DLC can serve very different purposes, from filling in a missing part of a story to adding a handful of new experiences to an already established formula. These recent releases offer good examples of that range, taking players back to the criminal underworld of early-20th-century Sicily in Mafia: The Old Country, putting them behind the virtual conductor’s podium for two Attack on Titan themes in Maestro, and expanding Scott Pilgrim EX with three long-awaited members of Sex Bob-omb. None of these are massive expansions, but each has a clear reason to exist, whether that means bringing a memorable character into the spotlight, giving a familiar VR experience a striking new soundtrack, or adding fighters that can meaningfully change how the beat-’em-up is played. Here’s a closer look at what these three DLC releases have to offer.
Mafia: The Old Country – Man of Honor review (PS5)
Mafia: The Old Country – Man of Honor is a relatively modest return to Hangar 13’s version of early-20th-century Sicily, but it has one particularly strong reason for existing: Ennio Salieri. Set during Enzo Favara’s early days as a member of the Torrisi family, the two additional story chapters put him alongside the younger Salieri as the future Mafia boss tries to settle old scores and secure enough money to pursue his ambitions in America. Salieri is easily the highlight of the DLC, with his mixture of charm, arrogance and sudden brutality making him an immediately engaging presence. The connection to the wider Mafia timeline is handled effectively as well, although the relationship between Enzo and Salieri never quite develops as far as it could have, while the short campaign ends just as their unlikely partnership becomes most interesting.
That brevity is both a strength and a weakness. The roughly two-to-three-hour campaign moves at a brisk pace, jumping between stealth sections, shootouts, driving sequences and a small-scale robbery without much downtime. At the same time, almost everything feels familiar, with no substantial new gameplay system to distinguish the DLC from the main game. The removal of the knife duels and horse sections actually makes the campaign feel somewhat narrower, while the basic shooting and driving remain functional rather than particularly satisfying. Enemy AI is also still unreliable during stealth, occasionally making encounters feel more dependent on trial and error than careful planning. The controls themselves remain straightforward and responsive enough, but they are serving a formula that could have benefited from more meaningful experimentation.
The additional Free Ride content provides a more convincing reason to keep playing after the story is over. Salieri offers jobs involving vehicle theft, valuable cargo and targeted attacks, while new challenges, collectibles, vehicles, weapons, outfits and Charms give completionists plenty of extra objectives. These activities are not especially innovative and some rely heavily on mechanics already seen elsewhere in the game, but they do make better use of the open areas than the tightly controlled story missions. That said, the world’s restrictive exploration remains an issue, with invisible barriers and other arbitrary limitations making the impressive-looking Sicilian landscape feel more like a carefully dressed backdrop than a place the player can freely investigate.
Visually and aurally, Man of Honor largely maintains the strong presentation of the base game rather than pushing it forward. The period architecture, vehicles, costumes, lighting and rural scenery remain convincing on PS5, while the cinematic direction and facial performances give Salieri’s scenes much of their impact. The excellent Sicilian voice work and atmospheric sound design also remain among the DLC’s strongest qualities. There is one curious disconnect, however: despite the story taking place in winter, the landscape still looks remarkably like the greener, sunnier Sicily of the main campaign, which weakens the intended seasonal atmosphere. Ultimately, Man of Honor is a worthwhile but inessential addition for anyone who enjoyed The Old Country, with Salieri’s introduction doing most of the heavy lifting. The modest price and extra Free Ride content make the package easier to recommend, but this is more of a well-made extension of the original game than a substantial new chapter for the series.
Maestro – Attack on Titan review (Quest)
Maestro’s Attack on Titan DLC is a relatively small expansion, but its choice of material fits the VR conducting experience remarkably well. Rather than trying to turn the game into an interactive version of the anime, Double Jack simply uses two of its most recognizable musical pieces to give the existing formula a more dramatic edge. Kohta Yamamoto’s “Attack on Titan” and Hiroyuki Sawano’s “Ashes on The Fire” provide plenty of tension and momentum, making the act of standing before the virtual orchestra and guiding each musical passage feel appropriately imposing. The appeal rests almost entirely on the combination of licensed music, performance and atmosphere, which may make the limited track selection feel a little thin for players expecting a substantial expansion.
Mechanically, the DLC sticks closely to what already works about Maestro rather than introducing unnecessary gimmicks. Conducting remains a deliberately physical rhythm experience, with hand movements and visual cues requiring players to maintain concentration and follow the music rather than simply react to a stream of button prompts. The Titan Sweeper baton is a fitting thematic touch, and the underlying hand-tracking remains one of the experience’s strengths on Meta Quest, making the act of conducting feel intuitive and suitably expressive. At the same time, players looking for a radically different challenge will find little here that changes the established formula, while the more demanding musical passages can still put pressure on tracking and precision.
Visually, the Attack on Titan theme gives Maestro another opportunity to turn orchestral performance into spectacle, although the music is ultimately doing most of the heavy lifting. The DLC’s presentation complements the darker, more intense character of the source material, while the new baton helps sell the crossover without overwhelming the core experience. More importantly, the audio is the real reason to return: both tracks translate naturally to Maestro’s orchestral format and demonstrate how well the game can accommodate music outside its more traditional repertoire. The biggest weakness is therefore also the most obvious one: with only two pieces included, this is best viewed as a focused addition for Attack on Titan fans rather than an essential expansion for every Maestro player. For those who want to conduct these particular themes themselves, however, the DLC provides another effective showcase for what makes Maestro such an unusual and enjoyable VR rhythm game.
Scott Pilgrim EX – Back in the Band review (PC)
Scott Pilgrim EX’s Back in the Band DLC is the kind of expansion that feels less like an optional extra and more like a missing piece finally being put into place. The addition of Stephen Stills, Kim Pine and Knives Chau completes the Sex Bob-omb-era lineup, and all three bring their own distinct personalities and fighting styles to the beat-’em-up. Kim is particularly effective as a hard-hitting character who can dish out considerable damage and cover large portions of the screen, while Stephen’s mobility and air dash give him plenty of combo potential. Knives initially feels a little less straightforward, but her ability to dodge, reposition and keep attacking makes her an especially interesting defensive fighter once her moveset starts to click.
That variety is the DLC’s biggest strength. The three characters are not simply cosmetic alternatives, with their individual moves and combo possibilities encouraging players to approach familiar encounters differently. Knives’ evasive attacks are particularly useful for controlling crowds and avoiding incoming damage, while Kim’s projectile-producing attacks and Stephen’s more mobile approach provide their own tactical advantages. The new assist characters and additional moves further expand the combat system, although the relatively small amount of new content means the appeal will depend heavily on how much time players want to spend experimenting with different characters and combinations. There is also an understandable sense that these characters perhaps should have been part of the original package, rather than arriving as DLC.
Visually and aurally, Back in the Band remains firmly within the established Scott Pilgrim EX aesthetic rather than attempting to reinvent it, which is exactly the right approach. The new characters fit naturally into the colorful pixel-art presentation, while their attacks give the familiar combat arenas some fresh visual and audio punctuation. The controls remain accessible enough for the series’ pick-up-and-play arcade action, although some of the more specialised techniques can take practice to connect consistently, particularly with Knives’ aerial attacks. Ultimately, Back in the Band succeeds because its new fighters genuinely change how the game feels rather than merely padding out the character select screen. It would have been nice to see even more substantial additions around them, but for players who felt that the band was incomplete, this reunion is a welcome one.