Excellent mix of gameplay choices and stylish visuals

User Rating: 9 | Dishonored PS3
"Dishonored", from Arkane Studios, is a terrific entry into the stealth genre. There are plenty of choices to be made throughout, and the setting of the city of Dunwall provides an excellent backdrop to the game. It's a nice mix of steampunk and Victorian England, with a foggy haze settling over the streets and waterfronts that are ripe for exploring. This is a game that you want to spend time in, as back alleyways and side streets offer plenty of different routes to take while completing your objectives. These side trips lead to additional quests, as well as supplies and the runes which are your currency with which to buy your powers from. There's not a large range, but what you have at your disposal works well and is fun to use. Blink is an absolute necessity to get around, as otherwise many areas would be otherwise impossible to access. Happily, it's the first power you get, and that comes early on in the game. Each power has two levels, the second either adding distance to your ability (upgraded Blink allows you to travel farther) or increasing the power of the ability (upgraded possession allows you to possess humans as well as small animals). The runes offer a fine incentive to go off exploring the world, as well as completing side quests for different characters. The controls all work well, enabling you to dual wield weapons or use a power in conjunction with your sword. The story is well told, from the betrayal and false imprisonment at the beginning to the final resolution (of which there are three- two dark endings and one "good" ending). Your gameplay choices dictate your ending. Kill everything in sight, and you'll be granted a darker ending. This can be quite fun, but be warned- playing on High Chaos brings more guards, more rats, and more Weepers (the infected citizens of the city). The nice thing is there are so many ways to dispatch your foes, from your blade to your crossbow to unleashing a powerful whirlwind or a large swarm of rats. Taking a more measured approach gives you a calmer but no less challenging setting. Being stealthy is harder, though it's very rewarding, and playing on Low Chaos gives the game a different feel and look (especially in the final mission). I've played through twice fully (and replayed the final mission to get the other dark ending), once on High Chaos and once on Low Chaos, and because of different approaches I saw different things and had a different experience each time. And I still didn't see everything this game has to offer. This is a game that begs to be replayed, and is fun to do so. Play time will vary according to the player. You can rush through, do only your objectives by killing everyone and everything in your path, in about 8 hours, but doing so will cause you to miss a lot of the game. Both of my playthroughs took me around 20 hours, and it's well worth it to take your time, take in the scenery, read the books and notes, and listen to conversations. The world is nicely detailed, and you feel like you're in a decaying city. For the most part, the only glitches I encountered were my victims getting stuck in walls, but there was few and far between. I didn't notice any screen tearing at all. If I have any complaint, it's that I can't melee a character is facing him. From behind you can simply choke them and knock them out; if they turn to face you you more or less are stuck killing them (making a no kill playthrough quite difficult, though not impossible). A better climbing mechanic (a la Assassin's Creed) would've been nice as well, but these are minor quibbles. Overall, this game is well worth your time, a must play if not a must buy. Definitely give it a shot, and don't rush. You may be glad you did.