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It is a beautiful first-person action game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda. If you like games with artistic design like BioShock, Prey, and We Happy Few, you will definitely enjoy this one as well. I'm doing this review for the first game, but it will also contain some information about the second game.
As usual, I won’t provide too much information about the story, but briefly, Dishonored is set in a city at the end of the 19th century, where technology and magic intertwine, influenced by the Industrial Revolution. The story revolves around Corvo Attano, a bodyguard. Corvo is in charge of protecting the daughter of the city’s Empress, Emily Kaldwin. However, the Empress is assassinated, and Emily is kidnapped. Corvo is wrongfully accused of the murder and, as events unfold, he fights to uncover the truth behind the crime and rescue Emily. It’s not an unfamiliar scenario, as we've seen variations of it a million times, but as long as the execution is done well, the clichés and ordinariness of the plot don’t matter much.
As for the graphics, if you enjoy the aforementioned games, you’ll enjoy this one too. The elements from the post-Industrial Revolution era, the discoveries, buildings, and the overall atmosphere are really enjoyable to be a part of.
Now, when it comes to gameplay, the game offers you two different playstyles, as always stealth and combat-focused. However, what I really like most about the game is that no matter which playstyle you choose, the game maps, environments, atmosphere, story progression, and even the ending change significantly. To explain further, every time you kill a character, it adds a darker tone to the city. Your kills directly increase the city’s “chaos” level. As the chaos level rises, the city becomes darker, more corrupt, and more dangerous. This leads to more enemies in the streets and the people becoming more anxious. The increase in chaos doesn’t only affect the atmosphere but also the game’s ending. For example, killing certain major enemies means completing specific missions, but this also means the loss of their lives and the balance of the city. The people in the city notice your killings and react accordingly. This increases the fear level among the locals and also affects the approach of other characters involved in your mission. Some characters may not want to work with someone who has committed murder, which could lead to losing them. So, when you complete one mission, another could have failed because of your actions.
Kills can increase the number of enemies you face and cause stronger foes to appear, making the game harder and requiring you to think more strategically. Every time Corvo kills someone, instead of making the area cleaner, the city becomes more decayed and ruined. People get more fearful, the environment becomes gloomier, and creatures like Weepers and swarms of rats invade the city. This system is one of the unique features of Dishonored. The game allows you to question whether to kill or not, while also showing how the consequences of your actions can have wide-ranging effects. And honestly, I absolutely love this. Even the smallest action I take can affect the game, and it’s beautifully presented.
In the second game, there are similar mechanics. In Dishonored 2, the system is designed in a more expansive way, offering a more flexible experience with different characters and abilities. Just like the first game, killing and using violence will make the story and the city darker, but if you play stealthily and with strategy, you’ll create a calmer and more controlled atmosphere.
There are many abilities in the game that you can use according to your playstyle. To unlock these abilities, there are runes scattered across each map, and obtaining them isn’t always easy. Sometimes you need to go around, climb high, dive into deep areas, solve puzzles, or even kill more enemies to get them. This adds a great level of quality to the game. While they aren’t as powerful as runes, bone charms also exist, and they are more abundant on maps, and easier to collect. These give you smaller effects, such as running faster or reducing fall damage. In the second game, your abilities are more diverse, and you can use them either to kill or to progress stealthily. (The game gives you the option to choose whether or not to acquire these powers. If you just want to have fun, play freely, and in different ways, you can choose to acquire these powers, but if you want a more challenging and realistic experience, you can proceed without them. There’s even an achievement for this.)
I personally prefer the first game, but Dishonored 2 is a more developed and improved version of the first game in every aspect. Also, in the second game, you have the option to play as two different characters.
With its graphics, characters, music, abilities, two different playstyles, and most importantly, the system that shapes the game based on your playstyle, it's a fantastic game. don't remember encountering any bugs either. In short, don’t miss the Dishonored series. Play and finish these games, you won’t regret it.
9/10