It’s been a few weeks since Bioware and Electronic Arts released the second post release batch of story DLC for Dragon Age II, Mark of the Assassin. We’ve taken some time to run through this new DLC a few times now, and we’ve found it to be pretty enjoyable. But how good is it? We think it might be the best Dragon Age DLC so far.
Some readers might be thinking, “That’s a pretty low bar.” And they’d be right. Most of the DLC for Dragon Age: Origins was not exactly stellar. Witch Hunt in particular felt like a complete waste of time. On the other hand, we felt like Dragon Age II’s Legacy was a step in the right direction. We feel that Mark of the Assassin takes some of the lessons of Legacy and expounds on them by adding new areas to explore, now creatures to face, and new gameplay and puzzle elements to enjoy.
Harlequins are just one new type of enemy that players will face
Much like Legacy, players can access Mark of the Assassin anytime after Act 1 officially begins at a Lion statue in Gamlen’s house, or in Hawke’s Estate in Acts 2 and 3, as well as after the game is over. Once the DLC begins, players will be introduced to Tallis, an Elven Assassin voiced and portrayed by Felcia Day. Tallis convinces Hawke to travel to a Chateau owned by an Orleasian noble to attempt to steal a jewel named “The Heart of the Many.”
After arriving at Chateau Haine, the Orleasian Noble, Duke Prosper will invite Hawke and his party to partake in a great hunt. The prey: Wyverns. After hunting down and killing one of the Wyverns, Hawke must mingle at the afterparty long enough to acquire the key to the Chateau. Once inside, players can take the direct approach, or choice to sneak though the castle in order find the gem.
Meet Tallis....and the Wyvern.
Like Legacy before it, Mark of the Assassin is a decent sized expansion that will take a couple of hours to beat. Unlike Legacy, there are a couple of choices that can be made along that way that can change part of the outcome in what appears to be a more meaningful way. The introduction of Wyverns, Harlequins, and other new enemies makes the combat a bit more diverse, and the option to sneak through a portion of the DLC allows for some new gameplay options.
However, Mark of the Assassin isn’t perfect. Tallis, the new character added to the party for this DLC, isn’t one of our favorite characters ever. Part of this is in the character’s writing, and part of it is in the performance. We wish that the character had felt as fleshed out as a character with a webseries already behind it should. Since Tallis needs to be brought along for all portions of the mission, this is more of an issue than a character for the main game who can be ignored outside of any personal quests.
We've met Talls. Can we go now.
That being said, fans of Dragon Age II will still enjoy Mark of the Assassin for what it is….an excuse to fire up a game we already love for another few hours. Players with multiple characters will get even more use out of Mark of the Assassin, and the fact that the DLC offers a lot of new content is also a plus. While not essential to the core Dragon Age II experience, true fans would be remiss to miss out on Mark of the Assassin.
Overall Score: 8/10
