

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January 27, 2015

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Fair

The original Dying Light ended with a bit of a whimper. The protagonist, Crane, finally turns his back on the villainous GRE and decides to help Dr. Camden develop a cure for the zombie virus. However, the game ends before fans get to see any progress being made on said cure. Did Camden succeed? Thankfully The Following gave us an answer. One of the best horror game DLCs, The Following seems to be set several months after the ending of the base game and sees Crane leaving Harran in search of supplies in the countryside.

The fact he’s doing it suggests Camden failed. In the countryside, Crane discovers rumors of a cure and begins investigating a mysterious cult. The DLC then fleshes out the origins of the virus through the backstory of “The Mother”. The DLC has two endings, with Crane either becoming a sentient Volatile and infecting the rest of the world, or nuking himself and Harran but halting the virus’s spread. Techland hasn’t confirmed which ending is canon, although the upcoming Dying Light 2 spin-off, The Beast, probably will. The Following serves as Dying Light’s true ending, giving players a definitive ending to Crane’s story (at least originally).

4

Elden Ring – Shadow Of the Erdtree

Making Elden Ring’s Already Complex Lore Even Deeper

FromSoftware’s approach to storytelling has always been fairly obtuse, something that was very true for Elden Ring. The game might have seen massive critical success, and gamers loved it, but if we’re being honest, most people didn’t really have any idea what its story was about. Something to do with a giant glowing tree? That sounds about right.

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Shadow of the Erdtree’s story is about fleshing out the main game’s lore in interesting ways. It explores both the Two Fingers and the Greater Will while shedding light on the mysterious Empyrean Miquella (whose absence is a big deal in the base game). The DLC also covers the living jars, warring dragons, and Frenzied Flame. This makes it a must for the kind of player who reads every item description and dedicates their time to learning as much about Elden Ring’s lore as possible. Shadow of the Erdtree is really Miquella’s story, and by explaining his motivations, it shines new light on the base game’s best endings.

3

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – The Fate Of Atlantis

Expands The Isu Mythology

Sometimes DLC that adds to a game’s ending is a good thing. Either because the original ending was a bit disappointing or because it was so good it simply left the player wanting more. In the case of the modern Assassin’s Creed games, the inclusion of post-game DLC has tended to be intriguing. Games like Odyssey and Valhalla are time-consuming undertakings, and many players might feel a tad annoyed when they find out the epilogue of Kassandra/ Alexios’ story is locked behind DLC.

Odyssey’s series of DLCs expands on the player’s role as the keeper of the Staff of Hermes. In doing so, it focuses on one of the most controversial (and some would say uniting) aspects of AC lore, the Isu, and tries really hard to make long-term fans care about this plot thread. It also serves as the real ending to the protagonist’s story, making it a must-play for fans who fell in love with Kassandra/ Alexios. All the ISU history also makes it a must for the handful of players who care about the franchise’s convoluted lore.

2

Fallout New Vegas – Lonesome Road

Turns the Courier Into A Character With Depths and Regrets

Another Fallout game makes this list but for different reasons. Whereas Broken Steel expands on Fallout 3’s ending, Lonesome Road does something very different. Fallout New Vegas has one of the franchise’s best stories, but its protagonist, the Courier, is a blank slate. That changed with the game’s DLCs, which all featured standalone stories but left hints at a larger story revolving around the Courier’s past and a mysterious character called Ulysses.

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Lonesome Road is all about the Courier’s past and offers us a deeper understanding of who the Courier was before Benny shot them in the head and what drove them. The player’s confrontation with Ulysses in Lonesome Road reveals a shared history and challenges the Courier to confront past decisions and their role in shaping the game’s world. In essence, Lonesome Road is the climax of the Courier’s personal story, but not the story of New Vegas, which is bigger than just the Courier (even if they are the centerpiece in some endings).

1

Ghost of Tsushima – Iki Island Expansion

Makes Jin Sakai An Even More Interesting Character

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July 17, 2020

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Technically, the Iki Island Expansion for Ghost of Tsushima can be played at any point after Act 1, but it’s best played right before or after the game’s ending. It doesn’t expand the game’s ending but instead offers a deep dive into Jin Sakai’s past, his relationship with his father, and his family’s legacy on the island. Iki Island is a lawless and chaotic territory that has been invaded by a group of Mongols led by a mystical leader called the Eagle.

Through visions brought on by the Eagle’s poison, Jin is forced to relive traumatic moments from his past, including his father’s death and his family’s brutal history on the island. Jin has a tendency to be the strong silent type, but this DLC reveals the layers of his guilt, fears, and motivations. On its own, the expansion’s story isn’t as strong as the main game’s, but it’s a must-play for anyone who enjoys Jin as a character and wants to learn more about him.

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7 Best Open-World Games With Minimal Storytelling, Ranked

Open-world games are known for having many elements, but a story isn’t always one of them. Here are some games in the genre with minimal storytelling.