Should I Download the DLC for Breath of the Wild?

The short answer is yes, I highly recommend getting the DLC if you enjoy Breath of the Wild. As an avid gamer and data analyst, I‘ve dug deep into what the expansion packs offer, and the additional content is well worth the price for almost any player. Keep reading as I break down all the details!

Diving into the Details of Each DLC Pack

Breath of the Wild‘s DLC comes in two separate packages that add a combined total of over 10 hours of engaging new content to the base game. Let‘s look at everything each one includes:

The Master Trials (DLC Pack 1)

This first DLC pack focuses on new challenges and useful equipment. Here are the highlights it adds:

• Trial of the Sword – Work through 45 rooms fighting enemies to power up the Master Sword. Requires strong combat skills and upgrading your health and stamina. Most players report taking 2-5 hours to complete it.
• Hero‘s Path Mode – Visual mapping feature lets you see your movement throughout the world over the last 200 hours of gameplay. Helpful for tracking exploration and planning out future areas to cover.
• Master Mode – New Game Plus mode with tougher enemies like floating platforms for archer foes. Scales up the challenge, especially early game. Perfect for players who found the base difficulty too easy.
• Travel Medallion – Can place a custom fast travel point anywhere in the world. Extremely convenient utility.
• Eight new armor sets – My personal favorites are the Korok Mask for finding seeds and Majora‘s Mask for sneaking past enemies.

The Champions‘ Ballad (DLC Pack 2)

This second DLC delivers a major new dungeon experience:

• New story quest – Over 4-8 hours of fresh story content and cutscenes focusing on the fallen Champions. Provides richer background on key characters.
• 16 additional shrines – Creative and fun new shrine puzzles to solve scattered across the world.
• Large dungeon with new boss – Called the Divine Beast Tamer‘s Trial, this multi-level labyrinth has some great challenges and a finale against Monk Maz Koshia.
• Ancient Bridle and Saddle – Upgrades for your Divine Beast mounts to travel in style.
• Nine new armor sets – My top picks are the Phantom Ganon armor with attack up bonuses and the Royal Guard outfit for defense.

By the Numbers – Content Breakdown

Let‘s look at some key counts in terms of new content added:

New Shrines: 16 (Champions‘ Ballad) + 1 (Master Trials) = 17

New Armor Sets: 9 (Champions‘ Ballad) + 8 (Master Trials) = 17

Major New Dungeons:

• Divine Beast Tamer‘s Trial (Champions‘ Ballad)
• Trial of the Sword (Master Trials)
• Final Trial (Champions‘ Ballad)

Estimated Additional Playtime:

• Trial of the Sword: 2-5 hours
• Champions‘ Ballad Story: 4-8 hours
• 16 new shrines: 2-3 hours
• New dungeons: 3-4 hours

Total: 11-20 hours of new gameplay

So in terms of scope, the DLC adds a sizable chunk of content – new areas to explore, fresh challenges to overcome, and fun bonuses like the armor sets and quality of life improvements.

When Should You Play the DLC?

Since the DLC integrates directly into the main game, an important decision is when you should start playing it:

Before finishing the main story – You can access the DLC content organically as you explore Hyrule. This allows you to steadily experience the new shrines and gear. However, I‘d recommend saving the big Champion‘s Ballad dungeon for after completing the Divine Beasts, since it ties into that storyline.

After finishing the main story – This lets you play the DLC as a sequential "Part 2" following the base game. The Champion‘s Ballad content will make the most narrative sense this way. The downside is the early game shrines may be too easy with endgame equipment.

On a second playthrough – Repaying in Master Mode gives the most gameplay value, as the DLC shrines and content will be more challenging. However, you‘d need to replay a large portion of the base game again first.

Overall, I suggest a hybrid approach – play the DLC shrines and Master Trials organically on your first playthrough, but save the Champion‘s Ballad storyline for after completing the Divine Beasts and defeating Ganon.

Should You Get the DLC as a First-Time Player?

As someone just starting Breath of the Wild, is it worth purchasing the DLC right away? Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Reasons to buy it:

• Adds variety when you‘re starting to get tired of shrines
• Gives you endgame content to look forward to
• Useful armor bonuses early on like climbing speed
• Brings you back after beating Ganon for more gameplay

Reasons to wait:

• Can be overwhelming on top of a huge base game
• Areas like the Trial of the Sword are very challenging early on
• You won‘t understand DLC story references starting out

Overall, I‘d recommend new players get the DLC to extend your adventure. Just be prepared for challenging Master Mode enemies early on. And don‘t feel rushed to tackle the post-game Champion‘s Ballad content until you‘ve put dozens of hours in.

Think of the DLC as giving you an incentive to keep playing after defeating Ganon instead of immediately putting the game down. The additional content will be there for you to experience when the time feels right.

Valuable Additions for Zelda Veterans

For longtime Zelda fans who have beaten Breath of the Wild before, the DLC is practically essential:

• Trial of the Sword delivers a hardcore combat challenge
• Champion‘s Ballad adds richer story and new dungeon
• Master Mode makes repeat playthroughs more exciting
• Quality of life improvements like Hero‘s Path
• Nostalgic throwbacks with Majora‘s Mask and Tingle outfits

The only downside for seasoned players is the DLC won‘t dramatically expand the world or gameplay systems. But it provides plenty of incentives to keep enjoying Hyrule after you‘ve "completed" the base content.

I‘d highly recommend picking it up if you know you‘ll play over 100 hours. The additional content will push this amazing game from great to legendary status.

Does the DLC Delete Your Saves?

I‘ve seen some players ask if purchasing the DLC will reset their game progress. Thankfully, this isn‘t the case at all!

The DLC integrates directly into your existing save file. All of your completed shrines, quests, map exploration, items, and progress carry over seamlessly.

Master Mode does start a new save file. But your original playthrough remains untouched for you to go back to anytime. The DLC only expands your adventure, never deletes or resets it.

Is the $20 Price Tag Worth It?

For the massive amount of content included, the $19.99 price for Breath of the Wild‘s DLC is more than fair. Let‘s break down the value:

New shrines: With 17 shrines averaging 10 minutes each, that‘s about 3 hours of new puzzles.

Major new dungeons: The 3 large DLC dungeons provide around 2 hours of gameplay each, so 6 hours total.

Story content: The Champions‘ Ballad includes roughly 5 hours of fresh main quest gameplay and cutscenes.

Gear and bonuses: The armor sets, Master Cycle mount, and improvements like Hero‘s Path add intrinsic value on top of playable content.

Total: Around 15 hours of new content, plus gear and features.

For $20, most DLCs only offer 5-10 hours of gameplay. Nintendo went above and beyond here. Considering a single round of golf or movie ticket costs $20, the DLC gives you many hours of entertainment per dollar.

As someone who has sunk 200+ hours into Breath of the Wild, I can confidently say the DLC is well worth the asking price. The high-quality additions earn their value and then some.

The Verdict: A Must-Buy Expansion

In summary, here‘s why I enthusiastically recommend getting the DLC:

• Adds 10+ hours of excellent new content
• Both packs include great shrines, story, combat trials, and gear
• Integrates seamlessly into your existing save files
• Provides new challenges tailored to any skill level
• Gives you more excuses to keep exploring this masterpiece
• At $20 it delivers amazing value compared to other DLC

For Zelda fans of any experience level, the DLC is a smart purchase that lets you get even more enjoyment out of an outstanding game. I hope this detailed breakdown helps you decide to take the plunge into the DLC like I did! Let me know if you have any other questions.