Dishonored - Reviews

(4.3)

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27.11.2012

So anyway, it's a bad time to be a resident of Dunwall. The plague is in town, pest control are nowhere to be seen, the Empress has snuffed her lid to be replaced by a totalitarian regime of containment, and her 'murderer' is loose and happens to be a trained assassin called Corvo. That's you by the way.Okay, so the story was concocted over a brunch and scribbled on a napkin in purple crayon; it's been done a million times and if you can't see the plot twists coming then there is something wrong with you, but what video game can genuinely claim to have imaginative writing these days anyway? Stick with Dishonored, there is a lot more to love.The technical stuff first.The graphics are beautiful - what isn't these days - but the city itself has been sculpted rather than simply rendered. The architecture of Dunwall, from the slums to the palaces, are lovingly crafted and a pleasure to look at; towering, suffocating, oppressive. Even the early sewer levels, usually the lazy chore of any video game, are a pleasure. The slightly cartoonised characters also move in a fairly natural way, waving their unnaturally large hands around expressively when giving you the latest exposition. The sound effects are just that, really; swords clash, bottles shatter and doors creak. The music within the game is limited, no bad thing for a stealth-em-up, but is good for a bit of background tension, particularly when you've coughed too loudly whilst hiding behind a pillar and half of Dunwall's police force is haring after you.The usual boring stuff aside, presentation is where Dishonored really scores some good points. There has been comment that the game has basically lifted the mechanics, nuts and bolts and all, from the Thief series, with further comment that this is A Bad Thing. Frankly, video game larceny isn't something to be endorsed but if you are going to shamelessly steal then you might as well steal from probably the greatest stealth game ever (yes, I'm including Metal Gear in that sweeping statement.) The controls are intuitive and perfectly tailored to suit either sneaky-sneaky-creep-strangle or hacking your way through the guards like an out of control combine harvester. The melee attack, which is to say your swordplay, feels particularly visceral and real - not just waving your blade vaguely in enemies faces until they are hypnotized to death - and with intelligent use of the block function you will rarely get into the kind of trouble you often found yourself in whilst playing certain other stealth games mentioned above. As if being an expert swordsman wasn't enough, Corvo isn't long into the game when he comes across the ability to influence his surroundings through bone charms; examples include being able to see through walls and teleporting to ledges. If this all sounds complicated, thankfully the menu systems are easy to use, with the standard telephone dial-esque quick select function for rapidly equipping various weapons or powers, which you are going to need in the heat of the moment.The 'enemies' you encounter, including the poor sods patrolling the various areas you are trying to sneak through, are worthy opponents to all this hardware you bring. The AI is nicely tuned so that they don't simply follow fixed routes and will deviate to investigate a strange noise or even to have a chat with a fellow NPC. Tactical planning is rewarded with success, as is subtlety, and NPCs will react if they hear footsteps or gunshots or find their colleague slumped and snoring over a table having been cuddled into unconsciousness by Corvo.My absolute favourite thing about Dishonored though is something that cannot be measured in polygons or AI code, something much more intangible and that is immersion.First, a digression. Two of my top five games of all time are the steampunk epic Bioshock and Bethesda's Morrowind (with Thief not far outside the five.) Now, considering this is a steampunk Thief clone by Bethesda it should be, for me personally, better than a never ending chocolate cake that also makes tea and tells you nice things about yourself, but just because all the right ingredients for success are there, it isn't always that easy. The equally steampunky Bioshock II proved that you can take the same great atmosphere and game world and lose everything that made the original special, whilst Bethesda's trio of Oblivion/Fallout/Skyrim were prolonged exercises in buggy boredom. Worse than that though, none of them felt immersive enough for me to forgive their many faults.The reason isn't easy to explain, but there is something about the Dishonored dimension that feels 'real' in the sense that you don't really matter as a character, that you're stepping into a universe that had existed before and will continue to exist after you've gone. In Oblivion/Fallout/Skyrim, you're already proclaimed the Saviour Of Every Living Thing before you've had your first autosave, and to be fair the Empress does her best to ruin things by whispering with her dying breath that "only you can save us", but all the same you are made to feel like a small cog in a larger machine, much as you were when you fell out of the plane into the original Bioshock, or you stepped off the boat as an ex-convict in rags in Morrowind. It means there is potential for character development, beyond what you might expect of someone like Corvo who is about as charismatic as a plank of wood. And even though the main plot and most of the dialogue is absolute bobbins, there is a remarkable cast of side characters and quests lurking in the backstreets of Dunwall fleshing out the city, making it feel more like a living thing even as it is dying. The addition of the various warning signs, debris of human life, even the crumbling adverts for products and places, all are jigsaw pieces turning an ordinary gaming arena into something much more organic. All the result of more larceny, this time from Bioshock's Rapture, but I return to my point regarding Thief. If you're going to steal, steal from the best...There are faults of course. The voice acting is rarely better than adequate; some of the voice actors seem to think they'd signed up to a video game adaptation of Christmas panto. Also there is a moral choice system, the bane of modern games, forcing us out of the comparatively interesting grey areas into hard black and white. Dishonored's moral choice (between sneaking and killing) is better than most in that there are genuine consequences for the player, consequences that actually MAKE SENSE. For example, if you are Stabby McKillfeast in the early levels, don't be surprised to see an increased guard presence later on. Well, if you were the Captain of the Guard and you were losing men at three or four an hour, you'd lay on some extra hands as well wouldn't you? It's certainly better than Fallout 3's choice of being a bad guy shot by the good guys or a good guy shot by the bad guys (and woe betide you tried to be in the middle because you got shot by both...) There has been complaint that Dishonored giving you weapons but then disadvantaging you if you use them is a way of strong-arming you into picking the stealth route but, as I said before, combat is flowing and intuitive and easily parried so you can still mow down the entire city as long as you don't mind getting a 'bad' ending and being regarded as a greater social menace than the plague. It's also too short; the fact that it does have a lot of replay value is only a partial exoneration, but as the game tumbles in price it no longer seems quite as harsh as when it was first released.So after all the nice things I've said about it, and all the nit picking I've done to find bad stuff about it, why only four stars? It's not going to threaten my top five anytime soon, but it's a welcome relief from the never ending brown stream of modern-warfare-battlefield-duty-calls games that have been stinking up the first-person shooting market for too long now.It isn't going to make you think too much, other than how best to grapple that guy into a coma and sling him into a bin before his mate realises, but it would be a doing it a disservice to regard it as shallow, all window dressing with bits cribbed from other games, with no heart or soul. And one other point of praise; thank your chosen deity that Bethesda have bothered to test the game first before releasing it. Whilst they aren't the only developer to throw out half finished titles to meet an accountants demands for a certain market (I'm looking at you Codemasters), this is the first Bethesda game I've played in years without more bugs than an insect house. And if that isn't enough incentive to buy it I don't know what is...

