Dishonored is a first-person stealth game that is developed by Arkane Studios, who previously worked closely on BioShock 2‘s art and design which players will notice if they have played the game. It has been a while since a first person stealth game has graced our consoles, with only third person stealth games like Assassin’s Creed breaking open the genre onto a new scale with interesting and complex platforming added into the mix.

Video Review:

Dishonored‘s story focuses on you taking the role of Corvo, former bodyguard to the Empress of Dunwall, now framed for her murder and left to rot in prison. After being locked up, Loyalists help Corvo from his cell and send Corvo off to eliminate members of the new reign to put the rightful leader to the throne the Empress.  As Corvo has been framed for her murder the people of Dunwall see Corvo as the murderer. After breaking out of prison and meeting up with the loyalist Corvo is given a mask and ends up claiming abilities to travel across the run down streets of Dunwall.

Dishonored follows a similar stealth aspect akin to Deus Ex Human Revolution, These games are possible one of the only few that allow you to go through start to end without even having a drop of blood on your hands. This concept really adds a whole new level to stealth games and already being a popular aspect Human Revolution, fans will be happy to know that Dishonored follows the same tradition. Each mission has various ways you can approach targets, the game gives you the option to go all guns blazing or stealth, where players are able to choose between being brutal or non-lethal. Each mission has a different way to approach the main target, offering various different outcomes depending on your tactics.

The game won’t just chuck you in and expect you to always take out the target, there are other ways to take down your foes without touching them. There will also be times where the game will provide you with a mission where you will just have to find out a location of a enemy, revealing their lies or even work with someone to take them out for you. Dishonored does reward players hugely for going through the game carefully enough to reach the credits without killing anyone. During the game you will notice that Corvo has a very limited amount of ammunition, but a nice variety of abilities and weapons, this does however make it necessary to preserve your ammo and take enemies down with hand to hand combat or choking them from behind which is much more satisfying than you could imagine. If you are aiming to take the game on as silent as possible choking the enemies from behind is your only safe option to taking them out quietly, along with the sleeping dart for the crossbow. If you decided to take the more violent approach and pop off the enemies like flies then expect the outcome to be a noisy one which will most likely alert more enemies to battle and take you down. Human enemies are not your only worry either, there will be large groups of hungry plague-stricken rats that will want to attack you also. The best way to approach the game even with the chaotic option is to try and take enemies from the behind instead of going straight on and attack as you will most likely end up dead.

As I mentioned briefly about Corvo’s abilities, the game follows a similar route to what Bioshock had to offer with its plasmid powers. Corvo has a range of his own abilities that vary from calling a swarm of rats to take out some enemies or distract them, to being able to possess a fish. Players will also notice that Dishonoredhas no mini map feature so maneuvering through the streets safely can be a little harder than it sounds. Thankfully there is also an ability known as  Dark Vision. This ability enables players to see through walls at some distance helping you choose the correct route to take where fewer enemies are placed. The abilities open up the game’s various paths on a whole level, there are many different paths to take and some of them will require the use of the abilities. You can also upgrade all of your abilities to be able to offer lethal or non-lethal takedowns through an upgrade system which is funded by the hidden rare treasures called runes, found within levels. Corvo can also equip only a limited number of accessories so choosing specific accessories will be key depending on your playstyle.Dishonored is not a game designed for players to rush through and complete the missions as fast as possible, it’s a game that requires you to take your time and makes you think about how the various different paths will affect your game. Among the main missions you will also find various sub-missions (some being optional) that will even end up opening a safer path to your main quest target’s hiding place.Dishonoredoffers a lot of various different ways to play the levels, with levels being huge and containing many hidden runes all over the place, encouraging players to head of and explore the rotting streets of Dunwall, finding various books along your way as well offering a more in-depth history about Dunwall and the characters that roam the streets. Depending on the difficulty you approach in the game, the AI will react differently and players will find playing on normal difficulty there will be times where you can open a door right in front of an enemies and they won’t even notice you. There is a keyhole option as well which allows Corvo to look through certain doors before entering normally trigging a guard to walk away or to listen to a conversation revealing hidden details about characters. Even on the higher difficulties the AI  can seem to be a bit clumsy at times and feels a tad un-ordinary.Dishonored is a huge game that offers loads of exploration and multiple different approaches to the game will change the fate of Dunwall. The game is however short and can take up to 12 hours to complete if you decide to stick with the main missions and go all guns blazing. It can however take up to 20 hours if choosing the option to approach the game in a more stealth like manner. Arkane Studios have created a gorgeous and fulfilling experience that doesn’t become tedious. The game offers endless opportunities to explore the scenery and atmosphere. The story isn’t the most unique, but the dialogue and setting make the story feel original. The experience is clearly not one to miss and will easily be a strong contender for Game of the year. If you like Bioshock’s design, Deus Ex’s stealth and Assassin’s Creed’s exploration you will love this game.