• DLC Review: Dragon Age II - Mark of the Assassin

    by
    Chris "WildCardCorsair" Garcia
    Published on 10-12-2011 11:07 AM
    0 Comments Comments


    Dragon Age II - Mark of the Assassin

    Developer: BioWare
    Publisher: BioWare
    Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
    Genre: Role Playing
    Rating: Mature
    Release Date: October 11th, 2011

    The daggers fly in the newest DLC for Dragon Age II: Mark of the Assassin. Starring Felicia Day in her role as Tallis, an elven assassin with an urgent mission, Mark of the Assassin features new areas, quests, equipment, enemies, and a good 4-5 hours of gameplay. But is this another impressive DLC from BioWare or does "Assassin" miss its mark?

    Presentation
    Mark of the Assassin expands Dragon Age II with another side story straight from our good friend Varric. When the seeker explains the Orlesians are on the verge of war with the Free Marches because of the Champion's actions, Varric tells her of the events of that day. Upon being invited to a hunting party by Duke Prosper of Orlais, Tallis makes a very flashy entrance and asks you for your help in retrieving something the Duke should not have: the Heart of the Many. But no quest would be complete without being completely turned on its ear and exposing a shocking truth that in the wrong hands could lead to countless lives being lost.

    Graphics
    "Assassin" provides some spectacular visuals that hit home with its fantasy roots. Kirkwall and the surrounding Free Marches certainly lacked the green of "Origins", but your journey takes you back to the continent of Thedas (the same continent as the first Dragon Age) for some beautiful scenery. The hunting grounds, the most distinctive of the new areas, is especially breathtaking. The other new areas such as the Duke's estate and a mountain passage are a little more typical but still done well. Just like Dragon Age II - Legacy, a couple of viewpoints can be found every now and then that will highlight some of the more interesting sights.

    Then there's Tallis herself. The character makes her appearance in the live action Dragon Age web series titled Redemption. Because Tallis is played by Felicia Day of course it makes sense to include her face and voice for her digital incarnation in Mark of the Assassin. The facial expressions are great and the amount of detail put into her mocap and rendering is enough to make every other character jealous. With the exception of the first scene in which it seems BioWare forgot to make sure her mouth opened when she would make her battle cries, Felicia Day seems expertly transferred into the digital world.

    Sound/Music
    Just as Felicia Day's likeness appears in the game, so too does her voice talent. Felicia does an excellent job on the character Tallis, and during battle her grunts can be heard as well as the occasionally snappy comment. The rest of the normal cast also have new voice-overs for this DLC too but more than the rest Isabella gets some great lines this time.

    Music for “Assassin” remains similar to standard Dragon Age fair with a dash of medieval. As Duke Prosper’s hunt begins fanfare can be heard that really gets you in the mood for some mythical creature hunting.

    Gameplay
    "Assassin" adds a few new gameplay mechanics to go along with its heist theme. The DLC starts off innocently enough: fight enemies, cutscenes, fight more enemies, fight boss. After that's over you are thrust into one of the worst interpretations of stealth based gameplay I've ever played.

    Controlling Hawke alone you are tasked with navigating the Duke's palace without being discovered. Normal movement controls remain the same though Hawke is put on permanent walk. Your abilities are removed and you get two new ones, rock toss, and sap. The first, well, tosses a rock to get a guard to check the noise out. The problem with this is throw the rock too far and the guard won't hear. Throwing the rock close to two guards won't matter either as only the closest one will check the noise out. Sap works better as coming up behind a guard undetected will allow you to knock them out in one hit; unfortunately it doesn't last as long as it should. Both abilities are your only friends through this part of the mission as there is no crouching, hiding behind objects, or combat. Thankfully guard’s field of vision is displayed or this would have been a complete disaster.

    With that out of the way you're free to take on the next part of the mission... treasure hunting! Normally I would relish the chance to solve puzzles and disarm traps to find my way to a treasure trove of grand proportions. The problem for me became the puzzles were tedious and totally bothersome, and even in some instances debatably glitched. The first horrible puzzle allows you to alternate between controlling Hawke and Tallis to stand on pressure plates that in certain combinations unlock the way to continue. Right around the time you can proceed forward you see the two treasure chests. Not one to pass up swag I continued figuring out pressure plate combinations until the first of two chests was mine. When it came time for the second I had made my way to it easily enough but just as I made a grab for the chest, it was no longer able to be opened. It took me quite literally 20 minutes from that point to go back and forth to figure out the chest not only requires a puzzle to get to, but another to allow it to be opened. Only by standing on another two completely different set of plates was I able to finally open the thing. Then I had to figure out how to open the door again as opening the chests closes the door, this time with a different sequence to open.