20.10.2012

Dishonored is a game on many levels. You play as Corvo, protector of the empress and her daughter, Emily, the heiress to an empire; an empire which is suffering from a multitude of problems including corruption, plague, crime and all round unsavoury inhabitants. The story takes no time at all in throwing you into the midst of a conspiracy, and following being framed for the murder of empress Jessamine your quest begins to clear your name and retrieve any information on Emily's whereabouts. The story takes a relatively unoriginal formula, however the world that Arkane have managed to create as the premise for this is incredible for more reasons than you can imagine.Playing Dishonored is like jumping into bed with the love-child of Tenchu and Bioshock.Corvo dual wields with a brilliantly designed signature blade in the right hand and player assigned abilities/utilities in the left. The powers given to you by the mysterious Outsider are bare-bones but extremely effective in creating a clutter free navigational/killing experience. There are six powers and four character attributes to choose from and upgrade. The genius in this model is that by combining the various powers, you are limitless in the ways and means to dispose of your enemies. Why not summon a swarm of rats, strap a razor-wire grenade to one, possess it, run through the ventilation shafts into a room full of enemies and let rip? Or freeze time, possess a guard and move him into his own comrade's line of fire? Or freeze time, snatch a thrown grenade out of the air and return it to from where it came? The list really does go on. And if you're like me you'll spend hours playing with these mechanics discovering new and brutal ways to avenge your empire.For those stealth heads out there, no other game offers a stalking experience quite like it. There did tend to be issues with hiding bodies in that there is actually no measure as to whether a body is hidden or not. Splinter Cell for example, had very definite `light and dark' areas and throughout the series brilliant mechanisms for identifying whether your character is visible or not. Dishonored relies more on line of sight and level/height in relation to enemies. Shadows offer bonus invisibility at distances, but don't expect to be in pitch dark facing an enemy head on (note: this may differ on lower difficulties). And so issues with hiding bodies commence. Is this hidden in the dark corner of this room? Is this hidden, above the chandelier? A minor complaint, but important for those who play for the perfect end of mission stats.Assassinations themselves vary depending on player position and are immensely bloody and satisfying. Your staple tool throughout is Blink, helping you to reach ledges, hide and sometimes simply to GTFO. But its design is unique and effective, despite taking a little getting used to (amongst the huge deal of freedom you will likely encounter a few invisible walls or glass ceilings). The `corner/peek' system has been considered, and where DE:HR utilised the third-person cover system, Dishonored simply allows for peeking, without fear of being seen. This can sometimes be jarring when you're staring right into the whites of an enemy's eyes, however it's hard to think of a much better solution concerning first person stealth.If you are spotted and it does kick off however, don't be disappointed. The combat in Dishonored is second to none. Skill in parrying and methodical solutions to overcoming a foe in direct hand-to-hand combat is essential, especially if like me you go straight for the very hard setting. If you play the game with a head on approach, you'll very much want to tailor your character to this type of play because you will find yourself utilising resources much more often than taking the quieter approach (bone-charms and runes can be combined to benefit fighters as opposed to sneakers (e.g. exilers having greater more sustained effects, regenerative mana, greater amount of health etc). This different approach to character modelling is one way Dishonored delves into roleplaying, the other is then an extension of this in how, thereafter, you chose to play.The decision making processes are apparent from the very start. Will you slip into the murderous ways of your conspirators, or take the moral high road and exact your revenge in a series of non-lethal approaches? These decisions, although they are frequent and seemingly unobtrusive, accumulate and the repercussions are expressed through atmosphere, dialogue and gameplay as oppose to "you said this, here are the repercussions of your actions. Now, run forth and play on", a method utilised by so many role-playing games to date. Being spotted or causing a ruckus near the start of an area might much later trigger a conversation between guards or key characters reflecting this. It's touches like this that make Dishonored a real pleasure to play as you can feel the environment bending to accommodate your character's actions. In the longer term, ill actions will see the decline of the city escalate with more `weepers' (plague riddled survivors), rats and a significantly heavier city guard. It is important to note that Dishonored can be completed without having to kill a single enemy (for which you are rewarded), and surprisingly enough there is a great sense of achievement from playing this way. The targets themselves can be disposed of non-lethally via an array of creative means, and the effects of your actions echo through the game as you find readings (or in one instance actually find a previously humiliated character much later) and have interactions referring to these decisions. Most notably these conversations occur between key characters and friends around your base and it's the empathy and feelings towards these NPCs that can in turn make you feel proud or even guilty of your performances. In other words your actions will have an effect on the people around you impacting the story and relationships to a much higher degree than many games even attempt to achieve. Believe me, as a player you will feel empathy for those around you.The combination of art-deco, Victorian London and a cyber-punk dystopia towards character and level design is incredibly original, innovative and refreshing with the results leading to some of the most beautiful scenes in video gaming to date. The water and lighting effects have been carefully utilised against the foreground to have an incredible impact on the level design and art direction. It's evident that the level designers and concept teams had such a specific idea of how they wanted this game to look and by god did they succeed. Each area has its own unique identity, and navigating them is an absolute pleasure. The multiple levels and access points to reach targets is extensive, and part of getting the most out of Dishonored is spending time exploring all of these areas. The Isles are scattered with lore, secrets, safes and stories all waiting to be discovered. Shame on the player that doesn't pay this attention to detail and level design any heed.Character models and surfaces can at times be inconsistent with the pores of skin and the slightest of imperfections being visible on some, though grainy textures appearing on others. If you're playing this game on console it is strongly advised you install (around 5-6GB) just to minimise texturing issues and rendering.All things considered, Dishonored is an immense achievement full of twists and turns. It is nothing short of a brilliant vision brought to life in all the right ways. Even if there are some aspects that are still a little rough around the edges, somebody dreamed this world and this adventure, with nods to technology and period, design and execution, class and conflict. In short, finally, 2012's first essential buy.Story: 8Design: 9Gameplay: 9Presentation: 8.5OVERALL: 8.6/10

