Paid downloadable content (DLC) hasn’t escaped criticism this year, but when handled correctly it’s a beautiful thing that expands and enriches the universes that we love with extra campaigns, missions and maps. One such developer that has rewarded its fans so warmly is CD Projekt RED who first gave out 16 piece of free DLC content to owners of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Then, it unleashed a beast of an add-on with The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone which proved to be worth every penny, and easily wins our Best DLC of the year award.
Winner – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Offering 10 hours plus of new content, Hearts of Stone features new characters and monsters, as well as a new gameplay mechanic called ‘Runewords. Alongside numerous quests and treasure hunts, players can explore No Man’s Land and Oxenfurt as they attempt to solve the mystery of the Man of Glass.
Hearts of Stone is how an expansion should be made. The story alone is worth the price of admission, while its cast are instantly memorable and leave you questioning your own moral compass. The new enemies and bosses are a blast to fight, and – despite the high prices – the new Runeword crafting system has strong potential.
A stunning expansion to a fantastic game, Hearts of Stone builds expertly on the Witcher universe by introducing a compelling story and memorable battles.
Runner-up – Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
Richly-rewarding, Heavensward delivers new dungeons, jobs and abilities, as well as a mammoth campaign that takes between 45-60 hours to complete. Heavensward is a gorgeous, stirring, mechanically solid, feature-rich expansion to one of the the best MMO in years.