Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Innovative"

Dishonored is a brand new IP developed by a fairly unknown developer in Arkane Studios. This game introduces a different approach to the somewhat dying stealth genre. Dishonored shows a different playstyle to the genre but does this different direction translate to and enjoyable title or does Dishonored fall flat on its face? Fortunately for us it stands firm on its feet and can compete with the best of the genre.

Story 8/10

A vicious plague has taken over the city of Dunwall. Corruption and betrayal fuels the regime after the assassination of Dunwall's empress and the kidnapping of her daughter. What is your part in all of the crazy chaos? Well you are put in the shoes of Corvo Attano. Corvo was the empress personal bodyguard. You have been wrongfully accused of the assassination of the Empress and the kidnapping of her daughter. Typical right? Well after these events that take place early on the game, you are on a determined quest to not only clear your name but rid the city of the oppressed government they have been ruled by. With the help of a few covert activists called "The Loyalist" Corvo is set out on this long journey. As said earlier there is a plague that has stricken the city. This plague is spread my animals such as rats or dogs. Infected people are called "The Weepers" The government uses this plague as a reason to kill innocents whenever they wish.

The main story can sometimes be predictable and is really cliche but overall story is decently written and broken down into 9 lengthy chapters. Each chapter is open to explore the area for new ways to complete them. There are a few side quests as well. I really enjoyed the side quest in Dishonored for one reason, they aren't boring. Usually side quest in games give you no reason to actually be interested in them. Dishonored side quest are different. They also have multiple ways to complete them as well, which I will dig deeper into in the gameplay portion of this review. The story mode is well put together and tells and immersive story that will surely keep anyone interested, but does a good story translate to a fun, entertaining gameplay experience?

Gameplay 9/10

Spectacular. If I had to describe the gameplay with one word that would be it. Arkane Studios does a superb job in this department. There are so many different ways to play this game. No playthrough is the same. Even though this is considered a stealth game, you can play this game strictly using action if you so choose. Corvo is armed with unique arsenal of ways to kill (or not kill) an enemy or even an innocent person. You can go the stealth route and go through the whole game without killing a single person (Achievement Unlocked) or choose one of many sadistic ways to kill your foes. You have traps you can set to dismember guards body parts, gates you can hack in order to sit back and watch them fry your enemies to ash, or go the simple route and just engage in some sword, knife or gun combat. If any of those types options aren't your style well your still in luck, because Corvo also has powers at his disposal. If you don't have a bloodlust, you can simple teleport to certain areas to ensure you are unseen by guards or take control of their bodies for a short time period. Using powers to summon those plague ridden rats to eat your enemies or simply force push them off ledges to fall to a gruesome death is normal in this game. These are only a few of the many powers and different options you have to dispose of those pesky guards.

Dishonored offers so many ways to play it can sometimes get overwhelming just deciding what to do. This isn't bad at all. There is an upgrade tree that you can use to upgrade your powers of weapons by spending runes you find in Dunwall. The game offers plenty of ways to complete missions you are assigned to. For example there is a quest in Dishonored where you are set to kill one of the leaders of the regime. You can allow him to drink a poisoned drink, set the kill up to look like an accident, have someone else kill him, or simple just kill him in front of everyone and run and escape or fight your way through all the guards. All of the quest has multiple ways to complete them. This is very unique. I found myself replaying some missions just to find out different ways to finish them. Depending on your playstyle there are different endings. This gameplay is so fun and unique. It honestly never seems to get old. Arkane Studios has done a great job making Dishonored so enjoyable to playthrough but who wants to have all these gruesome ways to kill enemies if it doesn't look as well as it plays? Good news, it does.

Graphics & Sound 8/10

Arkane Studios has chosen great art style for Dishonored. It has a very different look than most games out there right now. It isn't the best looking game but it is a unique looking game. As said earlier Dunwall is plague stricken and oppressed. The art style shows this is a good way. This city is dark and depressing. As you make your way through it you can easily tell the city is not doing well at all. Colors are dark but look really nice and characters models and lip syncing is also well done. As for graphically issues such as popups and freezes, for the most part they were not existent. The game froze once during my playthrough. Graphical pop ups weren't common at all, but they were there sometimes. I recommend installing it to the HDD for a smoother performance. The sounds are great. The NPC's voice acting is superb and so are the sound effects. Hearing the guards yell for their lives before you take their breath away or listen to them yell in frustration while searching for you never gets old. The score is really nice as well. It really immerses you into the dark tone of the game. Even with a few performance issues this game still manages to sound and look great. That is a wonderful thing because most of you will be playing Dishonored for a long time.

Playtime & Replayability 9/10

My initial playthrough of Dishonored took me roughly 20-25 hours. The replayability of the game is incredibly high. As I stated earlier, Dishonored highly encourages multiple ways to play it. Just seeing different endings and ways to go about your missions is worth it but there are Runes to collect as well as Bone Charms. Searching for these also increase playtime if you're the collectible type that is. There are multiple difficulty settings as well. Playing on the hardest is definitely a challenge and near impossible you if you don't take your time so save a lot. This can easily be a 50 hour game if you want to experience everything Dishonored has to offer. Overall playing through Dishonored at least twice is recommend and worth it.

Final Verdict 9/10

Pros

+ Gameplay Diversity
+ Side Quest
+ Art Style

Cons

- Cliche Story
- Minor Performance Issues

Closing Comments

Dishonored has raised the bar for the stealth genre as well as the action genre. Arkane studios have managed to incorporate both action and stealth into one game. They really have something going with this new IP and hopefully can continue to expand on it. Even though there is room for improvement, Dishonored is something truly amazing. Any gamer that's a fan of the action or stealth genre will surely have fun whether you're leaving nothing but blood and destruction in your path or going the stealth route, either option will leave you satisfied you picked up that controller.