21.10.2012

There are a few games out there that capture the soul, creating a world that the player just falls into, a world that we haven't seen before, where as much is not said as is said. If I think back to some of the great games of the past, such as Thief or Fallout, part of their appeal was the sheer scope of the world they crafted, where the game itself seemed but a small window that fired the imagination. Dishonored is another such game.Set in an industrial revolution capital city, beset by a deadly plague, Dishonored creates a world of contrasts; rich & poor, technologically advanced vs squalor, with a hint of magic thrown in for good measure. The plot itself is not enormously unusual (although it has just enough twists to keep it fresh),but what sets Dishonored apart is the way it's told, the depth of characters/environment & the sheer scope of opportunity presented to the player. The world itself is suitably morally dark & ambiguous for the setting, with some excellent portrayals of just what people have to do in such an epidemic. All of the enemies fitted in well with the setting, from City Watch to anti-magic Overseers to thugs & assassins, and I was particularly impressed with the choice of animals as potential antagonists rather than mere backdrop.There is strong influence present from the likes of the Thief series or Deus Ex, but taken further such that you truly can choose how you will complete each mission. Nothing stops you killing every living thing on the level (if you can), but equally, you can choose how best to be that shadow in the dark that was never seen. Do you save a passerby being mugged in the dystopian backstreets, risking your primary mission with delay in return for potential information & the warm fuzzy feeling of having made a difference in the dark, or do you pass on by, leaving them to their fate? The game reacts to your choices at a subtle level - individual choices tend to feed back immediately if they're going to, but your overall approach is reflected as the game progresses both by the missions & the characters you influence. What sets stealth games apart from most is that the world doesn't revolve around the player; the world instead goes about its business & the player disrupts it. However, Dishonored ensures that the world feels your influence over time - in that sense, the world still does revolve around you, and is a refreshing blend of design choices.In terms of actual gameplay, the game allows you to pick from a variety of powers gifted to you by the enigmatic chaotic entity The Outsider (chosen & upgraded via runes found during gameplay), as well as a pretty large number of more mundane weapons, and yet the real magic of the game is that you might use none or all of these at your discretion. Do you blink across behind that guard, or snipe them with a crossbow? PC controls are a little fiddly, as the game would really like you to have three primary controls due to the way sword combat is implemented, but once you get a feel for it, combat is well executed & yet remaining challenging if you get into a full-on melee with multiple enemies. The game's defaults aren't necessarily the best but you can remap just about everything, and most importantly, turn off a vast array of 'helpful hints' that make the game significantly more easy - by default you get a pointer to where to go next and alert meters on guards and other such things that no self-respecting stealth player would keep turned on. Dark Vision is a power to use sparingly as well.At a more technical level, the graphics & sound are absolutely superb. Everything fits. The graphics are a muted palette of watercolours, and thus it's rather like playing in an extremely detailed painting, and yet the choice works well for the setting. It also enables the game to play with fairly minimal requirements as the texturing is pretty low resolution without detracting from the experience. There are a variety of tweaks out there for the engine's ini files to improve the default settings (that are more aimed at a console's limitations) and improve the game experience further. Field of view can be tweaked (thank god) although it could have done with a wider range. Level design is excellent. There are few occasions where you feel like the designers had to throw in convenient cover for the player's sake, and almost always alternative ways to approach every problem. The chaos system enables quite a bit of replay value, along with the challenges of achieving ghost or clean hands playthroughs, or a playthrough without powers... Much like the game itself, the replay value comes from the player seeking new ways to approach the game.Like any game, there are of course things one can criticise. The lack of use of shadows makes for a sometimes confusing experience until one gets used to simply dealing with line of sight - if the guards are looking at you, chances are they can see you, even if it's night-time and you're in very deep dark shadow. If you're playing from a ghost perspective, the controls are awkward because there's an assumption around use of the sword, when in truth you'll never use it. The game has a combination of hints & powers that really can make the game too easy; it depends on the player's willpower to turn them off and give themselves a challenge. The plot really needed one or two more missions to ramp up the suspense & divert the player to other areas - as it stands it's feasible to sink 20 hours into the game if you're thorough, but only just. Perhaps DLC will address this. It really depends on whether you're the type to blindly follow a pointer to the next objective, or one to wander and enjoy the entirety of the game's world, read every book, find every painting, and so on.In summary, Dishonored is a superb entry into the stealth genre, worthy of sharing shelf space next to Thief 1-3. It crafts a masterpiece of a world, one that I would be delighted to return to. A thinking person's stealth game where you can perturb the world as much or as little as you like - destined to become a classic, I feel.

12.10.2012

Lets get the bad stuff over with first. Dishonored uses an old game engine, so although there's a lot of talk about Dishonored being the best game of the year, it is certainly not this year's game in terms of technology: it uses the Unreal engine, and you will not be seeing Crysis quality textures, bump/environment mapping, alpha effects or particle effects. It is also certainly not an FPS: if you don't like stealth games, this one is not for you.We're looking at a stealth game similar to Hitman or Thief, but with Magic thrown into the mix, and a quirky Bioshock `period' style (although the period here is `Steam-punk Victorian', rather than `1930s Americana'). In the game, you become a rogue assassin,are wanted for a crime you didn't commit, and have to save the princess and right a few wrongs along the way.If you've ever played Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (which is actually created by the same team, Arkana), you'll probably see Dishonored as a natural progression from that. Arkana were also involved in Bioshock, and one of the lead designers was also involved in HL2, so there's a bit of all that pedigree shining through.Rather like Hitman/Thief, the missions operate within a sandbox rather than as a scripted `on rails' progression, so there is always more than one way to complete each hit (i.e. stealthy, gung ho, or a downright clever route for those with watchful eyes and nosy ears), and you can do each mission in a `good' or `evil' way. There are also always a few sub-missions thrown into the mix for good measure (many of which only become apparent whilst you are on the mission, so none of the missions are ever straightforward!), and an RPG element: weapon/gadget enhancement and magic skills that you use to make your character more suited to your play style. The weapons and gadgets are much more useful than other games though, because they are so open ended. For example, you have a teleport ability. This allows you to reach otherwise accessible map areas (sneaking over enemy by using roofs and pipework). But you can also use it combat if you are quick (walking up to a guard and teleporting behind him, using the confusion to either watch the guard run in the wrong direction, or being sneaky and knocking him unconscious from behind).Despite the use of an aging graphic engine, the graphic design is excellent, and they seem to have got around the texture issues by using a graphic style that doesn't really need high resolution (not quite cell shaded, but something that doesn't have that much in the way of complex textures). On the flip side, I can see some critics complaining of 'dumbed down console graphics', but I do think the graphic style fits in so well with the game that few people will care. Only glaring issue is that most of the city you travel around is empty. This fits in with the storyline (there's been a plague), but bustling, Assassin's creed type cities are noticeable by their absense in much of Dishonored. Oh, and as you will find, you can't trust anyone...Fun factor. Sandbox missions are not for everyone. If you read the game blurb and got to the bit where it says `you can play it as a grunt and shoot everything', then your game will be disappointing: best results occur if you at least try to play as a stealthy character, because Dishonored makes a poor FPS. If you loved Hitman or Thief and are happy to accept a beautiful graphic style over an up to date Directx 11 game engine, then Dishonored is probably for you. If Modern warfare and Battlefield leave you wanting something that allows you to be clever occasionally, then this is definitely the game for you. Many game magazine reviews have gushed over this game, and they are right: it really is a return back to form for intelligent PC game-play (as opposed to all the other technically perfect but morally suspect and creatively bereft war FPS franchises out there... note the word `PC' there: PC is the best version).Finally, hardware: as the game doesn't use high textures, there is no need to play it at 1080p. I got excellent frame rates and quality at 1600x900, everything else maxed out on a very trailing edge system for gaming (ATI 6870, Q6600 o/[email protected], 8Gig memory, Windows 7 64 bit).I can't end this review without saying something about the big elephant in the room: release date.I really want Dishonored to do well so Arcane do more similar games, but the release date screams `this is not a Christmas release and the publisher decided to put it out in the lull before Christmas'. Unfortunately the main reason for this is probably that the game is not cutting-edge DirectX 11. Much as I would like Arcane to get as many sales at full price, my reviews must benefit buyers not sellers, and I must conclude by saying that the release date suggests that this game's full price shelf life will probably not last till the big Christmas push (less than a month away) as it is clearly not targeted as a Christmas release. So if you want a great game for mid price, I don't think you will have to hold off buying for long.A sad statement to end on (as this doesn't really impinge on the game's quality but is actually totally to do with game retail industry shelving rules - I've seen similar issues in book publishing, which I used to work in), but if you are reading this within a month of release date, you may end up buying mid-price by waiting far fewer weeks than is usually the case.** Update 12 Oct 2012 **There are currently no visual effect injector mods (one of the things that really enhanced vanilla Skyrim), but if like me, you feel vanilla Dishonored looks a little flat in terms of contrast, try the SweetFX injector (it works with any game: google is your friend). I enabled LumaSharpen and tonemap, giving it a more gritty and more contrasty look. To use it, you edit SweetFX_settings.txt, setting 0 or 1 for each effect in the 'choose effects' bit, then place all the files in your dishonored/binaries/win32 dir. You can then toggle sweetFX with the scroll lock key.

