Dishonored Review

Stealth in gaming is a genre that seems to have retreated in recent years. Of all the franchises that once prided themselves in sticking to the shadows and avoiding detection only the Metal Gear and Hitman franchises have refused to degenerate into action focused romps. How fitting then that Arkane Studio's first major title Dishonored is more than capable of standing alongside it's contemporaries with its unparalleled levels of player choice and detailed world and characters.

Dishonored takes place in the city of Dunwall, a steam-punk city in turmoil; a rat plague ravages the poorer aspects of the population while the rich bask in relaxation, selfishness and corruption. In the midst of these problems the royal bodyguard and protagonist Corvo Attano is framed for the murder of the Empress and the disappearance of her daughter and heir to the Dunwall throne Emily. Awaiting execution Corvo is freed from prison by a band of loyalists aiming to overthrow the dictators who have seized power over the city and he sets out to bring justice violent or non-lethal to those who wronged him. Corvo is not so much the star of this tale; rather it is the city of Dunwall and the characters that inhabit it that draw the most attention. Great voice acting from several notable actors including Lena Headey, Chloe Grace Moretz and Michael Madsen draws the player into the characters and their secrets while the journals, notes and Corvo's mechanical heart gadget do much to create a believable and detailed game world. Themes of the supernatural and mystery also creep in with the Outsider; a spiritual entity neither hero nor villain who bestows Corvo with various powers and abilities. While the plot can be shaped by the player's actions the overall narrative is rather predictable, not offering much in the way of dramatic plot twists or shocking moments. Despite this issue the overall tale is redeemed by the well-developed characters and the city of Dunwall creating an enticing world ripe for expanding upon in later games.

Corvo's journey of revenge and chaos takes place across 9 missions with each involving the neutralisation of a key target. The main crux of these missions is the level design; you'll often start off by being dropped at a riverside and from there the route to the objective like many other aspects of Dishonored is completely up to you. The levels are varied and deep, offering many chances for experimentation; a strength augmented by the various powers at Corvo's disposal. Exploring these environments can often unearth various items including coins to upgrade Corvo's equipment, runes to upgrade his magical powers, bone charms that yield ability enhancements, extra mission clues that can give information and lead the player to the target and even full blown side missions with citizens that need assistance. Completing these optional tasks can have various benefits including free items, keys to certain buildings or other ramifications that are reflected in later missions. Ramifications and player choice play a major role in Dishonored; murdering every enemy in Corvo's path creates high chaos, leading to more rats and plague victims around the city and characters reacting differently depending on how the player proceeds through the missions. It's far more challenging and rewarding to play non-lethal however as the entire game can be completed without killing a single person resulting in low chaos. The missions in Dishonored can also be highly dynamic for items such as safe codes, guard patrols and target locations can vary on different play-throughs or by choosing to play for high or low chaos. Nine missions lasting around forty five minutes to an hour each is a bit short but the multi-layered levels plus the choice between stealth and combat offer strong replayability.

From a first person perspective wielding a variety of weapons and magic powers Dishonored plays brilliantly; it's all held together by blink, a simple yet incredibly versatile power available from the offset that allows instant teleportation behind a piece of cover or to a rooftop. The platforming and traversal mechanics are easy to get to grips with; Corvo will clamber up any ledge by holding the jump button and once both blink and agility are upgraded the player can scale the tallest buildings and travel the longest of distances with ease. A wide range of equally interesting and powerful abilities are available for both stealthy and action focused play-styles that aid in combat and exploration. Dark vision allows Corvo to see through walls whilst devouring swarm summons vicious rats to attack enemies. Other powers including windblast and possession can offer entirely new avenues for exploration. A locked door can blasted open or worked around by possessing a rat or fish and creeping through a narrow passageway for instance. Corvo also wields weaponry including a sword, gun, crossbow, grenade and other tools. Like magic abilities weapons can be upgraded and combining these with Corvo's supernatural abilities (provided he has enough mana to do so) can result in many creative and often bloody kills. Slowing time and taking aim at many enemies with a crossbow can result in many dead foes at once among many other combinations. These opportunities for experimentation are tied in with several hazards and technology used in the levels. Walls of light (electrical barriers), arc pylons and missile turrets can be dangerous but with a rewire tool these can be programmed to attack the enemies. All of this comes together to set Dishonoured apart from every other stealth game before it and of course the sneaking mechanics do not disappoint either. Crouching automatically puts Corvo in stealth mode in which he can execute a stealth choke or a quick blade to the neck; from here he can pick up a fallen enemy instantly and slink back into the shadows to hide the body. The enemy artificial intelligence is quite good; enemies are quick to spot you and will call for help, make use of their weapons accordingly and will even avoid walking near a hazard if they know it has been rewired. Later levels also include enemies that are immune to frontal attacks and use contraptions that disable Corvo's magical abilities so the player will have to adapt their tactics accordingly. Aside from a few minor restrictions in the level design Dishonored is a well-crafted adventure that fully realises the potential of player choice it set out to achieve.

Dishonored's artistic style strikes home with a beautiful and unique painted look; the world of Dunwall may be corrupt, crumbling and filled with problems but everything from the city to the characters have all been rendered beautifully. Dunwall mixes many themes into its architecture including industrialism with all the mechanical technology, mysticism with the Outsider and his shrines and the game even takes some inspiration from the Great Fire and Great plague of London in the seventeenth century. While playing you may be reminded of other games including Half Life 2 with all the technology present in Dunwall. The game's score is led by the ominous ''The Drunken Whaler'' a moody piece sometimes whistled by Dunwall City Guards that perfectly matches Corvo's quest for revenge. Sound cues are also used very well to enhance the stealth gameplay, rising when an enemy spots Corvo and falling when he slips out of sight. Players will encounter some glitches here and there like fallen enemies clipping into objects but none are so prevalent that they spoil the lore or immersion in what is a visually stunning game world.

I called 2011's Deus Ex Human Revolution ''a game that offered more choice than any other'', until now. The story could have more unpredictable and the game itself longer but overall Dishonored is a brilliant new franchise that offers so many ways to play and shape the story and the world of Dunwall that future stealth games may well be judged upon what this game has done.

Rating: 9/10