This year, many awesome games were released, and some fantastic DLCs and expansions for games for titles that debuted in previous years were also launched. Some of them were completely unexpected, while others had people waiting eagerly for the DLC to unlock on their device so that they could get stuck in. Here is Wccftech's best DLC/expansion of 2024.
Previously on Wccftech's Best Games of 2024: Shooters, RPGs, Indies, Fighting, Horror, Action
Alan Wake 2: Night Springs (8.5/10)
Alan Wake 2 has received two DLCs, both of which were released this year. Night Springs came out stronger than The Lake House. Both were phenomenal and the perfect addition to the Remedy universe. In typical Alan Wake fashion, the story was wild and unpredictable but a ton of fun to dive into.
Admittedly, it is starkly different from the game it's attached to. It doesn't have much to do with the main characters of Alan Wake 2 and instead takes you on three individual characters' journeys, including Control protagonist Jesse Faden. Below is an excerpt from the review written by Francesco De Meo.
While the gameplay is pretty much in line with the North Star episode, this episode is considerably better than the other two and the one that feels the closest to the base experience. It is possibly even more daring than the base game in terms of visual presentation, masterfully blending together some very different styles, something that alone makes it worth the price of admission.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (10/10)
Starting off strong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is an absolutely fantastic expansion to Elden Ring and has so much content that it's basically the same value as a whole game for half the price. This was eagerly awaited by many and was even given a perfect score by Francesco De Meo:
Shadow of the Erdtree's open-world design stands out as a testament to how the Elden Ring experience still surpasses anything else on the market. As such, I believe a perfect score is justified, even with the evident lack of significant innovation and some technical hiccups.
It introduced some great bosses and more lore for the Elden Ring universe. Players got to face off against some of the hardest bosses the Elden Ring universe has seen, with new ways to level up and gain strength to carry them through the DLC. FromSoftware can do no wrong, or so it seems anyway.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
This year also saw the release of a new expansion for one of the most loved MMORPGs on the market right now. Dawntrail is the latest DLC for Final Fantasy XIV, a DLC that is brilliant in its own right but doesn't quite stand up to the excellence of Shadowbringers or Endwalker, for example. However, the game hasn't really ever experienced a terrible expansion, and all have elements that are enjoyable in their own way.
The same goes for Dawntrail, which introduced new Jobs (playable classes) for players to pick up, too. Players now have the option to play as a Viper or a Pictomancer, which are two incredibly fun classes to get into.
Dredge: The Iron Rig
Dredge is a fantastic game that blends the "cozy game" genre with a hint of horror. The game takes you on a solo fishing adventure, where everything is not quite as it seems. Soon, you're fishing up Lovecraftian horrors from the ocean and making a quick buck by selling them to a vendor who doesn't seem all too surprised.
This year saw the release of The Iron Rig, the second official expansion for the game. It adds another couple of hours to the game and allows you to build the newest destination, with 50 new fish to catch and more achievements to get. Compared to the base game, this expansion is more focused on the fishing element, which is perfect for those who enjoy that element of the game.
World of Warcraft: The War Within (9.5/10)
World of Warcraft is a game that often gets a lot of hate, as they have released some expansions that haven't done the game justice and led to the game nearly dying (thank you, Shadowlands.) However, The War Within is an expansion done right, introducing a fun new villain from the Void. The new zones are gorgeous (albeit a bit laggy in Dornogal), with a lot of fun side quests, dailies and a great campaign that is still being added to.
When it comes to expansions being accessible, The War Within is up there as one of the best. The focus is no longer strictly on those who want to do Mythic+ dungeons and Mythic Raiding, and there's a shift of focus over to those who enjoy questing and doing single-player content or multiplayer content with minimal consequences. Here's my summary from the review:
Overall, World of Warcraft: The War Within has been a delight to experience, from fun and rewarding mount grinds to surprisingly adorable pets (looking at you, Oop'lajax), as well as some genuinely heartbreaking quests that you get to experience in the main story campaign.
Community Poll
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Honorable Mentions
Here are some other expansions and DLC that came out this year that deserve a mention, just in case the others in this list didn't do it for you.