15.6.2013

Dishonored is a game about many things. It's about revenge; armed with deadly weapons and supernatural powers, you seek vengeance upon all of those who orchestrated your downfall. It's about a city; the plague-ridden industrial port of Dunwall is lovely to behold, exciting to explore, and seething with secrets. It's about people; an array of vibrant characters await you, and as you get to know them, you are drawn further into their intrigues, hopes, and heartbreaks. But above all, it's about choice. The incredible variety of ways you can engage or evade your enemies makes Dishonored flexible and engrossing.You play as Corvo Attano, former bodyguard to the empress and current death row inmate.The prologue chronicling Corvo's crime not only inflames your desire for revenge, but also sparks your affection for a vulnerable character. These dual fires foreshadow the choice you have to make each time you encounter an enemy: do you walk the bloody path of brutal vengeance, or take the nonlethal high road and rise above the violence that suffuses the city? Your actions have small, yet tangible consequences throughout your quest, and it's up to you to decide what kind of retribution you want.A cadre of conspirators helps you escape imprisonment, and you find out that they are plotting to bring down the very men who wronged you. These characters embody familiar archetypes - the dutiful admiral, the egotistical nobleman, and the cheeky servant. As you listen to them talk (you remain mute throughout), read their journals, eavesdrop on conversations, and learn whispered secrets from an arcane, psychic item you acquire, you come to know the characters and the world they live in.Exploring Dunwall is another one of Dishonored's great pleasures. The city prospered from the whaling trade in the recent past, but has fallen on hard times since the influx of a deadly plague. Brick walls and wooden beams loom over alleys crawling with rats, while granite facades and metal barricades block off the cobblestoned plazas of the wealthier neighbourhoods. Dunwall evokes a British city in the grip of the industrial revolution, but painterly colouring and slightly exaggerated proportions give the place a unique feel. The lovely artistic design shines on the PC, bursting with detail and making Dunwall an immensely appealing place to explore.Sewers, alleys, apartments, and estates all hide items that restore your health, reinforce your arsenal, teach you secrets, or allow you to gain new supernatural powers. The large areas you must traverse to get to your targets are riddled with out-of-the-way places to explore, and finding them reveals not only hidden goodies, but alternate routes as well.Figuring out how to move through the environments is an enjoyable pursuit, and one of the first powers you get allows you to teleport a short distance. The quick pop and blurry whoosh of this power provides a nice audiovisual accompaniment to the thrill of defying natural law, and if you choose to supernaturally augment your jumping ability, your range of locomotion is drastically increased. Though you'll likely have some awkward moments as you try to go places that the game won't let you, Dishonored's level design is consistent enough to make such moments easy to avoid once you get the hang of things.In addition to these superhuman movement abilities, you can choose the power of possession. Slipping into the skin of a rat or the scales of a fish allows you to navigate small tunnels and reach new areas, and when levelled-up, you can even possess other humans for a short while. Acquiring and improving your supernatural powers requires runes, though, and there aren't enough for you to max out every power. There are no bad choices, thankfully, though some clearly favour lethal or nonlethal approaches. Pacifists will appreciate the ability to stop time, for example, while assassins might favour the power that instantly turns corpses to ash.Powers are equipped in your left hand and are accessed with a radial menu. This menu also contains your pistol and your crossbow, each of which has a few different ammo types. Sleep darts are the only nonlethal weapon in the bunch, and they are invaluable to players who try to play the entire game without killing anyone (yes, it's possible). The rest of your options are decidedly deadly, including grenades and razor-flinging proximity mines.With such nasty weaponry and formidable powers at your disposal, you have a startling array of ways to deal with hostiles. Simply sneaking by them is often effective, as is creeping up from behind, applying a sleeper hold, and dragging the bodies to a dark corner. Killing can be quiet too. A deadly drop from above makes no noise, and a properly timed windblast can blow an enemy off a high ledge, never to be seen again. If you prefer to see the whites of their eyes, your sword is always in your right hand, ever ready to duel. You are a formidable swordsman, able to block and counterattack against most blows, but clanging swords bring more guards or thugs, and they won't wait until their allies are out of the way to take a shot at you.The game uses the Unreal engine for graphical rendering, the spacious environments and the bold artistic design really gives the city a unique look and feel. Although I thought the long arms and big hands looked a bit unusual on some of the character models (namely Lord Havelock and Overseer Martin).Once you start experimenting with powers, weapons, and environmental elements, this is where Dishonored's amazing flexibility begins to shine, and the game features multiple save slots. Unlocking different powers, finishing missions in different ways, striving to be more or less murderous, the compelling abilities, and above all, the freedom of choice make this game so compulsively playable.

