Half-Ass Gaming Reviews: Dishonored

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Corvo Attano, the Lord Protector, known as the bodyguard to the queen.  He returns two days early from a long trip of serving his Empress’s wishes of finding aid against a vile plague. He is greeted by the princess, Emily who happily leads him to her mother. The three are ambushed while having a heartfelt talk regarding the kingdom. During the struggle the Empress is struck down and, Emily, her daughter is taken hostage. When the smoke clears the guards only find Corvo hovering over the body. The man that once protected the Empress is brought down to that of a lowly criminal and quickly dishonored.

Corvo is saved from execution by the loyalists; these rebels loved the Empress’s ideals and believe that Corvo is on the side of Justice. Since he’s an escaped prisoner he must don an enhanced mask and steal, kidnap, and assassinate his way to the treacherous top of the chain. The story doesn’t navigate a straight path, as Corvo is blessed with the supernatural powers of a godlike humanoid. This creature feels that Mr. Attano is worthy of his dark powers, but he shrouds his reasons for these gifts in a fog.

The dynamic constantly shifts in the world depending on what Corvo does. If you Poison the still that produces the elixir to fight off the plague that the citizens are catching, and you will more than likely see a flock of sickly people wandering the streets. The story seems simple but quickly becomes a complex combination of a series of events. It’s respectable to see the player rewarded based on how they complete a mission. Every action has a reaction, and simply spilling a wine of class can change an outcome.

Dishonored reminds me of the old PC series, Thief. The major focus is entirely on stealth mechanics with a twist. Otherworldly abilities make things a little more interesting. Instead of running around the map just avoiding unsuspecting NPC’s, players are appointed moves like “Blink” which bounces the player from one area to another without being seen. More of these skills can be unlocked by collecting runes scattered about each portion of a city.

Let me explain… Corvo resides in a safe haven away from the prying eyes of those who want him arrested. When he’s given a mission by the Loyalists, he heads out to a portion of the city on his trusty boat. From here the player can venture out into the city to complete his missions, or explore for random events, runes, and side-quests. It’s not exactly open-world because once the main quest is completed; players cannot come back to complete optional missions and collect forgotten runes.

The nitty gritty comes down to the impressive battle system and challenging A.I. opponents. Slinking around is enhanced by a variety of skills and weapons. Players can switch from crossbows, pistols, and traps to take down their foes. The melee system is slick as well, allowing some devastating counters and brutal finishers in the first person view. Sneaking about is made harder due to the amount of skills at a players disposal. Enemies can see farther as they gain a heightened awareness, and will barrel towards a player when their threat level is maximized.

To combat this, the player is given ample options to travel to the next target. Multiple avenues are open for travel, it’s up to you to make a choice and find out what fits your play style. Full frontal assaults are not recommended but the option is there. Players can also outright ignore killing at all, and slink by all enemies in the area if they concentrate enough. Its amazing fun to find new ways to get around the terrain, and players will even stumble on some entertaining puzzle elements as well.

Let no one tell you that Dishonored doesn’t ooze beauty. The detail captured in each element of the architecture is an absolute work of art. The character models share a similar likeness to those of Bioshock, and this obviously is passed on to the environment as well. Not a modicum of detail is wasted on the water effects, building detail, and overall feel of the downtrodden city of Dishonored. At times I would find myself simply standing around to marvel in the beauty.

There are very few games that can keep players as engaged as Dishonored. It’s an absolutely mesmerizing experience with a detailed and intriguing world to explore. There are even two endings depending on how much chaos Corvo caused in the city. Half-Ass Gaming bestows Dishonored with an A.  If you’re into the stealth genre and even if you’re not… Dishonored is well worth investing your time and money in.