Developer(s): Arkane Studios
Publisher(s): Bethesda Softworks
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Corvo Attano is a supernatural assassin who takes out his targets
with a mixture of magical abilities, weapons, and extraordinary gadgets. In
Dishonored, players take control of Corvo and his quest to seek revenge. See,
he wasn’t always a supernatural assassin; he used to be a bodyguard for the
Empress, who was murdered. Corvo was blamed and arrested. In prison, a strange
man gave Corvo his supernatural powers and set him loose. By the end of
Dishonored, there will be many dead members of a corrupt government and,
presumably, the one responsible for the Empress’ murder.
Actually, that’s not entirely true. Dishonored is an open ended
game. While one player may kill everyone in his path regardless of innocence, a
different player may use non-lethal takedowns the whole way through. It is
possible to play the game without killing a single person, a more difficult
option, but an option nonetheless. Dishonored gives you a range of supernatural
powers and deadly weapons but, unlike Bioshock, this combination does not have
to be used for the purpose of killing. There are eleven powers in total (seven
active, four passive), including the ability to: teleport short distances,
summon a swarm of rats, stop time, and see through walls.
While many games spout out the phrases “every player will have an
entirely different experience” and “every play through is a new game,” few
manage to back this up. (I’m sorry Borderlands but, at the end of the day,
we’re all having a similar experience: finding different loot doesn’t change
any core concepts.) Dishonored is going to be one of the few games to back up
those two phrases that we’ve grown accustomed to hearing. A minor example is
that it will be impossible to unlock all of the abilities in one play through.
If you’re interested in trying them all out, multiple play throughs are
required. A more substantial way gameplay will vary is by changing the exact
location of the targets; one could play through a level once to find the target
on a balcony and then play through it again to find the target in a cellar.
While different locations of targets does require the player to change their
strategy, Dishonored will never force a certain play style on anyone: if
stealth is the way you play, you can always go stealthy. Unlike Deus Ex: Human
Revolution, no part of the game will force the player into a gunfight.
Another way the game reinforces the idea of a different
experience is how the supernatural abilities can be implemented. There is the
option to burst in the front door and use a gust of wind to kill the first
guards you come across, erupting the area into an orgy of violence. A sneakier
player could possess a rat, move through a vent, and eliminate the target
without anyone seeing them. There are many hands on accounts of a level involving
assassinating a woman named Lady Boyle. Each preview reads vastly different.
Taking into account the dynamic locations of targets, different abilities
available, and the option to implement these abilities aggressively or subtly,
two Dishonored experiences feel as two different games. In an era where a large
amount of different games coming out all feel the same, it’s nice to have this
change of pace.
Unfortunately, there is one modern trend this game is falling
into: handholding. Dishonored allows for lots of exploration and multiple
routes to an objective. Getting lost or confused is bound to happen. Through
this exploration, players are able to find clues to guide them to their goal,
reading a diary for example. The problem here is that playtesters got lost and
couldn’t beat the game. According to Julien Roby of Arkane Studios, “People
would just walk around. They didn’t know what to do. They wouldn’t go upstairs
because a guard told them they couldn’t. They’d say ‘Okay, I can’t go
upstairs.’” To remedy this, in addition to the well hidden hints found through
exploration, there are more obvious hints such as various people in the game
blatantly telling you where to go.
I have never met a playtester before but, I can only assume that
most of the time the job is filled by people that actually play games. When has
a character in a game saying “you can’t do this” ever stopped anyone? For one
thing in a game based on exploration, generally, the best stuff to find is
behind closed doors. For another thing, where do we draw the line? If a police
officer in Grand Theft Auto calls out “give up, we’ve got you surrounded”, do
you just call it a day? If an enemy in Call of Duty says “don’t shoot,” are you
going to listen? Listen, Dishonored playtesters, you are playing as a
supernatural assassin. You have the ability to possess that guard and force him
to jump off a ledge. You could slit his throat and carry the body around as a
trophy. You can even freeze time and just walk around him. So, why would him
telling you not to do something stop you?
Aside from a stark reminder of some lesser trends in current
gaming, Dishonored does stand out amongst the crowd. Playing this game should
leave anyone satisfied as any play style can be successful. Personally, I’m
looking forward to sneaking past the front lines of guards and then taking out
my target in an extravagant and brutal manner. The game launches October 9th,
and we can all look forward to doing everything a guard tells us to do.
Preview by Chris Lohr
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Preview by Chris Lohr
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Chris Lohr is a freelance writer
currently in film school. If you’re looking for him to write for your website,
manifesto, or Russian bride catalogue, send an email to puddinginasock@gmail.com.
Put today’s date as the subject line and include a picture of yourself. Must be
DDD free and willing to host. All Articles by Chris.
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