28.10.2012

The city of Dunwall and its surrounding territories are ruled by the Empress Kaldwin, a fair and strong ruler. When she is assassinated and her daughter Emily kidnapped, her bodyguard Corvo Attano is held responsible and imprisoned. After six months, a brutal new regime under the Lord Regent has been established and the city placed in a state of fear. When Corvo is rescued by loyalists to the old regime, he is given the tools to carry out a series of missions aimed at removing the Lord Regent, rescuing Princess Emily and restoring justice to Dunwall. But a virulent plague and uncertain loyalties amongst the various factions make Corvo's job a lot harder as he must decide to take the path ofblood-soaked vengeance or striking surgically from the shadows.Dishonored is a first-person action game developed by Arkane Studios, with several of the developers of the Thief, Deus Ex and Half-Life franchises working on it. It is a richly atmospheric game which, refreshingly, rewards you for avoiding violence, chaos and killing (though still allowing you to pursue that course if you really want to).The game places you in the role of Corvo, a bodyguard-turned-secret agent. You have a variety of tools at your disposal to carry out missions, including magical powers (the ability to blink - teleport short distances - is essential) and equipment including crossbows with sleep darts to knock out foes. You can also knock out unsuspecting enemies with sneak attacks and, if really necessary, use firearms and swords for direct combat. You can also use your magical powers to possess other creatures (including human characters) for brief periods. Each mission is set in a substantial area of the city of Dunwall, with you able to scale buildings using your powers and hide in the shadows from unsuspecting guards, or try a frontal assault option and wade through rivers of blood on your way to your objective. However, using violence and killing people increases the amount of chaos present in the city, which affects the number of guards (and rats) on later levels, and their alertness.Dishonored's biggest success is its setting, with Dunwall being a grimy industrial city with a tech level more like Victorian England than a traditional high fantasy location. There are echoes of steampunk and China Mieville's world of Bas-Lag in the setting, which is a fascinating place to explore. There are also numerous books, posters, notes and audio logs dotted around the city which unveil its history in some depth and add to a feeling of immersion in the game. The depiction of grimy tenement blocks, rich manor houses and immense official structures (such as prisons, fortresses and fortified lighthouses) is remarkable, giving the game a tremendous sense of place. These settings also reward exploration, with Corvo often able to find bonus items and cash by thoroughly exploring every area rather than blitzing straight through.The game's freedom has been its main talking point, with players having multiple paths to victory. This is true to a large degree, although there are still only a finite number of ways to proceed. The game is open enough to allow for two or three playthroughs using different styles (to unlock the several different endings), although arguably the game's freedom is not sufficient to justify more than that. With no multiplayer, the game's long-term replayability may be in doubt, though the (often difficult-to-achieve) achievements do help with that issue.The writing and the characterisation in the game is fairly solid, and there's much amusement to be gained by eavesdropping on conversations from the shadows or spying through keyholes (sometimes learning something valuable that opens up new ideas and objectives). The game gives out an achievement for 'ghosting', which is not only getting through the game without killing anyone but getting through the game without anyone being aware you were even present. Achieving this is highly satisfying. The game also allows you to complete it without ever having to kill anyone, even assassination targets, which is an improvement over the recent Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which was impossible to complete without killing at least three mid-game bosses.The game is well-paced, with missions taking anything up to three hours apiece to carry out if you are thoughtful and methodical. There have been complaints by some players about the game being too short, although to complete the game in much less than eight hours or so is only possible if you take the frontal assault option, which seems to be missing some of the point of the game. For my first playthrough I took a non-lethal course, methodically exploring each mission to start with and then picking up the pace in the later missions (where there is a much greater sense of urgency to events). This led me to completing the game in just under twelve hours, a very satisfactory amount of game for my money (and also leaving several other endings and playstyles available to be explored).Dishonored (****½) is an intelligent and atmospheric game which gives the player a lot of freedom in how they choose to approach it and what they want to get out of the game. Surveying a target from a rooftop, coming up with a plan to get in without being seen and executing that plan successfully is great fun; when the plan goes awry and having to come up with a new idea on the fly even moreso. The game does falter a little towards the end, with a sequence set in a flooded part of the city going on a bit too long and the player being railroaded into the nearest thing the game has to a boss fight, but overall this is a rich and compelling game experience.

23.3.2017

Dishonored: GOTY Edition - Imagine Bioshock Infinite only with choices. Dishonored - especially the GOTY Edition - is a very good game. It's not perfect, you need to be clear about that from the start - but it is very good. I don't personally like First Person games, Bioshock being among the few exceptions and, in many ways, Dishonored plays very much like Bioshock Infinite - you have to cross a map where, if spotted, you have to hack, shoot and burn your way out of trouble...Or simply freeze time and teleport out of danger. The choice is yours.This is where Dishonored has an edge. Bioshock forces you into level after level of pretty repetitive game-play. Dishonored lets you choose how you approach and complete your objective.You can play like a sword wielding psycho or be literally a shadow the game doesn't see. The game allows you to choose.And, unlike Infinite - your choices really do have consequences. Leave a trail of too many corpses and the local rat population increases, the number of plague victims increases and the outcome becomes darker. Thus, not only do you have to contend with the villainous City Watch to get to where your going and get out again, you also have to hack your way through hordes of plague ridden Zombies and regular people don't want to help you - instead they call for the cops. Who, for whatever reason, all sound like the same guy. I suspect becasue they probably are...Be smart, though. Be stealthy, explore and help people and they will help you. You can complete this game with with clean hands. You can complete this game as a ghost with clean hands. You get back what you put in.Where Dishonored shines however is where it's game play allows you to incorporate supernatural powers creatively rather than simply for destructive purposes. Bioshock veterans won't find find the use of supernatural powers anything new - but in Bioshock these things are only used to find new and ever more graphically disturbing ways of killing rabid, 1 dimensional enemies who routinely need a damn good killing for they're own good.Dishonored allows you to use these things creatively. And there are really very few limits to how you combine them, creatively.For example - say your only way out of a situation or getting across a map unseen is throwing yourself off a high bridge or tower. This isn't Assassins Creed, there aren't any handy hay-ricks to be found anywhere. In Dishonored what you can do is jump, freeze time before you hit the deck - either teleport to the ground our else possess a nearby enemy and just casually stroll away to safety. Thing is, something like that isn't even a set piece. You can just put these things together whenever you like by trying them out in the field. The variety is genius.Thing is, 9 times out of 10 - becasue the system is so customisable and adaptive - often it only occurs to you that you could have gone at things completely differently and better after you've completed the map. and you really want to go back and change things up just to see if it works which, most times it actually does. It's remarkably satisfying when you do.People, animals, these things you can all temporarily possess in order to get into places or do things you otherwise couldn't, discover things that might actually aid you in your mission. The game encourages you to experiment and explore and that makes it compelling. You want your character to be a master assassin, not some klutz with a switch-sword.You feel immensely satisfied quietly sneaking in and out like a ghost.The best thing about the GOTY edition is, not only do you get the main story playing as Corvo, you also get to play essentially the second chapter as Daud - the assassin who kicks the whole thing off by assassinating the Empress in the beginning. Gives you an entirely different perspective on the story you have played and - if anything - the additional maps are even than the original main game ones. The developers really put some effort shaping up the original game making the additional levels (originally released as DLC, now included on the disc) more or less perfect.Player choice is one of those catch phrases that all too often means very little in gaming - here in Dishonored it's everything. It should also be mentioned, the level and character design are deliberately painterly - it's like playing a very beautifully illustrated graphic novel. Humans are more caricatured than realistic, but the art style is lovely and there's always nook or cranny waiting for you to check out and explore. If you've never played it, definitely give it a shot.You may find it slower than you expect, but that actually isn't down to the game - that will be down to how you choose to play it. And you will choose to play it thoughtfully - becasue it's an intelligent game and, as said - although you can play it like a psycho, you really won't want to. You'll want to do Corvo (and Daud) justice becasue - played right - this game is very, very enjoyable and a nice change of pace.Df you want Farcry then play Farcry. if you want Bioshock, play Bioshock.Dishonored - especially the GOTY edition - is a pleasure to play with plenty of replay value - well worth the purchase. Enjoy.

