I Suppose Expandalone Video games Are Higher Than DLC: Here is Why
Everybody loves new content material for his or her favourite video games, however not everybody shares the identical opinion on how they get their new content material. Whereas there are a number of methods a developer can maintain a sport contemporary, I personally imagine the expandalone is the easiest way to go about including new content material. So, here is what an expandalone is, and why I like them a lot.
What Is an "Expandalone" Recreation?
An "expandalone" is a nebulous time period to explain the continuation of including content material to an current sport. The truth is, the time period is so nebulous that I had a miniature debate with our Editor-in-Chief Ben Stegner about which video games do and do not depend as an "expandalone" whereas pitching this text.
An expandalone just isn't fairly an growth, however not fairly a standalone sport. It comes from the mixture of "growth" and "standalone", indicating a mixture of the 2 sorts of sport content material. An expandalone will maintain plenty of parts from the sport it is primarily based on, but in addition add sufficient content material to make it a complete sport by itself. Not like DLC or expansions, expandalones are unbiased video games, regardless that they share plenty of parts of the prior sport.
Some good examples of an expandalone sport are Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Each of those use the identical maps because the earlier title, however they add sufficient content material to justify releasing as a sport by themselves. I would additionally argue that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an expandalone, because it takes place on the identical map however at a special time and with radically totally different content material.
Why I Want Expandalone Video games Over DLC
Relating to constructing upon a earlier title, I choose that builders use the expandalone format over DLC. Here is why...
A Good Expandalone Does Not Require Prior Sequence Data
The hallmark of an excellent expandalone title is a sport the place you do not want information of the earlier sport to play it. Positive, having the additional context does assist with having fun with the sport, but it surely's not on the similar degree as a sequel the place you'll be able to simply get misplaced resulting from not figuring out what occurred within the prior video games.
Due to this, folks do not feel they should play the prior title earlier than they play the expandalone. If somebody examine all the great causes to purchase a Nintendo Change and obtained one proper earlier than Tears of the Kingdom was launched, they did not have to fret about speedrunning Breath of the Wild beforehand. The truth is, they may get pleasure from Tears of the Kingdom and return to Breath of the Wild each time they preferred with none lack of context.
Expandalones Can Permit the Designers to Inform a Model New Story Utilizing the Identical Setting
As a result of an expandalone title has to face by itself two ft with none prior sequence information, it means the designers can use the time to inform a model new story utilizing the identical world.
DLC tends to inform tales associated to the sport they're primarily based on, and sequels are inclined to take the journey to a totally totally different world. Expandalones are the right middle-ground between these two mediums to breathe new life into a well-known world with out being tied to the restrictions of the prior sport's plot.
Expandalones Usually Permit Better Developer Creativity and Freedom
Talking of respiration new life right into a sport, an expandalone permits builders so as to add model new mechanics to the identical world. Maybe these mechanics have been thought up after launch, or perhaps they have been left on the reducing room flooring in the course of the first sport's growth resulting from time constraints.
Both method, many of the work is already achieved with an expandalone. The engine is about up, the characters are arrange, the AI has been coded, and the map has been achieved. This offers builders extra time so as to add inventive instruments, mechanics, and characters to actually deliver the world to life and make the title stand out from its predecessor.
They Permit Builders to Rework Prior Gameplay Points
In a great world, all bugs, points, and gameplay quirks that folks have with the sport may be fastened with a easy patch. Nevertheless, some are so ingrained inside the sport's system that it is near-impossible to repair them with out drastically altering how the sport performs and the way it's balanced. DLC can add new gameplay parts and tweaks to enhance issues, however avid gamers sometimes dislike being advised to purchase season passes or DLC to make a sport extra tolerable to play.
However, an expandalone does not have this downside. As a result of the builders are beginning with a contemporary slate, they will weave the specified adjustments into the sport's design from the very begin. Individuals returning to the sequence get to get pleasure from the brand new mechanics, and people coming in for the primary time have a way more nice expertise.
I do not imagine all DLC ought to be transformed into expandalone video games. DLC nonetheless performs an essential position in sport growth, and I do not need it to fade utterly. Nevertheless, each time a developer states they're releasing an expandalone as an alternative of a DLC, I will positively really feel lots happier about shopping for the brand new sport.