As narrated in the first moments of Knife of Dunwall DLC, “Things are always tangled up like a bag of snakes”, couldn’t be true. In the first expansion for the highly acclaimed “Dishonored”, The Knife does this throwback stealth shooter justice.

In an unpredictable twist, “The Knife” DLC reverses our perception by having you play not as Corvo (the lead from Dishonored) but his enemy. In a parallel timeline you will take lead as Daud, the leader of the Whalers and the man responsible for killing Empress Jessamine, the very crime Corvo is tasked with investigating. Given this premise, as you can imagine, things get quickly interesting. It’s a fresh and smart approach that makes this downloadable pack even more tempting then a few appended missions as the probable Corvo.

Set during the events of the main quest, The cryptic Outsider instructs Daud to seek out the mystery behind the name of “Delilah”. This starts the adventure as you uncover another tangled mystery within the walls of Dunwall. A few areas will be familiar along with two new locations not seen in the main story. The location, the “Rothwild Slaughterhouse” sets the tone and lush with detail, “The Knife” carries on giving the player the same quality and depth found in the main game.

In basics, Daud is very much like Corvo. They both have supernatural powers and gadgets to aid in their activities. There is no learning curve, you simply jump in and go, since Daud plays the exact same as Corvo. Although Daud is not a total clone, he has some new powers such as summoning a fellow assassin to fight along his side (thanks Assassin’s Creed) and variations on Corvo’s line-up of powers. Along with this a few new gadgets have also been added for those who like to pack a punch.

Even by playing a new lead, you’ll likely play in the same style as you did before. Remaining constant with the already established formula, the challenges in each level are laid out tackled in a similar fashion as the original. Either taking the stealth or the role of a homicidal zealot role; each approach is effective. Like the main game, stealth is the preference in the design (and rewarded with achievements). However, both roles have their sweet spot. Since I played the original adventure with a more pacifist edge, I tried a more murderous approach the second time around. Playing the brash combatant does seem like the easy way out at times, so I would still recommend playing as much as possible in the shadows.

"The Knife” is broken into three main mission filled with optional objectives and hidden objects like the main game. Like Dishonored variety is king and there is enough to warrant multiple playthroughs. Secondly, two endings are present for low and high chaos, which doubles the incentive to blink back into action for a second run.

The Knife of Dunwall is fresh slice off the original. Fans, you can’t go wrong here, this is a definite buy.

Say what?! A new protagonist, antagonist. A few new powers are introduced to spice up the action Clever missions and level design The formula can get a little old, thankfully each section never overstays its welcome. Quote: "The Knife of Dunwall is fresh slice off the original. Fans, you can’t go wrong here, this is a definite buy.." Reviewed by DowntownJimmy | 06.11.13 | Platform Reviewed: Xbox 360

Similar Games: Dishonored (8.7)