Review - Dragon Age: Mark of the Assassin

Dragon Age 2's second story-based DLC outing is "Mark of the Assassin," an adventure that - apart from sporting around 5-6 hours of additional questing time - also features the remarkable voice talent of Felicia Day as the titular assassin, Tallis. Fans of the actress will find a pleasant treat in this DLC; Day brings Tallis to life in an engrossing way, and while the character herself may not be the most interesting of Bioware's creations, she still houses a personality and backstory that's worth a look.

The same can be said for the DLC itself; the premise, execution, and twists along the tale prove to be an entertaining diversion that will provide a solid chunk of additional gameplay. It's worth the pricetag - more so than Legacy. Everything good about Dragon Age is here: intricate lore woven into an interesting story, new creatures that provide varied and interesting battles, a puzzle or two to wrack your brain, challenging boss fights, and even a few surprising cameos from Dragon Age: Origins.

It's Felicia Day! In Dragon Age! As an elf!

The folks at Bioware have learned their lesson from Dragon Age 2. Mark of the Assassin once again sends you to a completely new location for you to explore. Gone are the recycled maps and endless waves of enemies (at least, for the duration of this DLC). Instead, you're sent on a mission to liberate a treasure from an Orlesian stronghold. Here, you'll take part in a wyvern hunt, chat up a few nobles in a party, and work your way through a fortress - by stealth or by force - to complete your mission. Though there have been complaints that the stealth portion of the game is buggy, I did not experience any of the bugs that have plagued other reviewers.

As to be expected from Bioware, the story twists and turns along the way (though I have to say, releasing the Dragon Age webseries along with the DLC might have given away a lot of one of the "surprise" moments). The highlight of the story and the DLC is definitely Tallis. With her snarky yet bright outlook, she is a welcome addition to your cast of companions. She's played wonderfully by Felicia Day, and it's a shame that the character is limited to the DLC; she will not join you on your main quest (though it seems possible she'll show up in another Dragon Age iteration).



Your choices in the DLC also have consequence; unlike Dragon Age 2's main game, where your choices often have little effect on the narrative, Mark of the Assassin will play out differently based on a few key choices you make. Anything that gives your actions more weight is a plus in my book.

If you're itching for more Dragon Age 2 that's not set in Kirkwall, Mark of the Assassin is worth a look. The DLC is available now on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. 


Recommended For:
+ Dragon Age 2 fans
+ Felicia Day fans - don't worry, she differentiates Tallis from Codex quite well.

Not Recommended For:
- Dragon Age 2 haters
- People expecting Mark of the Assassin to solve all the problems of Dragon Age 2

For those looking for more history on Tallis, check out Dragon Age: Redemption.

Spotlight - Dragon Age: Redemption

Felicia Day's newest web-series set in the Dragon Age universe is out! Check out Redemption, which stars Day as the elven assassin Tallis.

I was a little worried that Day wouldn't be able to break out of her "Codex" role from her other series, The Guild, but she does an admirable job here in the first episode, setting Tallis apart (as a confident and somewhat snarky elf) from her other roles.

The way the Qunari are depicted does bug me a little though. I'm not sure if it's the costume or the acting, but they don't give off the same presence as they have in the game - there's not that sense of intimidation in their first appearance. We'll see if the series can overcome this.

Dragon Age's newest story-based DLC is also out today, which conveniently enough features Tallis as a playable character. Mark of the Assassin  can be picked up for $10.00 or its equivalent Bioware/Microsoft Points value on PC, Xbox360, and the PS3.

Review - Dragon Age: Legacy

Let's cut to the chase. If you played Dragon Age 2 then you either hated its guts or liked it - with the exception of a few specific problems. There's no denying that the game had its missteps, the most egregious of them being the atrocious amount of map-recycling and the tedious "wave" combat mechanic that turned every battle into one of attrition rather than tactics. I lay out most of the flaws (while not forgetting that the game had its highlights as well) in my review from a few months back, but this post isn't meant to rehash these old criticisms of Dragon Age 2. This is a review of its first story-based downloadable add-on, entitled Legacy.



