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Best expansion pack in gaming?

Hella

Hella

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,406
I'm curious what y'all think is the best expansion pack in gaming, and please explain your answer. Now I don't mean DLC or microtransaction, but full-blown expansion pack that is a significant add-on to all aspects of the game. They've kind of gone out style in favour of DLC, but there are still some released.

(As to the distinction between "DLC" and "expansion pack", it's kind of muddy so use your best judgement.)


Personally, I'm going with XCOM 2: War of the Chosen.
woc_logo.png

It might as well be XCOM 2.5 for how much it improves and adds to the game:
  • The titular Chosen, 3 deadly nemeses that change every campaign, adding unique new challenges (and rewards)
  • 3 new factions and associated "hero" classes for players to align with, adding new strategies and tasks
  • an array of new enemies and biomes that add even greater variety to normal missions
  • and many technical and mechanical improvements to make campaigns flow better, and make every decision matter even more
  • plus the propaganda center (a photo mode, basically) which is low-key one of the coolest additions to the game.
  • and finally, a challenge mode that I honestly never used (that is now being expanded to great new heights in XCOM 2's final DLC, the Tactical Legacy Pack)
A pic collage of the features:
The_Chosen.png

Factions_and_Hero_Classes.png

New_Alien_and_ADVENT_Threats.png

Environment_Alt.jpg

Greater_Customization.jpg

Share_the_Resistance.png

ChallengeMode.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

There are many other great expansion packs out there but WotC is the only one that makes pretty much everything feel entirely new. It at times feels like a sequel more than an add-on, and that's why it's the best.

So what do y'all think can compete?
 
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Admiral Woofington

Admiral Woofington

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
14,892
Witcher 3 Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for me.

One added a very strong narrative and soundtrack. The other added dozens upon dozens of hours of content and was a love letter goodbye to the main character we've grown to love as we essentially retired him.

It speaks volume of their quality when folks both in here and professionally were choosing either/both as rpg of the year and we had arguments on whether expansions should count for goty votes.
 
FF Seraphim

FF Seraphim

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,736
Tokyo
There are a lot to choose one, picking one is hard...

If I had to pick it would probably be the Old Hunter's DLC for Bloodborne. Almost all the boss fights are amazing and really helps expand the lore of Bloodborne.
Plus the music, so damn good.
 
harz-marz

harz-marz

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,947
220px-The_Ballad_of_Gay_Tony_cover.jpg


I remember really enjoying this and it was the last single player expansion that Rockstar released afaik
 

Slatsunus

Member
Nov 2, 2017
3,215
Mask of the Betrayer, it blows the base game outta the water and then does laps around it for fun
 
7upguy

7upguy

Member
Oct 31, 2017
88
I would have too say Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Torna the Golden Country. I am loving the more streamlined combat system and the music is amazing.
 

higgsboson1997

Banned
Nov 13, 2017
844
Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion for me. First Splatoon campaign I've absolutely loved. I genuinely think it is better than Portal's (it follows a somewhat similar format).
 
OP
OP
Hella

Hella

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,406
For people going with the Witcher 3 Expansion Pass: if you could choose only one expansion (Heart of Stone or Blood & Wine), would it still rank? I've (still, unfortunately) only played Heart of Stone, so it's not like I doubt it, but I'm just curious if that would change y'all's rankings at all.
 
ToKre

ToKre

Member
Mar 11, 2018
358
The witcher 3 by far for me
Hearts of stone is thr best thing i have ever played.
 
Azzanadra

Azzanadra

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,806
Canada
220px-Diablo_II_-_Lord_of_Destruction_Coverart.png


Wasn't the biggest or most ambitious expansion, but it augmented the original game in a way that made it feel "complete", not that Diablo 2 wasn't any less complete on its own. Its what made Diablo 2 the legendary game it is now, and not not merely just a great one.
 
Atom Heart Mother

Atom Heart Mother

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,298
new jersey
220px-Brood_War_box_art_%28StarCraft%29.jpg

This turned Starcraft 1 from a great game to an actual all-time e-sport classic. Brood War had such an amazing balance and single player mode that it hasn't been topped by any RTS. Ever.

Honestly, most Blizzard expansion packs are amazing. Except for Warlords of Draenor.
 
Adathir

Adathir

Member
Oct 25, 2017
767
Lord of the Rings Online: The Mines of Moria

They nailed the look and feel of what Moria was described as in the books. The music, the atmosphere, the difficulty of navigating it, the amount of content added, there were just so many great additions made to the game with that update. If they could have kept up that sort of additional content then the game would be in a much better state today.
 