15.10.2012

Picture this. The corrupt leader of the world's most powerful religious order has just led a captain of the City Watch into his secret chamber, deep within the bowels of his impenetrable headquarters in the mighty port city of Dunwall. They talk about his most prized portrait, where the captain leans forward to inspect it, trying not to insult his leader with his disinterest. The godly man takes a step forward behind him, his voice full of pride, his hands full of glinting steel. Another step closer, and he feels the air shift behind him; the religious man blinks, his throat tightening - he can't breathe ... the next thing he knows is that he is awake, strapped into his own interrogation chair,with the Brand upon his face. With the Heretic's Brand, the High Overseer will be scandalized, cast out - possibly even sentenced. But how did this happen? How!?I happened. I observed the guards from the shadows, hunted the streets for clues to cement my approach by stealth, and slid through the walls of light and brick like a ghost. For those who came close, they choked and fell asleep, and those who walked by, walk on unaware. The city is my armour; the shadows my shield; the night is my weapon, etc. etc.Yeah, anyway. Onto the review; I read a few people here complaining about the texture quality employed in the game. I agree with them, but can't really say it bothers me; I mean the rooftops in the city are impressive, but there exists a compromise in terms of having unique, grandiose and impressively handcrafted architecture within each and every vista, against detailing the minutiae of every pane of glass. The scenes in the distance have depth and look painted with a brush. Assassin's Creed is expansive and realistic, but doesn't have many 'hollow' buildings. That's something reviewers should take into account; there's a lot of hidden depth here. I'm inclined to say "It's not an FPS, it's a sculpture, you morons!", but then this game does allow you to play it as an FPS, and the 'accessible requirement' of modern gaming means even the best art has to pander to the most dimwitted FPS-ers. So yes, I turned everything off that the modern dullard needs; No UI, No contextual menus, No crosshairs. I thought this was as close to hardcore perfection as I could get on the xbox, until I found the only real complaint I have with this game; the context-glow (or focus-glow, if you will) of items still exists whether you turn it off or not. That's a bug, which I hope will be fixed because it does detract from the immersion. Not massively so, however. Just enough to recall that you're playing a game, and are not totally part of the world.So what's it like as a sneak 'em up? Well, you can lean in and out of corners. Throw things to cause distractions. Enemies are sound and light and movement aware in line of sight, whilst patrols randomise when suspicious, requiring map-memory and dextrous improvisation. You can knock people out. And hide their bodies, because if you don't hide them well, other guards will sound the alarm (if you don't rewire it first, of course!) There are varied routes and secret spaces, opened by sourcing clues from the environment, such as from written notes and eavesdropped conversations. The mission review screen is so reminiscent of Thief that it is basically tells you what you hadn't found, if you've been seen and how much chaos you caused (chaos relating to how much you affect the game world for good or ill). It truly is the best successor to the Thief series that fans are likely to play until the real thing comes out. And then you have the rooftops. The Moonlit Rooftops.Each mission is so large and filled with challenging alternate objectives that you are unlikely to discover everything in your first play; each play area is as much vertical as it is linear, what with some of the special powers available, such as teleport, allowing you access to otherwise inaccessible places.I love the fact that Dishonored blazes its own path, however. I love the ironic premise of an assassination game that challenges you to complete it by not killing anyone. That demonstrates respect for the hardcore sentiment within you; that need you should have to utterly master your environment. Playing this on Very Hard with no UI gives you a proper challenge; the challenge to be creative and yet methodical. A plausible heir to Thief.If immersion and exploration are not your thing then stay away (from all games), but if you enjoy first person tension, creative epiphanies and being treated and respected like an adult with the ability to choose an intelligent solution to a problem then purchase this. You will not regret, nor forget it.

22.10.2012

"Revenge solves everything",so goes the tagline for what is surely a contender for Game of the year.Yet had this been a Call of duty game or one of its many clones,"Revenge" would probably have consisted of a series of scripted events where you are "guided" down a linear path before blowing your target to bits with a rocket launcher during yet another ridiculous set-piece.But not in Dishonored.This is the great strength of Dishonored and one of the many reasons it stands out like a sore thumb next to 90% of First-person action games.While the story is almost entirely linear,each level is a virtual sandbox that has obviously been crafted with alot of care and attention by the developers,and onein which the player is let loose to decide for themselves how best to complete their objective.Sure it can simply be played as a straight FPS,but then you definitely wouldn't be playing to the game's many strengths.The level design and the powers you gain as you progress through the game demand experimentation and the ability to think outside the box.This is where most of the enjoyment is derived as you patiently scan the level from a suitable vantage-point, marking out enemy patrols and places of particular interest,(that while not important to the main quest look like they may be worth a visit),and all the while deciding how best to approach your target from the multiple-routes afforded to you by the superb level design and the special abilities granted to you by the mysterious "outsider".Granted with the repeated success of the aforementioned COD games,the ability to think for yourself and to use your imagination while playing might not be a particular strong suit amongst many gamers today.(I say this not as a dig but from experience,there were times when playing Dishonored that I couldn't believe some of the areas and structures in the game were reachable having been "trained" by so many games before ,with their linear and heavily restricted level-design, that such in-game feats were unthinkable).From a visual standpoint Dishonored is a gorgeous looking game.The developers have used a water-colour design in-game and have given many NPCs particularly exaggerated features and unproportioned limbs, and this gives Dishonored a distinctly unique look and a slightly sinister feel which is yet another reason the game stands out from the crowd.No game is without its faults and Dishonored is no exception.The A.I is inconsistent and sometimes frustrating for the wrong reasons.The story is pretty unremarkable and parts of it feel somewhat under-developed,and while it uses some highly-respected voice talent I never thought the voice acting was particularly brilliant.Also the graphics aren't particularly impressive from a technical stand-point and this may disappoint some of those with powerful PCs who are looking for a graphical benchmark,but this is a minor fault and one I don't particularly care about personally.Yet despite these faults,make no mistake,Dishonored is one of the most important games to come out this year.If it achieves commercial success it will show the industry that a First-person shooter/action game can be made and become successful without the baggage and restrictions that usually come with the genre as standard.There is no pointlessly tacked-on multiplayer mode to divert attention and resources away from the main story,neither is their an open-world design to artificially lengthen the game,and thankfully almost zero instances of the game holding the player by the hand from one set-piece to the next.(A practice beloved by so many modern games sadly).No Dishonored feels entirely focused and almost single-minded in its pursuit of giving the player a single-player experience with choices and freedoms which are sadly absent from so many bloated big-budget blockbusters nowadays,and for that the developers of this extraordinary game should be commended.