So I'm happy to report that Legacy has - thankfully - avoided these two monumental design errors of its parent game. The DLC features a brand new area to explore outside of Kirkwall. Your adventure brings you to a Grey Warden prison in the Vimmark mountains, an area which turns out to be darkspawn-infested fortress. The dungeons - while not mindblowing - are a refreshing change of pace from exploring the carbon copy cutouts that were Dragon Age 2's map designs. The atmosphere is suitably sinister, and the DLC brings a healthy dose of interesting story content to boot. An ancient darkspawn is breaking free of its chains, and as you delve deeper into the depths of the prison, you uncover startling secrets concerning the nature of this threat. The story is engaging, and some endgame revelations are quite satisfying.

While you're spelunking through foreboding caverns and ancient halls, you'll encounter both old and new enemies. As usual, it's up to you and your gang of ragtag misfits to put these beasts down. Enemies no longer assault in monotonous waves, and tactics do play a more crucial role in the game, especially on the harder difficulties. Still, while the "Wave" mechanic is gone, the DLC doesn't quite perfect the combat formula. On normal difficulty, the enemies seem too easy to overcome, while on the hard difficulty, they seem just a bit too hard. It was particularly annoying to find that the game had spawned multiple encounters that featured a dozen archer mobs, all of them shooting painfully accurate arrows into your pincushiony body. The final bossfight - while epic in theme - is at times grating as well, requiring you to perform several monotonous tasks over and over in order to advance the battle.



Thankfully, combat isn't all that there is to do within the add-on. Some puzzle minigames and some new loot round off the DLC and provide a fun diversion from the inconsistent combat. Of particular note is the additional armor set you'll unlock only through Legacy, and the new weapon you obtain through the course of your adventure is upgradable with some new effects that I haven't seen on any other weapon.

All of this amounts to about 3-4 hours of additional playtime. The pricetag for such an adventure seems a bit high at $10.00, but if you have the cash and enjoy the world, I would still recommend checking it out. Bring your in-game sibling along if you can, and while you can technically do the quest at any point in the game, I would recommend waiting until at least Act 3; the epilogue will really jerk at those heartstrings then.

Dragon Age: Legacy is available on Xbox Live Marketplace, PSN, and PC.


Recommended For:
+ Dragon Age 2 Fans
+ Fans of Dragon Age Lore
+ RPG enthusiasts itching for a quick fix


Not Recommended For:
- Dragon Age 2 Haters
- People expecting Legacy to solve all the problems of Dragon Age 2

Spotlight: Coming Soon to a Media Outlet Near You - July 2011

We're already halfway through 2011 folks ( can you believe it? ) but there doesn't seem to be any shortage of cool new media to entertain yourselves with - at least not in July. We list a few reasons to be look forward to enjoying life this month, after the jump.

On a side note, did you like the blog's background image for June? If so, I've included a 1920 x 1080 wallpaper below - just click on the image and you should get a full-resolution version. I really liked this background because it suggested a lot of action, but still had enough open space so that it wasn't distracting. Find more wallpapers like this one at www.dizorb.com.

WTWOF: Dragon Age 2 - Legacy DLC (Updated with Trailer)

Bioware has unveiled the first of its story-based DLC, titled "Legacy." The developer has stated that they hope to address at least some of Dragon Age 2's many criticisms with this $10 downloadable content. Given that the engine is probably not going to change for a single DLC, I'm guessing that the camera is not one of the issues that will be addressed. The horribly open-ended way the main game ended will also probably not be resolved, as the DLC can be played through at almost any time during the main storyline.

Possible Characters this could be:
- Bregan from Dragon Age: The Calling
- Papa Hawke (Grandpapa Hawke?)
- A new breed of Darkspawn engineered by the Architect
- Random NPC monster for you to kill

What can be fixed, however, is the annoying "wave" system of enemies and the use of recycled maps. These are the two biggest problems that faced Dragon Age 2, and we'll see if Bioware has been listening to the essentially unanimous condemnation of these two points. It is fitting then, that the Legacy DLC will be the test to see if Bioware can salvage the legacy of the Dragon Age franchise.

Hawke fights an armored Rhino-thingie.

Dragon Age 2: Legacy  features a whole new plotline involving a Grey Warden prison, and a new darkspawn threat. Uncover the secret behind the Hawke legacy along the way. The DLC is due out July 26, 2011 for $10 (and the equivalent amount of Bioware, Microsoft points) on the PC, XBOX360 and PS3. Expect a review shortly after, and see the reveal trailer below.