Dishonored’s second expansion pack adds a few new missions to the main game and lets you play as the master assassin Daud again. The first DLC allowed you to do that as well, and while the story bits weren’t tied up, The Brigmore Witches DLC does that and I felt the conclusion was a satisfying one.
Daud is quite similar to Corvo–the protagonist of the first game–and while there are some variations in the way he moves and engages in combat, the unique gameplay feel of the original game is retained well. The DLC offers a lot of choices however it is limited in scope, which is understandable.
It features three missions where you will visit Coldridge Prison again, along with areas that have been significantly redesigned. Revealing more will spoil the story, but I would say that there’s a lot of playtime here if you decide to play stealthily.
"The plot of the DLC seems to be its weakest part because you also have to play the first one to understand what’s going on."
The plot of the DLC seems to be its weakest part because you also have to play the first one to understand what’s going on. That’s highly recommended though as you will get a basic idea of Daud’s backstory and his motivations. In case, you need a refresher, Daud killed the empress Corvo was supposed to protect in the original game.
In the prison level, you will encounter a guard who is about to be executed for letting Corvo escape, and this is where the game’s freedom of choice comes in; you can save him or do nothing. What you do in the game is extremely vital though so just like the main game, it would be better if you can just avoid killing people.
Stealth is where the game shines a lot. I had a lot of issues with the Blink power which allows you to teleport small distances, and while it makes it difficult to fully enjoy the experience of sneaking around by increasing the pacing, some players may find it really useful for making those fast getaways.
The second mission sees you in a fetch quest to proceed to the last mission, which is set in a creepy mansion with formidable enemies. This is where Arkane’s expertise shines a lot, as it is most definitely one of the best levels I have ever played when it comes to the pure sense of dread you get while exploring.
"The Brigmore Witches DLC adds a bunch of unique content, and extends that Dishonored gameplay you have come to love."
Everything else is quite similar to the vanilla game. Daud has some new powers like Pull, which pulls enemies closer to him. Overall, it’s not radically different then what we have come to expect, but there’s some variation to be found in the DLC.
In my review of the main game, I lamented on the fact that the game didn’t have a lot of missions and while they were well designed, it could have used a few more missions. Chalk it down to lack of time or something else, but if these DLCs were incorporated in the main game, we would have definitely seen some perfect scores being thrown around for the game.
The Brigmore Witches DLC adds a bunch of unique content, and extends that Dishonored gameplay you have come to love. Although, there are only three missions here, there’s quite a bit of replay value that can be extracted due to the amount of choice offered by the game.
This game was reviewed on the PC.
THE GOOD
Well-designed levels. Some new abilities. Reasonable price for the content. Must have if you have played the previous DLC.
THE BAD
The second mission is basically a fetch quest. Not a lot of difference in gameplay.
Final Verdict
The Brigmore Witches story addon is a great addition and a direct sequel to the Knife of Dunwall DLC. If you have played the previous DLC, this one is highly recommended.