Downloadable content can be an enticing way for gamers to extend their time in their favorite game worlds, or it can be a cynical cash grab hocking things like horse armor or content that's already on the disc. Still, given the sheer number of worthwhile games out there, and the fact that many of them can eat up dozens to hundreds of hours of playtime, it's understandable that many players stick with the core experience -- there isn't time to go into "extra innings."

But for any players out there wondering what they might have missed when it comes to post-release content on recent top-tier games such as Alien: Isolation, Evolve, and Battlefield 4, Sony is providing a perfect excuse to dig into DLC, in the form of a massive "Extended Play Sale" that kicked off today.

The PlayStation Store Extended Play Sale offers discounts of up to 60% off DLC and season pass content, and runs through next Monday, May 25th. The sale is also a perfect excuse for gamers to pick up some of the recent releases they might have skipped, because Sony is also offering packages that bundle together both the season pass and the core game itself. So players can grab the full game experience, at a discount, without having to wait until the game companies get around to releasing a "definitive edition."

Leading the pack is Alien: Isolation, an excellent survival horror game set after James Cameron's Aliens and following Amanda Ripley's quest to learn what happened to her missing mother. Because the Ripley luck is apparently consistent across the generations, young Amanda winds up trapped on a space station with a pissed-off xenomorph. The package including the PS4 version of game and the season pass will only cost you $45 -- $36 for PS Plus members -- a significant savings over the $89.99 list price. The PS3 version is even cheaper at $40/$32, or you can grab just the season pass for $15 ($12 for PS Plus members). That investment will get you prequel missions starring the original Alien cast and set aboard the iconic Nostromo, challenge maps, and new playable characters.

For gamers who prefer the open seas to claustrophobic space station corridors, the PS Store also has Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Gold Edition available for $34.99 (PS4) or $27.99 (PS3). In addition to a couple of character packs, the Black Flag season pass includes the critically acclaimed Freedom Cry story expansion focusing on Adéwalé, a former slave turned assassin and right-hand man to Captain Edward Kenway. Gamers will also get the Aveline DLC,  a PlayStation/PC exclusive starring the titular female assassin, first seen in the PS Vita title Assassin's Creed III: Liberation.

2K Games' "asymmetrical multiplayer game" Evolve was one of the most anticipated titles of the past year, even though it eventually received only mixed to positive reviews. Still, Evolve is a perfect candidate for this sale, because it's designed to -- appropriately enough -- evolve over time with the addition of new DLC hunters and monsters. The PS Store has the PS4 Evolve bundle and season pass going for $55.99, which is quite a drop from the $79.99 list price. The Evolve Hunting Season Pass includes character skins, four hunters not included with the core game, and one new monster (the behemoth).

Those are only a few of the titles on sale as part of Sony's Extended Play event. Gamers can also grab cheap season passes for Battlefield 4, Dying Light, Far Cry 4, Lego Batman 3, Shadow of Mordor, Watch Dogs, and others, not to mention saving big on digital season sets for TV shows such as The Flash and Better Call Saul. Head over to the PlayStation blog for full pricing and details.

Source: PlayStation blog