Arkane Studios has become much-beloved by fans for building creative immersive sim worlds that allow players to freely use a variety of weapons and powers to experiment with new ways to reach their objectives. The developer has an impressive library of games and is the creator of such inventive games as Deathloop, Prey, and the upcoming Redfall. However, perhaps their most well-known IP is Dishonored.
Dishonored is a stealth-focused immersive sim, primarily set in the plague-ridden Victorian-inspired Empire of the Isles. Players take on the role of an assassin and are tasked with eliminating several targets to achieve an overarching goal. It was thought that the Dishonored franchise was lying dormant, but its recently confirmed direct connection with Deathloop has sparked new hope and intrigue for its fans. Although the original game is nearly a decade old, it still holds up brilliantly in 2022, and the franchise as a whole is well worth revisiting for its lore, gameplay, and creative freedom.
Dishonored's Lore Is Gripping and Will Keep Players Engaged
The original Dishonored throws the player immediately into a mysterious plot as a group of unknown assassins with seemingly magical powers murders the Empire's leader, Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, and kidnaps her daughter, Princess Emily Kaldwin. The game's protagonist, the Empress' bodyguard Corvo Attano, is framed for her murder, but a mysterious figure known only as The Outsider imbues him with his own magical abilities, which help him to unravel the truth.
The lore surrounding these powers and the game's world is gripping in its own right, but the fact that Bethesda recently confirmed that Deathloop is also set in the same world makes revisiting Dishonored even more of an interesting prospect. Fans of Arkane Studios' latest game will be fascinated to learn more about how Blackreef, and its magical slabs and time loop, could have been created. Players may originally have believed Deathloop's story to be over once Colt breaks the loop, but the existence of the Void and the Outsider from Dishonored may suggest otherwise.
Dishonored's Gameplay Still Feels Unique & Lets Players Get Creative
Another reason to revisit Dishonored is that it still plays fantastically. Fans of Deathloop and BioShock's powers and weapon combat will love Dishonored's similarly satisfying and responsive gameplay. It feels unique though, and its freedom and variety of approaches give players real control over their actions. For example, players can choose to imitate guards or transform into rats to sneak their way through levels. They can also seek out alternate methods, such as poisoning or tricking their enemies or setting alarms and traps to distract them. Of course, there's always the option to go in guns, crossbows, and swords blazing too, chaining enemies together to clear entire patrols at once.
However, the freedom never feels overwhelming, as players are guided towards different lethal and non-lethal approaches from the start. It's then up to them which approach they take and how they achieve their goals. These decisions also have a real impact on the story overall and put the games' outcomes in the player's hands. Naturally, players receive more hopeful endings for peaceful playthroughs and darker endings for more violent styles.
Dishonored's fantastic level design further plays into these options and contains arguably some of the most intricately and cleverly designed levels to be found in any video game. The stunning aesthetics also firmly stand the test of time. The variety of these levels and their layout not only enable players to experiment with different approaches but also ensure that each mission feels fresh. For example, players can go from blending in seamlessly with the crowd during Lady Boyle's Last Party in the original Dishonored, to mastering the time-traveling twists of Dishonored 2's A Crack in the Slab. Such variety is simply a joy to experience and arguably hasn't been surpassed even in 2022.
Dishonored Is a Great Option for Fans of the Stealth Genre
The stealth genre hasn't seen many major releases recently. A Plague Tale: Requiem and Hitman 3 are the only recent notable exceptions, so fans of the genre will no doubt be eager for something else. Although it doesn't have to be played in this way, Dishonored is a fantastically creative game that rewards players for their stealth and gives them the tools to make it an enjoyable experience, rather than a frustrating one. Stealth fans can get their fix by revisiting this fan-favorite franchise, but it also has so much more to offer gamers in 2022. Its rich lore, stellar gameplay, and creative freedom ensure that it's still heralded among the greatest immersive sim franchises ever made.