17.10.2012

Dishonored is magnificent.Dunwall is a world of plague, corruption, decay, superstition, distrust, magic, intolerance, survival and most of all it's oppressive. Yet conversely it's also a world of technological breakthrough and industry (think Thief 2 the Metal Age) that is well and truly now on the down slope. Society is gradually collapsing on the back of an almost unstoppable plague and subsequent rat infestation. And the leadership itself is involved in a desperate internal power struggle and so willing to sacrifice any last remaining remnant of justice. Resources are short, punishment is quick and severe.Visually the game takes on an 18th - 19th century feel and look,and the art style emphasizes the above further in an unique and appropriate way to Dishonoreds world. The city areas are predominantly degraded, grubby and dirty. Rats are everywhere, sometimes in large groups and can be a real threat that the player must take into account, either through plain avoidance or perhaps by indirectly using them to an advantage as they attack anyone dead or alive on sight.Slap bang in the middle of this hell you'll occasional find examples of excess and opulence, often the surrounding locations of your targets, and amazingly sophisticated pieces of technology integrated throughout all the environments (usually for the purpose of oppressing the populace in some fashion) running on whale fat which is the worlds primary fuel source and utterly dependent upon it.Along with so much in the rest of the game, the machines can also be manipulated to aid the player in various ways. But it's the combination of using everything together in multiple ways that makes these interactions feel so varied - this is when the action truly comes alive. You will end up doing a lot of experimenting just for the fun of it.This is one of those rare games brimming with choice (real choice this time) atmosphere and depth.As a lot of people have mentioned the gameplay does have a Bioshock feel to it. But as far as atmosphere goes for me it feels more like a 'Thief' title. Perhaps the perfect combination of Thief and Bioshock. Regardless, just as with the `Thief `universe there's a depth here so rarely felt in other games.You can be heading to an objective, stealthily negotiating the rooftops and alleyways... and suddenly come across a story.For example at one point I entered a open window only to discover several fly ridden corpses inside and a women's diary recounting how her family had all, one by one, succumbed to the plague. And that now, despite her best efforts and ultimate failure to save them, she herself was also dying. It's these little unscripted encounters, these little human stories and the direct result of them discovered before your own eyes that make the game world feel SO damn deep and interesting. You want to know what's down that alleyway or round that corner or where that rat hole leads etc.Sometimes these moments will lead to other optional objectives with very real rewards and hidden secrets. But mostly they're just little snippets of information that further add to the depth of the world. I spent many hours just exploring the environments for these stories. Reading notes, reading books and eavesdropping on conversations. There's so much of it.There's fun to be had here even if you don't care about any of that stuff. Being a super badass assassin is delightful fun regardless of whether you read a single note.But if you are the kind of person that really gets an added kick out of a deep convincing world and enjoys that side of things - then this an absolute must buy for you. Very rarely do I enjoy a game to the point where I'm truly dragging my heels because I don't want it to end. I'm sure those games are rare for everyone whatever your taste. But for me at least, it's Dishonored that has that effect.Simply stunning.

29.12.2013

Dishonored is an excellent stealth game with a steampunk style, a story of political intrigue, great gameplay mechanics and clear influences from other games that it builds upon. It presents its world in a unique visual style that brings its characters and locations to life.You play the role of Corvo, the Empress's bodyguard. After her assassination you are framed for her murder and must escape prison, seek allies and start the fight back against the plotters who have seized power.The first-person sneaking and exploration has some similarities to the Thief series, while the range of weapons, tactics and found items feels somewhat like Bioshock. However,Dishonored always has new ideas to explore.You come across runes that can level up your powers, allowing you to teleport, possess enemies or have them devoured by a swarm of rats. You also pick up bone charms that provide useful enhancements. Because of your powers of stealth and attack, combined with areas that have multiple routes, there are many ways to approach a mission. Combat is good and feels physical, such as blocking sword blows or attacking someone with a knife. Because a lot of your attacks are close range and through the character's eyes, taking out a target can be quite brutal. The game doesn't shy away from showing the bloody effects.At the same time the story deals with themes of revenge, political manoeuvrings, inequality and revolution as you explore the decaying sprawl of the city of Dunwall.Dishonored has a wonderful and unique art style influenced by Viktor Antonov who designed City 17 in Half-Life 2. It's a mix of imposing futurist architecture and 19th-century Britain, an industrial powerhouse running on whale oil and huge machines.The effect is a bit like a 3D oil painting with soft strokes of varied colour as well as detailed shadows and bright areas highlighted. The artists have done a great job creating detailed environments such as the ragged coastline, confined streets, a palace, dark fortress, a huge bridge, the slums, prison and sewers.The sound design is well crafted with effects for your assassinations, the noises of guards moving about their patrols and the general hum of city life. Characters are brought to life with well-done voice acting and conversations that never become dull.There are only a few negative points to the experience. Sometimes enemy perception is a little too keen, so you can be spotted even when you think you are behind cover. The branching storyline and moral choices mean that sometimes other story elements and achievements are locked later in the game, meaning another play-through to get a different ending.With the GOTY edition you get all of the DLC released for the game. With the Dunwall City Trials you are placed in a series of scenarios to test your puzzle, movement, stealth and combat skills in parts of a floating city.The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches see you play as the Empress's assassin, Daud, with a new story arc as well as abilities and tactics in combat, such as summoning an assassin to help. New areas include a whale slaughterhouse, the Legal District, Coldridge Prison and the Brigmore Estate.The Void Walker's Arsenal comprises four pre-order item packs that provide you with bone charms and money, as well as in-game books and statues.Overall Dishonored is a brilliant title with hours of engrossing gameplay, allowing you numerous play styles and brings together the solid main story with some excellent extra content.

20.8.2018

You play as Corvo, a bodyguard for a Empress. However, she gets murdered by assassins, her daughter Emily is kidnapped, and you are framed. Corvo escapes from jail with the help of a group of rebels, and from there you are sent on assassination missions to defeat the ones responsible and prevent them from taking the throne.Despite being an assassin, the game tells you to try to avoid killing people, although it's up to you to play how you want. I chose the stealth route, but choosing to only assassinate the main targets (non lethal options are available). The penalty for deaths is that there will be more rats and therefore more Weapers which are zombie-like humans,in addition to a darker ending to the game.At first I thought the graphics look a bit dated since some textures are pretty poor, but in general, the game does look great and it is surprisingly colourful, given the dystopian setting. The steam-punk and magic aspects of the game reminded me of Bioshock.If you are playing stealthily, expect to spend a while surveying the area, analysing guard's movements, and plotting your path through the environment, utilising cover and slowly moving whilst crouching. If you approach enemies from behind, you can knock them unconscious then hide the bodies if need be.Alerted guards will attempt to find you, and guards that are aware of you will attack you with swords and/or pistols, calling in reinforcements to outnumber you. Combat can be fairly difficult if you don't have the appropriate upgrades, but if you do, you can be a complete killing machine. Since I was playing with a stealth approach, I tended to reload when detected, taking advantage of the ability to save anywhere. There's fairly frequent auto-saves too.There's a few abilities that can help play stealthily. There are some objects you can pick up and throw to use as distractions. You also have the ability to peer around corners without breaking from cover. One of the magic abilities (Dark Vision) is to highlight guards (even through walls) and see their cone of vision.In terms of weapons, you always have your sword equipped, but then also carry a crossbow, pistol, grenades and traps.The first magic ability you are given is Blink. This allows you to teleport short distances which is great for traversing the environment, or escaping from danger. It could have made the game too easy, but I think the levels are well designed and it is well implemented. In enclosed spaces, it doesn't provide much use, but in the more open areas, it is great fun zipping from rooftops into an open window, or reaching heights from ground level.When you are given Blink, you also obtain a strange heart. When held, it shows you how far away the hidden Runes and Bone Charms are. In each area, there can be several of these to find. Runes allow you to unlock magical upgrades, whereas Bone Charms give you a specific bonus. It can be quite a challenge to work out how to get them, so they act as puzzles. E.g., it looked like I could just enter a building through a window, but it turns out the room is boarded up. So you have to work your way around the back of the building and find a path that way.I had a lot of fun playing Dishonored and I think it would be interesting to replay whilst taking a different approach to the levels.

