Dishonoured 2 is soon to be released! November 11th this year (2016), if I’m not mistaken. I’m really looking forward to its release, and so I thought now would be a good time to take a look the first game in this promising series! Here we go.
In Dishonoured, you play Corvo Attano, the bodyguard of the Empress. The Empress is murdered and Corvo is framed, meaning he must then escape capture, find his way through the city of Dunwall and get revenge on those who framed him. In order to progress through the game, you can utilise force, stealth or special powers, and can complete the game without actually killing any enemies (but that’s no fun, right?). Dishonored is an action/adventure/stealth game that really is fun to play.
Gameplay
The graphics are fairly good, but for me, what really made this game great are the controls (and Corvo’s awesome looking mask). Right from the beginning, all actions seem to be assigned to the right buttons and nothing is over complicated, which is really enjoyable – especially when it comes to using your powers. In many games where magic is a key element, I’ve found that many want you to press a hundred and one different buttons just to get one spell working, so Dishonoured was a refreshing change to that irritation, allowing you to enjoy the story and not spend your time getting in a fluster with the controller.
You have to collect artifacts called runes, which you use to purchase your choice of available powers (one of the most useful for me was ‘Dark Vision’ – giving you the ability to see people through doors and walls). You’re also able to collect bone charms, which can be power-related upgrades or improvements to other game elements, such as health and physical abilities. You can choose which bone charms are active due to how you want to play the game, be it stealth or action, and your choice of playing-style impacts the state of the world around you. For instance, if you decide to kill a lot of people, Dunwall becomes more and more chaotic, whereas that is not the case if you choose to sneak past the majority of enemies.
Dishonoured doesn’t provide a horizontal free-roaming world, meaning you can’t walk over to anywhere like you can in Skyrim, but it does provide you with a vertical free-roaming world – one where you’re encouraged to climb walls, teleport up buildings etc. A fun concept, that’s easy to get a hold of due to the smooth running control system, and one that means you can really explore your environment.
Dishonored has atmosphere
An element that’s well worth mentioning is that the voice acting is extremely well done. None of the dialogue feels ‘acted’; all of the speech sounds very natural and professional. This helps with the atmosphere of the game, creating a flow with the characters and helps you become immersed within the world. Then again, with voices being provided by Susan Sarandon, Michael Madsen, Carrie Fisher and Lena Headey – they have to be good quality!
The sound design in this game is also very good; the sound effects such as gunshots and teleportation are extremely satisfying. The sound really does make the environment, and definitely works in keeping you fully engrossed in the gameplay. Even the sounds for the menus gel with the game – nothing sounds clunky or misplaced, and manages to create a good, fairly unique feel to the game. I say unique, as I find it hard to think of any games to compare it to, and that is a huge reason that I’m looking forward to the sequel. As well as the sound being great, the visuals follow suit. Even when hiding, the visuals are never too dark; you’re able to see clearly and nothing strains your eyes too much. These elements give Dishonoured a feel of adventure and encourage you to explore each and every one of your surroundings.
Overall
Dishonoured is pretty damn great. A game that gives you many choices, while still keeping a clear goal, although the plot is one that’s been covered quite a lot (false accusations and revenge), the gameplay is smooth and fun, and the atmosphere is spot on. The story is mixed with other elements, like using powers and the ability to explore a large range of areas; all of which have an effect on the in-game environment. I would recommend Dishonoured to anyone who’s interested in action/adventure/stealth games like Skyrim, Dark Souls and Bioshock. A lot of people I’ve spoken to haven’t even heard of Dishonoured, which is a huge shame. I then go and tell them to go out, buy it, and thank me later. It’s fun and definitely worth a playthrough.
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