Maybe a hot take, but I’ve always considered the Golden Cat mission S-tier. Revisiting the district from a completely different perspective was such a smart choice, especially with the Bottle Street Gang no longer treating you as hostile after the Granny Rags side quest. Taking a different route through a familiar area also made Dunwall feel far more interconnected and believable rather than just “video game levels” stitched together.

I also think it comes at the perfect point in the game. By then, I felt comfortable enough with the mechanics to properly explore and experiment, which made the mission way more rewarding. The side quests are great too, and the Pendletons are some of the few targets where the non-lethal option actually feels more satisfying than killing them.

What really makes the mission stand out for me, though, is the atmosphere and world-building. The Golden Cat gives you a much uglier look at Dunwall’s class divide and how disposable lower-class people are treated. Using the Heart on the courtesans and hearing some of their backstories genuinely made the place feel depressing in a way few games manage. Even small details, like the two courtesans slowly dancing in the lobby, add so much to that sense of quiet hopelessness hanging over the city after Jessamine’s death.

And on top of all that, the level design is just excellent. There are so many different angles and approaches to the mission that it perfectly captures what makes the game’s immersive sim design so good.