Hey... Don't look at me like that, that's the disclaimer for the DLC. Hah. I'm just mocking it.
And, just a little tidbit I'd like to throw out before we get this completely underway. I do aspire to be a reviewer/critic. I keep trying to get a job as such in local magazines or papers, but its kind of hard to get a job right now, but I will not give up. Anyway, personal life aside.
Thar be spoilers ahead matey!
Total Time: 1:15:07
That's my save right before the final boss of the DLC. If I hadn't spent my time looking for the research notes to upgrade the Runic Golem following me around I might have done this in 30 minutes. Sad isn't it? Especially for $4.99 (US). So, let us begin...
This DLC allows you to import any of your characters you've made in Origins or Awakening. You can also create an entirely new one for the DLC. But why would you do that when you have a perfectly capable character who has been built to your liking already? Thought so.
Am I disappointed with this one? Totally. At the price and the content. This should have been $1.99 or even less. I don't care if they had to hire the voice actors, its not a long DLC and I doubt recording their lines took longer than two days.
So, the DLC begins with a dwarf by the name of Jerrik Dace of the House Dace writing a letter to be sent to the Warden (your character) as he is in dire need of help and feels that after all the Warden's accomplishments that only they can help him. A team of twenty men, including his brother Brogan, went into the Deep Roads to search for Amgarrak but went missing. Wanting to find out what happened, and find his brother, Jerrik asks the Warden's help.
So, you start off in the Deep Roads with Jerrik (a rogue) and his pet bronto, Snug, who he nursed back to health when it was a baby. Does anyone really care? I don't. Snug acts as a summon, so Jerrik can't summon any of the normal Ranger summons with him present, however the "Master Ranger" skill does improve Snug's stats. Also, if Snug "dies" Jerrik can just re-summon him.
Along the way you will fight enemies, a group of Darkspawn but later the Darkspawn become scarce, running away actually, as do a group of Deep Stalkers. In the Deep Roads you find the deactivated Golem but continue on your merry way until you stumble across the Control Rod, so, head back and activate the sucker.
This Golem (it doesn't have a name) is kind of unique among Golems. It acts as a Mage. I know that sounds odd, but you don't get a Mage companion through this. Though the heal spell (Group Heal) the Golem learns isn't particularly good. I spent most of my time using the 300+ Health Poultices I had on hand instead, as the cool down time for Group Heal is kind of bad. Also, the Golem cannot be healed by poultices. Sucks for it.
After making your way into Amgarrak you have to make your way through the thaig using a unique puzzle system, certain doors or items will be shrouded in a colored mist and you need to find the right switch to turn the dimension to match that color. The first one you find is easy, the blue one, as it is needed to release Jerrik's brother, Brogan, and have him join. So, there's your team. Your own character, Jerrik w/ Snug the Bronto, Runic Golem, and Brogan. Brogan is a warrior, using the sword and shield style.
Now, I'm going to say this about your party for this DLC. They are worthless. Brogan is supposed to be a tank, more or less, I've never seen a tank fall in 4 or 5 hits. My character, who is a two-handed warrior, can withstand three times the punishment. What the hell Bioware? Have you gone senile in how to make a tank character? Whatever, I guess it doesn't matter too much. This DLC was not challenging anyway.
So, you go on your way, figuring out the very easy puzzle, getting upgrades for the Golem so it doesn't totally suck. Along the way you find notes left behind by the scholar, Darion, who was with the team. He keeps leaving vague warnings of the place and some kind of great evil down there with them.
There is very little story to go on in this DLC. Just looking for clues and notes to uncover Amgarrak's secrets. Throughout the journey you'll see this ugly little creature munching on bones or licking at blood puddles, but anytime you get close, it scurries off. Believe it or not, this is the boss of this DLC.
Before you know it, you're actually at the final boss. That didn't take long. Even on Hard Mode, which I did do earlier on my friend's game (he wanted the trophy for it but couldn't get it) the final boss was not really challenging. The only hard part comes with trying to keep your inept party members alive, especially the damned Golem since its the only means of a mass heal. In the end it came down to Jerrik and my Warden, spamming health poultices.
The Harvester (that is its name) starts the battle off by fusing itself with this massive hulk that it has apparently made. Its basically a giant fleshy Golem. It does hit hard but honestly, the real trouble comes from the constant supply of skeletons the thing summons. A final boss, with a constant supply of lackeys. Remind anyone of the Archdemon? Hah.
After destroying its fleshy Golem, it'll fight you (with a full health bar) once again as itself. It still summons elite and boss-grade skeletons to its aid but The Harvester in Round 2 is significantly easier and quite disappointing. Anti-climatic and what not.
After killing it, the Thaig begins to crumble, apparently the magic that was keeping the place intact weakened with the death of the creature. Jerrik is distraught at this as the secrets will be lost, but Brogan convinces him to leave. As they climb the stairs (with the Golem nowhere to be seen. Figured they would have at least tried to salvage it) with the place crumbling behind them, Jerrik still laments that all is lost but Brogan tells him that they are alive and that's what matters. So, as they leave Bioware pulls something out of a horror movie on us with a Harvester climbing the stairs as dozens more scurry into frame as it reaches the top, hissing and "biting" the camera to roll the credits.
Really? That's how you're going to end this bad expansion? A horror movie cliché? Whatever. I'm done with the DLC and I won't be going back to it except maybe to kill the Harvester a few more times if I'm feeling angry, I do have a save right outside the boss room, after all.
Well, sorry for this to be so long, I just wanted to cover it in detail, sort of. As for an official rating on this thing? I'd have to give it a 3/10. Its nothing great, no real story to it aside from the one that sets you into it, the majority is fighting. No character development at all, at least Leliana's Song had that, as little as it was.
Anyway, this is Bou - signing out for now.
