After spending most of your time in Dragon Age II confined to the cramped, dingy corners of the politically scrambled seaport of Kirkwall, the wide-open greenery and lush palatial estate of Mark of the Assassin are refreshing.

The star of this new DLC is Tallis, a witty elven rogue hoping to use Hawke’s status to sneak into an Orlesian noble’s palace and steal his crown jewel, the Heart of Many. With Tallis in tow, you’ll embark on everything from a wyvern hunt to a high-falutin’ party for Orlesian nobility to a daring escape through long-forgotten dungeons — all enjoyable. But it’s the stealth segments that promise the biggest departure from the main game’s spellcasting and slashing, so it’s unfortunate that they’re so hit-or-miss.

Thankfully, that’s no more of a dealbreaker than a few lines of awkward, out-of-place humor (Really, Fenris? A poop joke?), even if both missteps steal some of the fun. Tallis brings a lot of cheeky levity to an otherwise serious quest, and along with Mark’s willingness to dabble in new gameplay and locations, she’s the biggest draw.

Publisher: EA • Developer: BioWare • ESRB: Mature • Multiplayer: None • Achievements: Simple • Price: 800 MS Points ($10)

On Xbox 360

+ The different locations offer lots of gameplay variety and visual diversity.

+ Tallis is a fun companion and deepens the lore of this universe.

- Stealth segments feel clunky and lack fine-tuning; a few jokes feel out-of-place.

? Why does our female Hawke have to wear a stiff-collared dude’s outfit during the noble-party segment?

7.5