Great games that started as expansions

Key takeaways

• Video games are long, risky, and time-consuming to make, but expanding offshoots can provide a low-risk opportunity for innovation.
• Experimental projects during DLC ​​development can lead to unexpected genius, bypassing the original objectives.
• Standalone expansions and mods can evolve into full, worthy experiences.

Because video games are still judged on their length and graphical fidelity, modern video games are rapidly becoming longer, riskier, and more time-consuming to make. As such, having a development team on a project where all serious considerations like assets and game mechanics are addressed would be a breath of fresh air, and would mean being able to indulge in creative freedom to explore more experimental ideas.

Although this is not always the case, these experiments can lead to unexpected acts of genius. It is said that with the right spark of inspiration, a work of art often transcends its original form and takes on a life of its own. This applies not only to new video games but also to expansions, downloadable content, and community modes. What starts as a supplement can evolve into a standalone experience that deserves its own spotlight.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

The would-be mission pack that packed a punch

The time between the release date is given Grand Theft Auto 6 and Grand Theft Auto 5 (over a decade), it's surprising to think that it's one of the most beloved open-world crime games of all time. Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityMay have originally emerged as a Mission Pack when Rockstar had a small window of opportunity in their schedule. Rockstar didn't have the support of their programming staff, as they were busy porting GTA 3 to PC.

Meanwhile, the art and story design staff began working on putting together some additional missions. Six months deep, the team realized they were looking at an entirely new title. From its iconic soundtrack featuring 80s hits to its rich cast of characters led by Tommy Vercetti, the suburbsWith its iconic 80s soundtrack, sun-drenched atmosphere, and extreme decadence, it proved to be more than just an evolution. GTA 3.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Retro-futurism and explosively fun kind of madness

It's almost impossible to imagine a publisher giving a studio the green light to create a seamless love letter to pulpy 80s sci-fi and low-budget action movies.. Kudos to the team at Ubisoft Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon was the basis of Far cry 3 to work with, and gamers got exactly that. Perhaps because they recognized that their satirical cyberpunk shooter was quite different from the base game, Ubisoft decided to release it as a standalone work.

It's almost hard to see the fun beneath this so painstakingly detailed forest Blood DragonA VHS-filtered dystopia populated by neon-drenched settings, cyber-soldiers, laser dinosaurs, and a hilariously exaggerated protagonist (voiced by Michael Biehn). Probably for many reasons Far cry 3 Flew out during development (crafting. skill trees, and many other open-world trappings) Blood Dragon Provides a visually compressed experience in terms of playing time that no one minded.

Unknown: The Lost Legacy

The standalone spin-off exceeded those expectations

when Unknown: Lost Legacy was first announced, it was easy to assume that it would be little more than a bite-sized holdover to entertain fans until Naughty Dog's next big project, The Last of Us: Part 2was ready for release. A Lost Legacy The focus was on side characters Chloe Fraser and Nadine Ross instead of Nathan Drake, who finally earned some downtime after several death-defying (and death-inflating) adventures.

Naughty Dog originally planned to make The Lost Legacy a misguided side story about Sully in his younger years. Unknown 4But the team discovered that Ross and Fraser had a certain chemistry and appeal as main characters. What started out as DLC has evolved into a fully-fledged, standalone adventure, which should be admired given Naughty Dog's track record of delivering explosive, larger-than-life visuals in the previous series.

Saint row 4

The head and tail of the ouroboros of absurdity

If is the basis of Saint row 4 (a former rogue President of the United States trapped in a virtual world populated by superpowered gangsters after being attacked by 50's sitcom personalities, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and space aliens with laser guns) seems like a very odd concept. A mainstream video game saga about gritty street crime and turf wars, it's a clear entry into the unknown. The saint row series.

Originally conceived as “Enter the Dominatrix”, a very small expansion for that Saint Row: ThirdThe concept “Jump the Shark” leads to a full-fledged, Infinity-of-Sharks game with its own Infinity-of-Sharks game. Willingness finally put out the fourth wall breaking “Enter the Dominatrix” DLC. Saint row 4 (having announced it on April Fool's Day), bringing the absurd ouroboros of overindulgent absurdity full circle (or, perhaps, full spiral).

Assassin's Creed: Mirage

An unmistakable return to the origins of the series

Assassin's Creed: Mirage began as an extension of Assassin's Creed: ValhallaWith a focus on a smaller, more intimate story set in Baghdad. At some point, perhaps inspired by feedback about Valhalla Feeling somewhat “padded out” pacing-wise and bloated in scale, Ubisoft saw an opportunity to return the series to its roots, to the Islamic Golden Age and the time of the original Assassins.

Mirage Offers a more streamlined experience that emphasizes tight story pacing over mobs, parkour, and RPG elements, and social stealth in game worlds somewhat divided among the fanbase since entering skill trees and leveling systems. While Mirage While not quite the reinvention some fans had hoped for, it offered an experience that returned many fans to the formula they fell in love with in the first place.

Like Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Thread on the weave without a trace

Most games spawned from DLC usually arrive after their parent game, but it seems that Kazuma Kiryu and his story couldn't be included earlier. Like the Dragon: Eternal Wealth Published. Like Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name was developed alongside the main game and eventually dropped Two months ago.

the word “gaiden” in Japanese roughly translates to story or side-story and is used appropriately, even if it results in a long title (as opposed to its short and sweet story).. A man who erases his nameA description of Kiryu's journey to Yata Yakuza 6: Song of LifeThreading through events Like a dragon (Yakuza 7) and up to Ichiban's activities throughout Yokohama and Honolulu endless wealth.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Reconstructing the land of Hyrule, above physics

With the sheer scope provided to the players Tears of the KingdomThanks to its incredible sandbox construction and physics system, it would be a shame if there was only “something to do” after the game's conclusion. Breath of the Wild.

Despite the addition of new height and depth, Hyrule feels very similar between the two, but a vastly expanded version of Link's Ultrahand, Magnesis. BotWThrough object fusing and construction opens up endless possibilities for problem solving and experimentation. Hyrule, once the star of the show, becomes a backdrop for the player's canvas of lateral thinking and material exploitation.