Last week, BioWare made the surprise move of releasing DLC for last year's popular RPG mammoth Dragon Age: Inquisition (but not on PS4, sadly), but in a bid not to be outdone - other gaming studios are now releasing their own DLC, a lot of it for absolutely nothing. Of course, each DLC is console-exclusive, so be sure to check out exactly what you're entitled to below!
Advanced Warfare:
'Gun Runner'
High Moon Studios
Specifics of the story are still vague at the moment, but we do know that it follows directly from the events of the main game which saw the death of Spacey’s Jonathan Irons, Our protagonist, Jack Mitchell is thrown right back into the action as the aftermath of Atlas’ takeover floods the Black Market with advanced, deadly weapons. These weapons are finding their way to the hands of warlords and dictators all over the globe with the help of just one man, Yuri Orlov (voiced by Academy Award winning actor, Nicolas Cage). As Mitchell you must hunt and stop Orlov, before he is able to hand his shipments of weapons over. Orlov will be ready for you at every turn however, always being out of reach as his way with words and local knowledge help him easily fade away from sight whenever Mitchell gets close. In the end, Mitchell may be able to stop Orlov, but the arms dealer’s calm demeanor will constantly call into question the ethics of the player’s own actions.
While the story depicted may not be as action heavy as the main game it is nonetheless a thought provoking addition to the game which is definitely something to look forward to.
Alien Isolation:
'Journey to Fury 161'
Sega
Amanda Ripley is judged guilty by a jury of her peers when Weyland Corp catch wind of the incident which took place on the Sevastopol Station, concerning a civil war between groups of its inhabitants, brought about by changes to their contracts, as well as the presence of an alien life form. Amanda's claims that the alien (as well as malfunctioning androids) was responsible for the deaths of all of those aboard the station, she is sentenced to twenty years at penal colony 'Fury 161.' However, it is on board the prison ship transferring Amanda on which this DLC takes place. Aboard the convict cruiser, Amanda befriends fellow prisoner Cameron Poe (voiced by Academy Award winning actor Nicolas Cage) and, together, the two work to restore order after the prisoners - led by the notorious murderer Cyrus the Virus - take over the ship. In the struggle between the ship's crew and the convicts they are transferring to Fury 161, another 'prisoner' is released. It turns out that Weyland Corp were using the ship to transport an alien life form to the prison planet too, where its unique biology and its effects on a population could be studied in secret. The alien wreaks havoc across the ship as the rival human groups fight to gain full control. Only Amanda can defeat the alien, having faced a similar specimen before back on the Sevastopol.
Whilst I am still making my way through the main campaign of Alien Isolation (not being very good at survival/horror games in general) I look forward to playing this DLC, as well as the Crew Expendable story.
Assassin's Creed Unity:
'Identity Crisis'
Ubisoft
This DLC includes a whole new open world environment for players to engage themselves with, expanding on Unity's disappointing one location setup with the larger city of L.A. It also marks the first fully explorable future setting in an Assassin's Creed game, which had only been limited in past games. Not being a fan (at all) of Unity, this new DLC looks to completely redefine the experience and has convinced me to invest once again in the game. I will definitely have to pick it up again!
Far Cry 4:
'The Bees of Kyrat'
Ubisoft
Ajay will be able to explore a brand new area of the map that is seemingly untouched by the civil war between Pagan and the Golden Path. The peaceful, and friendly natives of the land, turn to bee farming to help them prosper and at first promises to be a welcome respite from the rest of the game. There is however something disquieting about the region, as Ajay soon discovers from a Kyrat Police officer, Edward Malus (voiced by Academy Award winning actor, Nicolas Cage) who is desperately trying to find his missing daughter. As Ajay renders assistance where he can, Malus soon discovers that all is not what it seems to be in the sleepy town, as a world of occultism and dark witchcraft soon rears its ugly head. Soon bizarre sacrifices and burnings of eerie wicker men, put Malus and Ajay into a dangerous position as the police officer grows ever more desperate to find his daughter.
From the sounds of it this entry will certainly focus on the more surreal aspects of Far Cry 4, while the promise of new areas to explore always sounds like a good deal to be had.
Metal Gear Solid V:
'Alcatraz'
Konami
Alcatraz takes place in the years between Peace Walker and Ground Zeroes, the Militaires Sans Frontières receive intel that a former associate, presumed to have died in the Peace Walker incident, may be still alive and incarcerated on the prison island of Alcatraz, off the coast of San Francisco. Snake (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) infiltrates the island, only to learn that the intel had in fact been a cruel deception by a rogue FOXHOUND cell. As it turns out, a group of terrorists have in fact taken over Alcatraz island and are secretly threatening the United States government with weapons that have been hidden there for years as a precaution during the Cold War. One such weapon includes a prototype Metal Gear, which has not yet been tested. Snake is forced to team up with FBI Special Agent, and weapons expert, Dr. Goodspeed (as voiced by Academy Award winning actor Nicolas Cage), the only man in the world with the knowledge on how to disarm this unique type of Metal Gear.
Alcatraz plays much like Ground Zeroes but features a larger open world. It has also been confirmed that later in the campaign players will have the option to switch between Snake and Goodspeed in order to overcome obstacles together, as well as play out challenging mini-games in order to 'disarm' various weapons dotted around the island.
It has been promised by Bay and Konami that Alcatraz features a much longer main campaign than its predecessor, and will also feature unique side missions which will further elongate gameplay. This is reassuring following on from Ground Zeroes, and is sure to help fill the gap between now and September. Completing the DLC will also unlock unique clothing options for The Phantom Pain, such as turning Snake's beard white and giving him a distinct Scottish accent.
Tomb Raider:
'Secrets of the Freemasons'
Square Enix
Secrets of the Freemasons takes place between Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider, with Lara Croft still struggling to come to terms with the traumatic events of Yamatai. Distancing herself from the incident and allowing the other survivors to bask in the limelight of the world's press, Lara seeks to distract herself by pursuing another of her father's archaeological mysteries. Discovering in his notes mentions of a sacred treasure of accumulated wealth that dates back to ancient times, Lara joins forces with fellow historian and former university associate, Ben Gates (as voiced by Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage), who explains that the Founding Fathers of the United States may have once been in possession of such a treasure, under guidance of historical Freemasons. Discovering evidence that the location of the treasure is printed on the back of the Declaration of Independence, Lara and Ben conspire to break into the National Archives and steal the document. But other forces seek the treasure as well, and the modern day Freemasons are working to keep their secrets buried for as long as they can.
This DLC combines the exploratory gameplay of Tomb Raider with that of some of its predecessors, incorporating some more restrictive areas (such as the National Archives) in order to follow a stricter, more story-driven campaign. However, like with the main game, locations can be revisited (outside of canonicity) in order for the player to collect secret items. Tomb make a return as well, but this time are interconnected throughout the DLC's plot. Ben Gates features as co-protagonist, but the A.I. is designed to fend for itself and does not require protecting (similar to Elizabeth's role in BioShock Infinite). As someone who was initially disheartened by Square Enix's decision to make Return of the Tomb Raider a timed exclusive to Xbox One (and Xbox 360) I welcome this neat add-on, even if it does deviate slightly from the tone set out in the first game.
All Available to Download Now!
Have you played any of the above DLC yet?
Which was your favourite?