Dishonored follows the story of one character: Corvo Attano, and how his actions influence the city surrounding him. It is a stealth-action game that begins when Corvo, the Royal Protector, is framed for the murder of his empress. He is locked in prison for 6 months and interrogated endlessly by the men who set him up – the newly crowned Lord Regent and his lackeys. Just as Corvo’s execution approaches, a mysterious letter is delivered to his cell containing the key needed for his escape.
The key is provided by the Loyalists, a group of people who believe Corvo is innocent and that only he can end Lord Regent’s reign and return the Empress’ daughter to the throne. The Loyalists serve as Corvo’s commanders – they assign each mission Corvo goes on and detail who his targets are and why they must be assassinated. The Loyalists serve a simple purpose for the story – they create each mission for Corvo to go on.
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| Arriving at the Golden Cat |
The game lasted approximately 20 hours for completion of a stealthy playthrough (including most of the side missions), yet another play through felt necessary. Collectibles and different styles of play add to a high replay value. A map guide may be helpful, especially if searching for every collectible, but is not necessary. The hud displays a radar that is easy to understand and leads to all runes and bone charms on each level. Other collectibles, such as coins and paintings, are not visible on the radar and must be sought out.
There are multiple endings that can be attained, each dependent upon how you play through the game. The chaos level is decided upon by the player as the player chooses the outcome of each target which affects the city of Dunwall as a whole. Violent playthroughs seek the upgrades of the pistol and crossbow, the summoning of rats to devour nearby bodies, possessing people only to draw them towards their death and using shadow kill to eliminate all those who have been assassinated. Violent gameplay leads to high chaos throughout Dunwall and will lead to a high chaos ending.
Stealthy playthroughs involve sneaking in the shadows past guards, using the blink ability (teleport) to slip past obstacles, possessing a rat or fish in order to find normally unreachable areas, slowing time in order to make it past guards or using dark vision to make sure no enemies see where Corvo is headed. When Corvo is spotted, a familiar sound plays, increasing the tension. The crescendo increases if the guards become more alerted and will eventually lead to an all-out brawl if Corvo is discovered. The use of several save states allow for players to attain devious perfection. A stealthy gameplay will lead to a low chaos ending.
Both styles of play encourange you to seek out the collectibles including runes, Outsider shrines, bone charms, coins and rare paintings. Runes allow for the upgrade of supernatural abilities (blink, possession, shadow kill, dark vision, bend time and devouring swarm). Bone charms allow for passive bonuses, such as greater vitality or a faster reload for weapons. Collecting coins will allow Corvo to buy upgrades or ammo for weapons he carries. Paintings have no bonus that has been discovered yet, other than earning an achievement if all have been discovered.
Gameplay is in first person perspective and is reminiscent of the Bioshock series. Both of Corvo’s hands are almost always visible, with a weapon of choice or supernatural ability in the left hand and Corvo’s reliable dagger in the right.
The graphics throughout each level are not superb but they do not detract from the captivation the game creates. Dishonored is an immersive stealth-action game and it creates a setting that quickly draws players in through a new and appealing world.
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| “Gameplay is Reminiscent of the Bioshock series” |
There is no multiplayer component but this game is definitely worth a purchase over a rental as the single-player campaign is thrilling and intense. The last-gen graphics, limited dialogue choices and surprisingly short campaign are a disappointment to such an enthralling game, but are easily outshone by the gameplay, replayability, supernatural abilities, upgrades and optional side missions throughout the game. — Ryan Littlefield