Review: Dishonored

Review: Dishonored

Posted by on Oct 27, 2012 in Commentary, Reviews |

Dishonored 2012-11-03 11-32-07-59

Dishonored is a stealth action game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. You are Corvo Attano, former Lord Protector-turned-prisoner, framed for the assassination of the very Empress you were supposed to protect. With the assistance of allies who arrange a prison breakout, you are tasked with uncovering the truth, finding the real perpetrators and enacting justice.

At the heart of Dishonored’s gameplay is the idea of choice. You are informed very early on that taking a more violent approach will result in a darker ending. This is but one of the many decisions that you will make as you play. Similar to Deus Ex there are often multiple ways to solve the problems the game throws at you. For example, to open a locked door you can kill a guard and take his key. You can also knock him unconscious and achieve the same result. Would you forgo the door altogether and try to find another way in, like through a window? Or maybe possessing a rat then finding a hole to run through is a better solution? You are rarely left with a single route when it comes to getting to what you want or where you need to be.

Now, that bit about rat possession? Dishonored has a supernatural spin to it thanks to powers granted by the Outsider, a deity worshipped, feared and shunned in the game. You will be given access to magic that allows you to teleport, see through walls and possess living creatures, among other things. For your more manual instruments a crossbow, gun and sword are available. Laying traps are also options, if you’re so inclined. Similar to his pathfinding options, Corvo has a lot of tools to play with when it comes to dispatching his enemies.

What Dishonored boils down to is choice: which road to take, how to get past obstacles, how to get rid of those in your way, etc. You will find these questions thrown at you at every turn and you have more than plenty to answer them with. The game handles both the stealth and the action well, making problem-solving more than a pleasant matter to address.