I've quickly realised that the middle portion of episodic DLC is the most difficult to review. At least the beginning and end give you obvious discussion points through both the establishment of a plot and a conclusion respectively.
Episode 2 of the Legacy of the First Blade does throw up a couple of intriguing plot points, but it's still yet to be seen where these go.
The beginning of this DLC sees Makedonia left behind for Achaia for the second leg of this story, and as before, the entirety of the content is focused specifically within this region. That's probably the most notable difference given the fact the game doesn't really expand upon it's gameplay features within this second episode.
There is more of an active emphasis on naval combat off the shores of Achaia for portions of the questing, and you'll be able to try out the Chimera's Breath for the first time - A newly added flamethrower attachment for the Adrestia. However, the package is very much more focused on the ongoing development of the story and progressing closer towards it's conclusion than bolstering the gameplay additions.
It's still too early to give any sincere thoughts on the story, but the conclusion of the episode does dangle a carrot of intrigue about how this ultimately ends, albeit with a hint of predictability in the air. I'll be able to confirm if this hunch I have turns out to be true or not. It does also reveal a pretty bizarre plot point which didn't make an awful lot of sense to me. Have a look at the artwork for the hidden trophy in this set if you want a clue about what this relates to.
In terms of trophies, there are a further 5 on offer which add more of the same as previously seen.
The hidden trophy is awarded at the conclusion of the episode, which definitely feels a bit more fleshed out compared to the first installment. The main story continues with 9 new quests, compared to the lighter offering of just 5 previously. Getting through these and unlocking this trophy is where most of your time is spent within this package, and the questing is still way too overly familiar, sticking to a rigid formula of fetch-questing and fort infiltration. At what point does it become acceptable to question the lack of variety and creativity in these quests?
There is another trophy added for hunting down a new group of Ancients of the Order too, though only 5 have been added for this episode, which is 2 lighter than the previous one. Same principles apply - Find the clue that reveals the identity and whereabouts of the target, and execute them all until you have the trophy.
The remaining trophies relate to smaller miscellaneous tasks. The new Chimera's Breath weapon needs to be used to set 10 ships on fire, and you'll also need to kill 10 enemies with the Rapid Fire ability. Depending on your skill tree distribution, you may or may not already have this ability. On this occasion, I'd already previously acquired it, but you can reset your ability points should you need to unlock it for the purpose of this trophy.
The final trophy is awarded for parrying 10 attacks with the Judgment of the Lion, which is a bonus weapon you'll earn during the main questline.
The overall content is slightly longer, adding 8 hours onto my save file to breach the 100 hour mark with this game. This is mainly down to a chunkier main story offering, with the number of quests almost doubled compared to Episode 1. The side activities are a bit leaner, and the miscellenous trophies can be earned in no time at all. Let's see how this one wraps up.
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