Review: Dragon Age 2- Mark of the Assassin
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How's it going you filthy nug-humpers!? Mark of the Assassin is the second content DLC for Dragon Age 2. Apart from five new dungeons/zones to explore, MotA features a brand new companion named Tallis; a female elf rogue/assassin that is just as customizable as your other companions, and can be romanced!
Release Date: 11/Oct/2011
Platforms: Pc, Xbox 360, PS3.
Price: $9.99 for PS3, 800 BW pts/ MS pts for PC and 360.
Total run time: 5 hours (Blood/Force Mage Hawke, Tallis, Anders, Varric).
Difficulty: Moderate (The only tough encounter I had was at the beginning. I ran a 3 mage team, with varric, and I had no time to prep, before being thrown into battle).
Accessibility: Act 2, statue in your library, near the "Legacy" statue. Must install v1.03 (the DLC can install it for you too)
Summary: Though you start off in Hightown, 95% of MotA takes place in Orlais, in one of their picturesque mountain regions (or as Tallis puts it, in the middle of nowhere). Sadly, I can't really say much without spoiling it for anyone who hasn't played it yet. Just know that this DLc is much better than Legacy in most aspects, and is definitely worth the $10. Visuals/Audio: If you've been reading my other articles, or at least have seen my "screenies", you know that I'm a sucker for cool lighting; and we're on no short supply of that in MotA! Due to the fact that this DLC requires you to update to v1.03, you can be assured that the old graphic problems in 1.01 and 1.02 are a thing of the past. Not a lot of new things in this department, seeing as we are still running on the same engine, and this is a DLC and not an expansion. There are a few noteworthy things though; the score is awesome. Like the scores in the previous games, this does nothing more than enhance the gaming experience. It doesn't get in the way, and it doesn't sound out of place. Another thing would be the abundance of cleavage on Tallis... Sure, this makes me sound like a perv, but you've got to admit that it's a nice distraction, once in a while. 8/10
Story: The story revolves around, you guessed it; Tallis! For once, we're not forced to shove our heads into Hawke's family history, in search of answers as to why he/she is just so god damned bland. Tallis enlists your help to relieve an Orlesian duke of an item that he has no business possessing. But wait a second! Why would The Champion of Kirkwall know an Orlesian duke? Well, one of the many perks of being a Champion, is the fact that nobility find you to be an irresistible curiosity, and they're more than willing to send you invites to private parties, and whatnot! So all you have to do is mosey on down to his shindig, having Tallis as your "plus one" (more like a "plus three" really). And in true Bioware fashion, you'll eventually end up having to do a bit of killing now and then...it's all good fun, really. 10/10
Gameplay: As all balanced games strive to do, MotA encounters span from piss-easy to bat-fuck insane (all depending on your difficulty setting). I for one found the first encounter hard, because I usually run with a three mage team, along with Varric; meaning, I need to have my passives up, in order to survive (I wasted 3 Mythral's Favors). Some encounters were quite challenging, but none of which that can't be remedied with good strats and a bit of micro, here and there. This DLC has less trap interation, more head-on battles (that require a bit of micro), and an actual stealth mission. All in all, I find this DLC to be a bit more entertaining that it's predecessor. 9.5/10
This DLC offers a few new pieces of gear to play with, a few of which are...
- One Mage armor set
- New weapons for all three classes
- One rogue jewelry/trinket set
- Jewelry upgrade for Varric
Lastly, there are quite a few cameo appearances from old favorites; after all, would a trip to Orlais be complete without seeing everyone's favorite bard?
Total Score: 9.17/10
Buy it, what's $10 for 5 solid hours of unbridled entertainment?
