The video game industry has greatly evolved as technology continued to progress. The advent of downloadable content or DLC completely shifted how a developer could tell the story they were aiming to convey. The main campaign of the game, or indeed the experience that was initially released, didn't have to be the end.
DLC can therefore work in a number of ways, continuing the narrative or perhaps adding in additional maps, characters, and other gameplay options. Not every piece of DLC that is released is totally successful though and unfortunately in 2020 there were a few misfires.
Honorable Mention: Mafia II - Definitive Edition
The Definitive Edition of Mafia II is as much a remake and a remastering as it is a collection of all the previous DLC. In many ways the Definitive Edition could even be considered to be a DLC in its own right, with one reviewer calling it a 'texture pack' of sorts.
The Edition was also given free to players who already had the original game, meaning it feels like a DLC even more. Unfortunately, it really didn't change any of the issues of the first version, with Metacritic giving it a low 56 rating.
Kingdom Hearts III
The Kingdom Hearts series has a really enthusiastic fanbase and the release of the third keyblade centric game certainly resonated with many players. Considered a success, the game was to be added to with a continuation of the narrative entitled Re:Mind.
The DLC was set to allow players to control other characters and was going to fill in some of the narrative gaps. Recycled boss battles, heavy cut scenes, and a lack of interesting content were complaints that weighed down the DLC. Some even suggested that the DLC showcased the future of the franchise was uncertain heading into the fourth installment.
Borderlands 3
Most of the DLC released in 2020 for Borderlands added unique elements to the game, with each expansion pack bringing with it a new genre and narrative, alongside a range of different and familiar characters. As time went on though, the DLC was clearly impacted by the global situation.
While no one can blame the developers for the difficult position they were in, the final DLC of the year entitled Psycho Krieg And The Fantastic Fustercluck left a lot to be desired. One of the most prominent issues was that the expansion was so incredibly short, players found that it was hardly worth the money they spent on it; certainly a disappointing end to the year.
Resident Evil 3: Project Resistance
There's a lot of debate over whether Project Resistance could be considered to be a failure for the Resident Evil franchise or a success. The multiplayer part of the game wasn't exactly well-received, especially next to some other recent releases from the Capcom brand.
What's worse, is that while some fans were excited to hear that new DLC would be in store, in actuality these ended up being a few new skins and a free 'unlock all code.' Those who were perhaps awaiting new narrative additions were disappointed by Capcom's offerings.
The Outer Worlds
There have been some truly remarkable video game narratives released in 2020, but unfortunately, The Outer Worlds simply didn't meet the fans expectations. Indeed, the game seemed to be outdated in many respects as it required players to do far too much work to progress the story.
Open world RPGs can sometimes be a slog but the Peril Of Gorgon DLC was supposed to change that. Instead, it was incredibly brief and did very little to make up for the shortcomings of the original Outer Worlds. Unfortunately, the DLC really only played to pre-existing fans of the game.
Predator: Hunting Grounds
Predator: Hunting Grounds wasn't exactly what fans expected. In fact, many suggested the game had completely flopped because of its lack of interesting gameplay mechanics and lack of varying maps and character types. There was really not much variation for fans to engage with.
New DLC was added in 2020, which sought to introduce different skins, change gameplay slightly, add new maps and bring in a new Clash mode. Considering how small the game was to start with though, it wasn't really enough to satisfy fans. Much larger changes were ultimately needed to bring this iconic movie villain back from the brink of failure.
XIII Remake
Pre-order bonuses are supposed to be exciting pieces of additional content that other players are likely to pay for down the line in the form of DLC. A common example is new skins, with cool and unique appearances for each of the main playable characters.
The XIII Remake is considered to be one of the worst games of 2020 changing the narrative of the original and forcing the developers to issue an apology over its quality. The 'special' pre-order bonus was simply some golden skins for the weapons players used; a disappointing addition to a game that's better off forgotten about.
Fast And Furious: Crossroads
The Fast And Furious franchise may be continuing to churn out the hits on screen, but in terms of the video game world it hasn't exactly been a success. Fast And Furious: Crossroads promised a unique gameplay experience; instead it delivered a game worthy of a 35 Metacritic score.
Set on continuing its development though, DLC was released for the game. Instead of improving or expanding on its story or gameplay mechanics, it delivered a few additional vehicles and some extra customization, essentially doing nothing for the game itself.
Marvel's The Avengers
It's fair to say that Crystal Dynamics' and Square Enix's Avengers didn't have the most successful launch. The game failed to sell quite as well as was expected and wasn't able keep players engaged very long, with the company reporting huge financial losses.
While 2021 looks to be a brighter year with a range of DLC, it's hard not to forget the exclusive DLC created for Verizon and Virgin users that caused so much controversy. The shameless advertising ploy meant that customers could have exclusive branded skins for their heroes.
The Sims 4
The Expansion Pack model is one that Sims has operated on for a number of years now. EA has built up a diehard collective of fans, with this community having very specific requests in the kinds of updates they are looking for. Unfortunately, recent DLC for the game didn't go down too well.
In 2020 Sims 4 added a number of different Expansion Packs including Eco Lifestyle in June and even the disappointing Star Wars: Journey To Batuu in September. These additions, amongst others, added things to the game that no one really wanted without addressing issues the community had brought up. It prompted some to suggest that EA should stop with the new releases.