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Dragon Age downloadable content hasn't been as complete as BioShock 2's with Minerva's Den, nor has it added as much to the characters and world as BioWare's very own Mass Effect 2 DLC with the Shadow Broker chapter, which reunited old characters and set up game changing possibilities for the sequel.
The new story-focused downloadable content for Dragon Age 2, Legacy, doesn't completely fail, but it doesn't add anything new or give players a great enough story to make it worthwhile.
Best played with Carver or Bethany in your party (I loaded up a save file where I was at the end of the game and Bethany had rejoined me after being with the Chantry) the DLC follows Hawke as he makes his way to an old, and mostly abandoned Grey Warden prison in the Vimmark Mountains.
Crazed carta dwarves need Hawke's blood. If they get it they can free Corypheus, a Darkspawn with the power of speech and immeasurable magical powers that the Grey Wardens locked away years ago.
The story isn't terrible, and it's nice to have the brother and sister dynamic — something I really enjoyed with the main game until your family is removed from the majority of the adventure.
However, it never really goes anywhere. Corypheus ends up being an intriguing character with ties to the Tevinter Emporium and Golden City, and a fun and challenging boss battle; but his background along with the story potential fizzle out and go nowhere.
This wouldn't be so bad if the dungeon's weak payoff didn't come after a roughly five-hour trek (even less for those who aren't obsessively thorough like myself) through similar looking ruins, rooms and décor. Seriously, BioWare, we need a bit more creativity in the environments. Though the area is in fact new, it looks too similar to every other brown-tinged area gamers have trecked through in the second game.
That trek is littered with some new enemies at the very least — though they don't detour from the tried and true hack-n-slash formula used to kill other enemies. The DLC is a little more challenging with the number of enemies thrown your way, so if you're up for a challenge this will please you.
Aside from some new enemies, new items and equipment and the bits of story that come with the chapter, not much else is new or noteworthy. If you love Dragon Age 2 like I do, then you will want to download this chapter just for completion's sake. It's a sizable chunk of game, just don't expect to be blown away.
For anyone who thought Dragon Age 2 was merely OK, then it's probably best you save your $10.
The good: It's more Dragon Age 2.
The bad: Nothing new or noteworthy to get gamers pumped for the adventure.
The ugly: A toss up between the drab environments and Corypheus' face.
Score: 5/10