31.1.2014

I admit during my first play-through of Dishonoured I felt slightly less than entertained. To someone used to modern first-person games, the charm of Bethesda’s 2012 release Dishonoured does tend to swoop over heads, myself included in that matter. Maybe I was just ignorant, maybe I am formularised to only enjoy the carbon copy games. This deserves a second play-through, the one I enjoyed most, where I realised how special and rare this game is.You play Corvo, a bodyguard who is truly that of the games title; framed for murder of a figurehead in a huge governmental cover-up. Corvo attempts to uncover the mystery of why he was framed,setting out to prove his innocence and expose others in a world which is comprised of the future-industrialisation of Half Life 2, mixed with Thief’s quasi-medieval city setting. Disease is rife in the form of the plague, as well as the supernatural; power granted to Corvo enables him to teleport to any position he wishes in the near vicinity. Other magic allows possession of living creatures (including humans), abilities to see through walls, and stop time.Dishonoured truly shines in moments of realisation that this world is a living, breathing entity; the levels present themselves as thriving with artificial life. The huge, sparse environments contain a feeling of depth and warmth (and sometimes isolation), that many games struggle to reach or even attempt. NPC’s talk to each other, stories are told, secrets can be eavesdropped – everything feels “real”. Stealth is promoted at every turn, players are penalised for killing and are always encouraged to “ghost” – the act of manoeuvring the levels unseen and remaining undetected. You are even penalised for completing cadaveric mission objectives, so alternatives should be considered. This makes sense since our mute character can prove killing is not in his nature, which by default underlines his innocence of the murder charge made against him.It borrows heavily from Thief: The Dark Project, even referencing it in “easter eggs” - but Dishonoured has its own style and unique setting which allows you to forgive the developers and separate it entirely from Looking Glass Studio’s classic title of 1998.The third mission, House Of Pleasure, is probably my favourite mission of any game in recent years. It uses the same environment as a previous mission but takes place in the day, with added exploration opportunities such as hotels, a dock, and a massive mansion. Initially levels may appear small, but explore a little and you discover an awful lot. The attention to detail and the depth in not only present in the mission structure, but also the text in the form of books and letters in the many homes you raid. The characters in the game are interesting and act humanely. There is plenty of urban settings contrasting with domestication. The atmosphere Dishonoured builds is like a rollercoaster. This can be at times tense, then others sinister, then on finishing a mission, back to the calm of your seaside village. The thought of returning to your cosy retreat in the Fox And Hound makes you feel all fuzzy.Dishonoured is a rare treat, and looks simplistic yet effective in both style and immersion. It’s a game which proves beauty is in the eye of the beholder.9.5/10

24.4.2013

I've played most of the recent-ish new game releases and this one really stands out. Far Cry 3 blew me away with its long distance views and foliage and is a winner in its own right but when it comes to atmosphere and architecture this game wins hands down. The first thing that sprang to mind when playing this game was Half Life 2. It is very similar architecturally with its aged buildings and large metal doors blocking off areas, plus the public address system that occasionally spews out warnings. Also the feeling of Thief is very prominent as you sneak around, you can go in gun (singular) blasting but you'll soon abandon this idea after dying again and again.The world is loosely based around 18th/19th century London docklands complete with jellied eels lying around to replenish health (other food stuffs are available) and reinforced by the fact that your safe house is a pub, the few NPCs that frequent the pub namely the quest givers, usually have a pint in their hand when in conversation and it is strange to watch their hand moving around and the beer in the glass not moving at all. Voice acting is spot on. Every NPC has a range of responses for conversing and they also converse with each other. The AI is very good. NPCs do their chores, the servants sneak off for a cigarette in an alley, the gentry are allowed to smoke inside, and I haven't seen any of them get stuck walking over a rock or in a doorway. A lot of climbing involved in this game which is aided by your super natural powers. Everybody will have a favourite power but they all serve their purpose at some point. Each quest is approachable from several angles, maybe possessing a rat and taking the sewer route or "blinking" (super-fast move) and going from ledge to ledge over the barriers. There are collectables in the game but sometimes the notifications disappear from the screen too fast like "What did that say...there's a what?" and you have to pause and read your journal. Lot of books to read in the game which can put people off but if you want the back story of the world its worth reading at least some of them and notes also give you clues to treasures.I'm not a multi-player person or MMORPG person, can't stand adolescents mouthing off, so a good single player story is important for me. Bethesda has a good reputation for story driven games like Skyrim and Fallout and Dishonored is the same. There isn't much background on the characters but as I said reading the books gives you an insight into the world. There isn't really any music just eerie background sounds which is perfect for the ambience; it's not intrusive and really adds to the game. Sound FX are excellent as are ambient sounds such as water, dogs barking and general unnerving stuff.No bugs, no crashes, my graphics card stays silent (video memory usage 539mb, fan speed 30%, max. temp 49c)so does my PSU which really amazes me as there is some serious eye candy in this game. I haven't finished the game yet and I don't want to. I am completely loving roaming the world, I even bought the DLCs after a few hours of playing that's how much I like this game. If you want a journey into a fascinating world with gorgeous architecture and a wonderful story then buy this game now.

3.11.2012

Copy protection: Steam account & internet connection required to activate.Dishonored is a FPS game in a fantasy setting , where you play Lord Protector, Corvo Atano, an elite bodyguard framed for the murder of the Empress of Gristol. However a band of Loyalists have use of your talents, to strike back. Your arsenal is further strengthened by a mysterious outsider who gives you his mark & allows you to use supernatural powers to achieve your goals. Off you set into the capital city of Dunwall, seeking revenge, as you alone have the power of life & death over those you encounter, as you roam various open levels across 9 missions, uncovering secrets & eavesdropping on your prey as Intrigue,horror & debauchery loom around every corner.The games pedigree is one of the highest calibre , with the creative minds who have worked on some of the best games of the past two decades, from Bioshock, Deus Ex , System Shock, to Thief. IMO this shows, as the game world oozes atmosphere, with it's steampunk setting, freedom of choice & enthralling story to follow. The game play is one very much similar to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, where it is aimed & rewards stealth, with it's winding rooftops, ledges, crawl spaces & rewarding end level achievements. If you go very lethal, NPC's will not like you so much & be rude, compared to going nonlethal with people liking you more & being polite. And with all this in mind, it maybe a little surprising then, that the stealth/non-lethal methods of taking out critical NPC's are some of the most deliciously evil ways to dispose of them, than actually the lethal method is. These usually require doing additional task's instead, but as ever, the choice is yours.Pros:+ Atmospheric & unique fantasy setting.+ Good graphics that complimented the unique style.+ Interesting story premise.+ Brilliant mix of new ideas along with tried & tested ones.+ Feels less linear due to exploration & choice of approach to objectives.+ Choice of combat style, lethal or non-lethal.+ Good Replayability, as your actions cause consequences in game to experience & in the end game outcome overview.+ Nice combination of weapons & powers to use.+ Unique characters & good voice acting.+ Stable game, no crashes etc.. experienced.+ No multiplayer = more attention to the game itself.Cons:- Game play isn't too challenging.- No multiplayer(may annoy some).- Can be a short-ish game compared to other FPS.- End game story doesn't quite deliver as i'd have liked(robbed of confrontations).In conclusion, i have enjoyed Dishonored for what it's given me over it's 20 hours of gameplay. It flooded back many great nostalgic memories of past games iv'e loved, that the creators themselves have had a hand in. Recommended.

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