There are 5 expansions that changed the face of video games – here's why Shadow of the Erdtree is one of them

2024-07-02

GamesAction RpgElden RingThere are 5 expansions that changed the face of video games – here’s why Shadow of the Erdtree is one of themWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Two characters fighting in Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree

Picture me, slouching down the broad crumbling concrete walkway that leads to Castle Ensis, my shield raised, slaying shambling foes and dodging a barrage of arrows with this tune stuck firmly in my head. And then picture me speeding down a late-60s London thoroughfare in my Austin Powers-inspired, Union Jack-adorned, Jaguar E-Type rip-off en route to blow up the Queen’s Park Rangers football team bus with the song blaring out of my car’s radio.

The connection? GTA: London was the first video game expansion I ever played, and the first I fell in love with. ‘Liquidator’ is burnt into my brain as a result, and to be honest I’m hardly complaining. Shadow of the Erdtree is the latest expansion I’ve played, on the other hand, and the latest to make me fall in love.

Casting a wider critical eye over expansions more generally, I’d confidently say there are five that’ve changed the face of video games spanning the last 25 years. In chronological order, here’s how they changed the conversation, the legacy they left, and why they’re still so relevant to this day.

The 5 most important video game expansions

5. GTA: London 1969

(Image credit: Rockstar)

A screenshot of the original Grand Theft Auto

Expansion for:Grand Theft Auto (1997)Year:1999Platform(s):PC, PS1

Still, it was DMA Design’s pre-Rockstar acquisition crime simulator that was granted that honour, and the 30-year time hop and trans-Atlantic pivot worked ever so well, offering latitude for different language, outfits, weaponry, cars, and, indeed soundtracking. This was an expansion as it should be – an iteration on an original idea that built on its key beats without revolutionizing enough to enter sequel territory, years beforeSega’s Dreamcast first introduced the idea of console DLC. Better still, GTA London showed what was possible for the series, that the action could easily spill beyond the bounds of the OG Liberty City and its chaos-driven boroughs.

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Moreover, getting games to market might have been a less arduous process during this era, but the fact that DMA launched GTA, GTA: London 1969, the PC-only GTA: London 1961, and GTA 2 between 1997 and 1999 is pretty remarkable. Fast forward another five years and the 3D universe’s GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas trifecta was in the hands of the public. Two years after that again, and GTA 3 and Vice had their own masterfully-handled expansions too.

4. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion – Shivering Isles

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Several ghosts stood in a circular room in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

Expansion for:The Elder Scrolls 4: OblivionYear:2007Platform(s):PS3, Xbox 360, PC

After a string of uninspiring cosmetic-facing DLC packs (the less said about horse armour, the better), Bethesda launched Knights of the Nine, a decent but short expansion that was good if not great. On March 27, 2007, however, Shivering Isles knocked it out of the park as a fully-fledgedextensionof Oblivion, adding a totally new location in a magical realm, more than 30 hours of added game time, new quests, baddies, bosses, armour, spells and more and what was easily one of the – if notthe –most sophisticated expansions ever made to that point. We didn’t know it then, but Shivering Isles was but a peek behind the curtain at what Bethesda was capable of while pushing the bounds of the hardware it was working with. Four-and-a-half years later, and the world was introduced to Skyrim.

3. Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned

(Image credit: Rockstar)

A screenshot of Grand Theft Auto 4 expansion The Lost and Damned

Expansion for:Grand Theft Auto 4Year:February 17, 2009 (Xbox); April 13, 2010 (PS3, PC)Platform(s):Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Arguably The Lost and Damned’s biggest, most revolutionary (or controversial) point of note, however, had nothing to do with its mechanics or overlapping storylines. The Lost and Damned was an Xbox 360 timed exclusive – first launched in early 2009 forMicrosoft’s then flagship console, and not arriving on PS3 and PC until well over a year later. Timed exclusives are relatively commonplace in the modern landscape of video games, but this was the first time a series so big in stature had frozen such a sizable portion of the console market out for what was a pretty significant length of time. Suddenly timed exclusivity had entered mainstream consciousness. If something as big as Grand Theft Auto could do, then any series could.

2. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Geralt of Rivia overlooking a town in The Witcher 3 expansion Blood and Wine

Expansion for:The Witcher 3Year:2016Platform(s):PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Blood and Wine, in essence, was a full expansion dedicated to these narrative loose ends that brought story threads full circle, galvanised existing lore, and added new context to characters as their arcs wound down just before the credits rolled for the final time.

1. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree screenshot

Trouble in paradiseDying in a FromSoftware game is inevitable - butis Shadow of the Erdtree really as hard as people say?

Trouble in paradise

Dying in a FromSoftware game is inevitable - butis Shadow of the Erdtree really as hard as people say?

Expansion for: Elden RingYear:2024Platform(s):PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and S

My jokes aside, FromSoftware was under immense pressure to release Shadow of the Erdtree sooner given the demand for the DLC, but broke from its traditional schedule pattern and stuck to its guns. What’s come out the other end is nothing short of remarkable, and as close to perfection as I think we can hope for at this point with regards to great games delivering great expansions. Through all of this, a new standard has been set – for FromSoftware, and for the rest of the games industry.

If you’re yet to jump into the Realm of Shadow, check out our glowingShadow Of The Erdtree review

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2

1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”