    I really wish the horrible puzzles experience would have ended there but it did not. You also get to make your way through two ridiculously easy door mazes that requires you to collect different colored symbols over your head, and two very frustrating floor puzzles that require you to flip panels over to make a picture. The first is straightforward enough; you have a square grid with white tiles on one side and a picture on the other. You must flip them until all the white tiles are gone and the picture is complete. The catch is flipping a tile also flips all adjacent tiles. Admittedly I gave up after an unknown amount of time had passed and just looked up the dang thing on the BioWare forums. The second floor puzzle is easier, as you flip over single tiles to make symbol on each of the three given areas. Now all of these puzzles are part of a side quest and are by no means mandatory but without them you nearly halve the DLC's mission, creating a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" kind of scenario.

    Thankfully aside from the horrific stealth gameplay mechanics, and rage inducing puzzle filled side quests the best part of Mark of the Assassin is the boss battles. Though challenging, the boss fights add great gameplay to an otherwise frustrating experience. There are two main bosses, plus two optional boss fights and most are centered around the DLC's new critters, the wyverns. These guys are pretty nasty and the final boss is tough enough to be a gratifying win yet fun enough to not to completely suck all the fun out of the DLC.

    And although it's not a huge part of the DLC it may help to mention Tallis is actually a romancable character. If you ever had the urge to see a computer rendered version of Felicia Day wearing elf ears make out with your male or female Hawke, here's your chance.

    Lasting Appeal
    The lasting appeal of Mark of the Assassin if nothing else is in the boss fights. I could see myself wading through the tedious puzzles again and again for that alone. Players who might be irreprehensibly turned off by the shoddy stealth mechanics or frustrating puzzle side quests may not agree however so take caution. The rewards available to players depend on how many of the aforementioned side quests are completed so subsequent playthroughs will only yield the good equipment if you complete everything. A tall order if you ask me. All of these factors combined I could completely understand if Mark of the Assassin sees a few skips on other characters aside from those who truly benefit from the equipment yielded.

    Conclusion
    All things considered Mark of the Assassin affords players a good story with a great new playable character (if but only for a time) and some great visuals and boss fights. What it falls short on is fun, due to many annoying side quests and puzzles, and lackluster stealth gameplay. Mark of the Assassin is not horrible, it's not even that bad really, but I would really like DLC with an 800 Microsoft Point (or $10) price tag to give me a little more fun and a little less frustration.

    Score
    7.0/10

  • Review Scale

    Score 10- Flawless Victory: A score not handed out to every game. Games earning this rare score sit at the very pinnacle of excellence. These games act as the examples for which all others should be measured with. They are instant classics from the beginning. These games not only deliver what was expected of it, but also exceed the player’s expectations. The game’s features are innovative and original. No game is without its absolute flaws, but the finished product you bring home surpasses the anticipation the game has formed. A day one buy is a must. The game you hold in your hands with this score is a video game jackpot.

    Score 9 - 9.5- Outstanding: Games earning scores such as these absolutely must be played. Games that achieve this high ranking do so because they define the genres that they are in. Flaws are few and barely noticeable. Features seen in the game have been renovated to provide something new and fresh. The story, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal are all fantastic and is reason enough to bring the game home and to enjoy with family and friends. Every penny you spend on the game is so worth it.

    Score 8 - 8.5- Great: Any flaw the game may possess is overshadowed by its fun factor. These games would be great for gamers to play. These great games appeal to gamers more and more outside its normal player base because of what it brings to the table.

    Score 7 - 7.5- Good: Flaws do exist in these games, but the positive features of the game can counterbalance the flaws. Additionally, players who are predisposed to liking a game of a particular series or genre with this score should enjoy the game. These are in no way bad games, and much fun can be had with them. An overall good game is worth taking a look at, whether you are willing to buy the game or rent it first. That or you can also wait for the game to reach a good price.

    Score 6 - 6.5- Decent: Games falling into this category may suffer from numerous flaws (for example, graphics or gameplay), but are still worth playing. Granted, the player should be aware that a game with these scores may not guarantee them full satisfaction.

    Score 5 - 5.5- Average: An average game is one in which a game’s features are neither good nor completely terrible. Instead, the finished product is manageable. Little has been done to hold the player’s interest. If anything, rent this game before you consider buying it so that you can at least get a feel for the game’s overall experience.

    Score 4 - 4.5- Poor: Games falling into this category may only keep gamers entertained for a short while. While the game may seem enjoyable for moments at a time, it can quickly grow old and may never be revisited again. The game’s overall function is lacking in quality and may not hold the player’s attention for long. The game leaves little or nothing else to return back to.

    Score 3 - 3.5- Bad: If any positive qualities about a game in this category exist, it is not enough to redeem the game for its shortcomings. Sure you may find yourself playing it, but for how long? You will wind up not giving the game a second glance.

    Score 2 - 2.5- Horrible: Games such as these may not be totally unplayable, they nearly are. Additionally, they may lack, or greatly suffer in, the fundamental functionality of the software as a whole. The game simply does not come close to meeting industry standards at the time of its release.

    Score 1 - 1.5- Appalling: Gamers should avoid this game at all costs. The game was clearly not ready to make its way to store shelves in its status. Save your money and find something else. See it in the bargain bin? No! Stay away! Keep moving and look for something else.