I’m late to the game on Dishonored.
Developer Arkane Studios just released the third piece of DLC for the game, and this prompted me to play for the first time. I’ve been missing out.
Dishonored is different than I expected. I’m struck by the art style — from the setting, the proportions of the characters, the fonts — and the degree of realization of the game world. I’m impressed, and I like it.
Dishonored is like a combination of Thief, Bioshock, and Skyrim.
After completing a mission in Dishonored, a summary screen lists things like how many collectables were found, how much money was found, how much chaos was caused. Two checkboxes are also included — they show if the player got through the level without killing anyone, and if they player got through without being detected at all.
When I played the first two Thief games years ago, summary screens didn’t show information like this, but people talked about them in the forums. Some even suggested that, in a game with bow arrows, the “real” way to play the game was to avoid all detection and leave no trace whatsoever.
While playing Dishonored, objects in the world that the player can interact with highlight in gold. The same effect is present in the Bioshock games and the Thief games.
The game world also contains audio diary devices that draw immediate comparison to devices in the Bioshock games.
Finally, Dishonored contains books that the player can read. The closest comparison I can find is to books in Skyrim. Thankfully, the font in Dishonored is much easier to read.
I’m not sure I’d say I’m hooked, but I’m as committed to finishing this game as I can get. (If that sounds like waffling, see my other new blog, Dad Blog.) I may add more.