Ask a bunch of gamers which series they think demands a fresh entry and you’ll likely be met with Half-Life, Portal or Elder Scrolls as answers. Maybe WipEout for those who like to dream. Or perhaps a game with only one entry to its name like Bully or Days Gone.
One franchise that’s in with a fair shout of getting more than a handful of votes though is Arkane’s Dishonored. The first was in 2012, it’s sequel and subsequent DLC in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Deathloop – purportedly set in the same universe – released in 2021. Following Arkane’s misstep with last year’s Redfall maybe a return to one of their success stories is just what they need (ignoring the fact Arkane Lyon currently working on Marvel’s Blade). A return to Dishonored is just the ticket; this stealth-orientated action-adventure series won a lot of fans following Dishonored 2’s release despite its component parts lacking distinction when viewed individually.
See, it’s freedom to approach objectives in a variety of ways isn’t unlike Hitman. It’s level design – whilst exceptional, of course – isn’t objectively better than Bioshock or any of FromSoftware’s offerings. Its story is arguably middling, its FPS combat relatively shallow. Yet, these elements coalesce beautifully to create a vibrant whole. Underpinned by fantastic stealth and – potentially the game’s biggest strength – its replayability, then there really hasn’t been anything like Dishonored 2 since.
Discussing deeper it’s replayability, now the point has already been made that the facets comprising Dishonored 2 aren’t all that unique on their own and justifiably its possession of high replay value doesn’t make it stand out above anything that’s been released since. Disco Elysium, for example, provides opportunities to solve its central mystery straight as an arrow or as an absolute train wreck, or some form of concoction blurring the two. NieR: Automata encourages you replay the story up to five times to experience the story from multiple perspectives, with numerous possible endings the result. Dishonored 2, however, does this but with much more.
Principal behind its replayability are its two central characters – royal guard, assassin, and protagonist from the first game, Corvo Attano, and dethroned Empress of the Empire of the Isles, daughter and protegee of Corvo, Emily Kaldwin. Following the undermining of Emily’s rule due to enigmatic The Crown Killer assassinating her political opponents and the resulting coup the player can then choose one or the other to complete the game. Their chosen character then escapes through picturesque seaside city Karnaca whilst the other is turned to stone; defeating conspirators, forging alliances, and rescuing their next of kin from rocky prison make up the bulk of ensuing narrative. Two playable characters equals two possible endings, of course, but it’s not just how the story concludes that encourages replayability. There are many ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes, and the same is true here. How you reach the story’s conclusion can vary wildly depending on the choices, playstyles, and approaches you employ with each character along the way.
High and low chaos playthroughs, calculated predominately on opponents indiscriminately killed alongside completing specific side objectives, influence places that are accessible, NPCs that are encounterable, plus the number of guards, rats, weepers, and bloodflies and their relative strengths and stature. Going further, you may opt for a pacifist run with either character, favouring non-lethal takedowns. Or, maybe a pure stealth run whereby you attempt to avoid enemy detection throughout the entire game. You could choose to eschew supernatural powers or use nothing but. Perhaps an all-guns blazing approach akin to FPS is your choice, even if the game isn’t well suited to this approach. It’s still a viable strategy.
This rampant choice of playthrough styles feeds into the game’s aforementioned freedom to explore different approaches whilst you wade through Dishonored 2’s levels (a facet unremarkable on its own remember). For example, your modes of traversal can differ greatly should you opt not to use supernatural power versus a run where you embrace them totally. Unsurprisingly, both Corvo and Emily have unique supernatural powers too. Corvo, a combatant more adept at silent infiltration than Emily, possesses the Blink ability granting him power to move forward rapidly. Emily, an assassin more accomplished with swords and gunfire, has the Far Reach ability enabling her to pull herself rapidly across a set distance. Whilst both abilities might perform a similar function at first glance it’s the possible upgrades that send them off into different directions. Corvo’s Blink ability can be upgraded to stop time or incapacitate enemies in its duration whilst Emily’s Far Reach upgrades involve pulling objects, corpses, or still living enemies towards her.
Further abilities see Corvo possessing and controlling host humans, or Emily adopting a shadowy, stealthier form. Corvo can summon rats to wipe out multiple enemies whilst Emily’s Domino ability chains humans together to wipe them out simultaneously. These supernatural powers are undeniably cool and together with the litany of stealthy methods of enemy takedown – the sabotaging of electrical appliances or the array of traps available, for instance – means you’re never short of differing approaches to explore.
Speaking of cool, special shoutout must go to Dishonored 2’s A Crack in the Slab mission and it’s Timepiece artefact. This artefact allows you to shift between two timelines within Aramis Stilton’s manor – the ruinous present-day contemporary to the game, and more lavish three years in the past. Now, Titanfall 2 had already experimented with a similar mechanic in its Effect and Cause level, but it wasn’t done with as much finesse as Dishonored 2’s attempt. Flicking up the Timepiece’s lens presents a window into the past. You can see guards patrolling an area as they did three years ago, then swiftly swipe into their timeline, eradicate them, change history, and traverse back to the present day. Taking actions in the past that have consequences in the future is the kind of head spinnery that belongs in a game like Dishonored 2. It’s enthralling, especially the first time.
Interestingly though, despite its appeal the mission involving the Timepiece is the only one in the game that doesn’t encourage a multitude of approaches. Powers can’t be used, it’s the Timepiece and the Timepiece only. Still, as a mechanic its vastly underutilised in gaming and something which, should we ever see a Dishonored 3, Arkane would do well to refine and reuse.
Technical shortcomings plagued Dishonored 2’s launch on PC, but with a decent enough spec machine it should run absolutely fine in 2024, with ability to hit that maximum 120 fps. With the game occupying the lower end of the price scale, with regular discounts to boot, you’d be missing out were you not to give it a go, assuming you haven’t blasted through it multiple times already. There aren’t a lot of games like it. As already mentioned, its components don’t shine individually, but they combine exceptionally well. The Southern Mediterranean influenced coastal city of Karnaca has such a strong sense of place that it’s a joy to revisit. It’s just a shame the game’s story and associated character development weren’t up to the same standard as its stealth, supernatural powers, and world design, but these are things that Arkane can address in a follow, should one ever materialise.
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