In a world gone mad with $15 map packs and $2 clothing packs, it's easy to feel like nothing in gaming is free anymore. But while some games show no hesitation or remorse with their pricing guns, the fact is that many developers have been giving away away free content by the boatload over the past year. Today we give credit where it's due and recognize some of the best and most generous of the bunch for treating PC gamers like kings. Here are 10 games that keep on giving, adding new story, maps, features, weapons, game modes, and updated graphics content without asking for a single additional cent after the original purchase.
Our criteria: no free-to-play games (because it's not special for free games to give you free stuff), and no subscription-based games (because you're paying for that content with your subscription).
Free DLC: Trading, New Minerals, Adventure Mode, Temples, Endgame
Minecraft has been adding free content since it was in alpha, and that flow of goodies didn't stop when it hit version 1.0 last November. This year has seen the addition of trading, Adventure mode, temples (August 1st), and a final boss and ending (November 18th, 2011), among other things. Even if you're not a fan of Minecraft, you have to admire how much free stuff Mojang has given to its fans.
Free DLC: Extended Cut, Resurgence, Rebellion, Earth DLC
BioWare's taken a lot of flak for Mass Effect 3, both due to dissatisfaction with the ending and complaints about day-one DLC. Those controversies have overshadowed the fact that this has also been one of the year's most generous games when it comes to giving stuff away for free. Not only did we get the Extended Cut on June 26th, which addressed some of the complaints, but there's been steady flow of free multiplayer DLC packs as well: Resurgence (April 10th), Rebellion (May 29th), and Earth (July 17th). Granted, much of that multiplayer content is locked in effort to entice us to insert coins to speed the process of opening it up, but there are also seven completely free and open multiplayer maps.
Free DLC: Exile DLC
What's the best way to thank fans for supporting an overlooked old-school sci-fi shooter that was criticized as being fun but too brief and repetitive? Make it longer, add new enemies, and give it away as a free upgrade -- and that's exactly what Flying Wild Hog did. Initially released as a retail exclusive version in March, Hard Reset: Extended Edition (the original plus the Exile DLC pack) adds five levels, four new enemies, two survival maps, and a new final boss. On July 12th, everyone who bought the original Hard Reset on Steam received a free upgrade. Not too shabby!
Free DLC: Cold Stream
Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 have been giving PC gamers free content for years now, and Valve's generosity continued this year with the release of the Cold Stream campaign for Left 4 Dead 2 on July 24th. It should be mentioned, though, that Cold Stream, unlike prior free DLC packs The Passing and The Sacrifice, was not created internally at Valve, but originated as a mod from Matthew "donking" Lourdelet and co. It was brought in-house at Valve, beta tested extensively, and then released as an official add-on. Even if you don't count an adopted mod, the Cold Stream update came with free versions of the original five Left 4 Dead campaigns updated for Left 4 Dead 2.
Free DLC: HD texture pack, Mounted Combat
Technically Skryim's only had one piece of DLC so far, the for-pay Dawnguard. However, when you take into account all of the smaller features that've made their way into our 2011 Game of the Year, like the HD Texture Pack and Steam Workshop support (February 7th), new kill cameras (March 15th), and mounted combat (May 23rd), and we've actually gotten a ton of great stuff for free that has made Skyrim a substantially better game now than it was when it came out last November. And that's before you mod it!
Free DLC: Peer Review DLC
Some of Portal 2's most mind-blowing puzzles are found in the co-op, and Valve gave us another dose of that action with another story-based co-op campaign starring ATLAS and P-body, Peer Review (October 4th, 2011). It includes no less than nine new art-themed test chambers to work through with a friend, and a new single-player and co-op timed challenge mode.
Free DLC: Conquest, New Battlefields
Wargame's developer, Eugen Systems, could've gone the easy route and simply given its fans a handful of 10 multiplayer maps and called it a day. It did that, giving away eight new maps in total, but it didn't stop there: it went ahead and added co-op play and a new skirmish AI in the New Battlefields DLC (April 12th), addressing one of the chief complaints in our Wargame: European Escalation review. Additionally, the Conquest DLC (July 5th) gave us a new territory-control multiplayer mode.
Free DLC: Stranger's Dream, Score Attack Mode, No Sweat Mode
"After the Kid finished his adventure, he sat down to think about what's next. You could say he's lived a hard life, but now he's without direction. Purpose. Life without adventure just ain't workin' out for the Kid. Then he learned 'bout the Stranger's Dream. Now the Kid can keep livin' the dream while the rest of us keep looking after him, keepin' him out of trouble, for free." - The Stranger
Stranger's Dream (December 16th, 2011) adds a new, more challenging Who Knows Where sequence and two new modes: Score Attack to cater to players who want extra challenge, and No Sweat for those who just want to take in the story.
Free DLC: Disorganized Crime Pack
Max Payne hates a lot of things, but even he might find it hard to complain about free content. Why, he might even crack a smile on a day like today, as Rockstar has just released the Disorganized Crime Pack, which lets players shoot it out around his old neighborhood in Hoboken. In addition, there are some new features in Arcade mode like the inclusion of explosive rounds and a headshot-only challenge. Oh, and to really dive into the noir style, you can elect to play in old-fashioned black-and-white mode.
Free DLC: Enhanced Edition
CD Projekt RED became legendary for its post-release support when it updated everyone's copy of The Witcher to the vastly improved Enhanced Edition in 2008. On April 17th, 2012, it did it again: The Witcher 2 rewarded its fans with a huge free content update. Totalling 10GB, the Enhanced Edition is four hours longer thanks to new adventures, new cinematics, the official soundtrack, and more. That's hard to beat.
Naturally, this is just a fraction of the total free content released by PC developers during the past 12 months. If your favorite didn't make our highlight list, feel free (pun intended) to share it in the comments below.
Spy Guy says: I never expect to get free stuff after I plunk down my cash for a game, so when I do it's an awesome suprrise. How much free stuff (besides bug-fixing patches) do you expect to get from a game developer down the road?
