Also available for XBox 360 and PC
Developer: Bethesda
Released 12/10/2012
3.5/5
‘Dishonored’ is an action RPG from the studio who brought us such epics as ‘Fallout 3‘ and ‘Skyrim‘. When they bring out an RPG, you expect the best.
The best doesn’t really feel like what we got this time around though.
‘Dishonored’ (or ‘Dishonoured’ for people who want to spell it correctly) is a game that has similarities to the other titles, in that you can complete missions in any way you see fit, choosing to be good or evil, ruthless or merciful and see how your actions affect the eventual outcome. This is always welcome and works well. Causing more havoc makes things more difficult for you in the long run while remaining peaceful can provide benefits from allies. It is actually possible to complete the game without killing anyone. On the other hand, some say ‘Revenge Solves Everything’.
You can play out your missions using stealth and secrecy, or use your combat skill to battle through your enemies.
The main thing that sets this apart from most stealth adventures is the inclusion of magic. A being known as The Outsider blesses you with his gift, allowing you to learn and use Dark Arts.
The magic makes the game a whole lot more interesting. The first ability you learn is called ‘Blink’. This allows you to teleport short distances. In a stealth game, this has a number of practical uses. Rather than attempt to sneak by enemies, you can Blink past them completely unseen. Or you can use the power to close in on unaware guards from behind and within a second be putting them to sleep.
Later, as you progress, you can learn more skills, each one having potential use for both stealthy and aggressive players. Dark Vision for example works similarly to Batman’s Detective Mode in Arkham Asylum/City. It allows you to see through walls and see what people are up to without making your own presence known.
Another great addition to the genre is the dual weapon wielding. In one hand your character Corvo holds his trusty blades. In the second you can choose to wield a power, a gadget or projectile weapon. This means that you are never unarmed and defenceless. There are also hotkeys so that you can switch between your left hand item in a second.
The story world is rich. The Empire is plagued by a disease being spread by rats which turns people into zombie-like beings before they eventually die. Your character has returned from a quest to seek aid from other nations but finds his home city has fallen foul to corruption. Soon enough you are dishonoured, lose your title and begin your crusade for revenge.
The more people you kill, the more rats breed and the more the disease spreads.
You get scored at the end of every mission and are informed of how much loot you missed and how much havoc you caused. If you wish, you can replay the mission to better the outcome.
The design is inspired and unique giving a sort of not quite steampunk feel to everything. The title does not seem to be set in any specific era. While the characters wear Victorianesque outfits, there is a great amount of futuristic technology present too. 
Guards patrol on giant walking machines with cannons while electrical barriers block off high security streets. Great care has been taken to make the gameworld as attractive visually as it is engaging.
One problem in the game design is that you aren’t given any way of telling friend from foe. In your first assassination mission you may run into a couple of thugs that simply tell you to back off, while others marked in exactly the same way attack on sight.
Another gripe is that even though you are rewarded in some ways for using non lethal methods, once you get into combat there are no non lethal moves. Your only option is to kill or to try to run and hide. It would be better if they had perhaps included a knockout move such as striking with the butt of your sword.
Somehow though, despite the interesting new elements of magic and originality, the game feels a little underwhelming. Maybe because of the huge scales of games like ‘Skyrim’ and ‘Fallout’, more was expected from it that it didn’t deliver. The game is not as open world as those titles or some other stealth games like ‘Assassin’s Creed’ and rather takes a more closed off singular level/stage approach to missions. This isn’t a problem, but it’s worth noting that if you expect a wide open city to explore, you might be disappointed.