Inugami

Inugami

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,995
Mario Kart 8 is a very strong contender, but I'd say every non-WoW Blizzard expansion pack are the real winners. Take your pick, every single one has taken a good game and made it great or better than great.
 
baconcow

baconcow

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,814
Diablo II - Lord of Destruction

Mentions:
- StarCraft: Brood War
- Baldur's Gate: Throne of Bhaal
- XCOM: Enemy Within
- Sonic & Knuckles
- Elder Scrolls IV, The: Oblivion - Shivering Isles
 
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Doflamingo

Member
Nov 8, 2017
95
Yuri's Revenge for RA2 yo. Continued the ridiculous story while adding an amazing 3rd playable faction.

God I miss C&C.
 
Paul

Paul

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,603
Admiral Woofington said:
Witcher 3 Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine for me.

One added a very strong narrative and soundtrack. The other added dozens upon dozens of hours of content and was a love letter goodbye to the main character we've grown to love as we essentially retired him.

It speaks volume of their quality when folks both in here and professionally were choosing either/both as rpg of the year and we had arguments on whether expansions should count for goty votes.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

This.
 
RobbRivers

RobbRivers

Member
Jan 3, 2018
2,021
Red alert counterstrike and aftermath, c&c generals zero hour, red alert 2 Yuri's revenge, and c&c 3 kane's wrath.

Halo 3 odst could be considered an expansion or a new game?

Forza horizon: storm island, blizzard mountain and hot wheels

Starcraft expansions, age of empires expansions
Halo wars 2: awakening the nightmare
Company of heroes expansions, world in conflict expansion...

I think strategy games have the best expansion packs ever.
 
OP
OP
Hella

Hella

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,406
I just added a mention in the OP, but it'd also be good if folks explained their answers. Not everyone has played these games or their xpacs, so for their benefit help 'em out a bit.
RobbRivers said:
I think strategy games have the best expansion packs ever.
Click to expand...
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Strategy games definitely have an edge here, I think. They're designed around replayability so add-ons like this make a lot of sense.

Like, outside of strategy games or MMOs, The Witcher 3's like the only single-player, "linear" expansion I can think of that really pulled it off well.
 
AbandonedTrolley

AbandonedTrolley

Member
Oct 26, 2017
633
Essex
DRIVECLUB season pass, one of the best value for money season passes out there, 12 monthly updates with cars, tracks and challenges. All for £20.

That and the game was a graphical masterpiece
 
JudgmentJay

JudgmentJay

Member
Nov 14, 2017
5,222
Texas
Bloodborne: The Old Hunters is the best slice of video game content I've ever played. But I guess that's not really what the OP wants since it's DLC.

For expansion pack it'd probably be Lord of Destruction for Diablo 2.
 
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Vimes

Vimes

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,278
I was alive for Brood War and Frozen Throne.

And yet, I'm gonna say House of Wolves.
 
HylianSeven

HylianSeven

Shin Megami TC - Community Resetter
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,069
I agree with a lot of mentions in this thread, but I'd like to give an honorable mention to Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, the Golden Country. It has a similar flow to the main game, but at the same time feels like a completely different Xenoblade game, but in a good way. They could have just gone with something that still involved Rex and co., but instead did something very different, and it paid off. It is obviously smaller than the main game, but still fairly meaty. The combat being completely different made it feel like something completely new. The music even took on a more jazzy tone than the orchestral field music and electric guitar battle themes.

All in all I love expansions that do something completely different like Torna from the main game.
 
Skunk

Skunk

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,066
I came into the thread to post Diablo II: Lord Of Destruction, but XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen is a really great pick as well. It's actually very similar to D2:LOD in the respect that it's not so much that it adds a huge wealth of new content, but rather adds a lot of features that enhance and perfect an already great game.
 

ZiggyPalffyLA

Banned
Nov 2, 2017
4,504
Los Angeles, California
Adathir said:
Lord of the Rings Online: The Mines of Moria

They nailed the look and feel of what Moria was described as in the books. The music, the atmosphere, the difficulty of navigating it, the amount of content added, there were just so many great additions made to the game with that update. If they could have kept up that sort of additional content then the game would be in a much better state today.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I wonder if that game world could ever be ported to consoles as a single player game?
 
Lord Azrael

Lord Azrael

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,976
The marine and dinosaur expansion packs for the original Zoo Tycoon turn it from an alright game to an amazing one
 
Pellaidh

Pellaidh

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,178
Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne.

It not only had a great singleplayer campaign with tons of variety in its missions, but it also came with improvements to the map editor which allowed custom maps to really take off.
 
zeknurn

zeknurn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,270
I'd probably say Yuri's Revenge for Red Alert 2. It had a great singleplayer campaign and it added a bunch of new fun units.
 
Oleander

Oleander

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,589
The Witcher III's, Age of Empires/Mythology, and Blizzard's games are great picks.

However, I'm going to go with Heavensward: Final Fantasy XIV. The direction the game went in the final stages of A Realm Reborn, heading into Ishgard and The Dragonsong War, is probably the best storytelling that Final Fantasy has pulled off. It also has perhaps the best 24 man raid to date in The Weeping City of Mhach. Heavensward is what cemented FFXIV's place in the MMO pantheon.
 
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