Recently I’ve been a busy boy and haven’t really managed to see much of Dishonored before jumping into it for a review. And I have to say the experience is a pleasant one bringing back memories, for me at least, of TimeSplitters and BioShock in terms of the look and feel and Thief in terms of the gameplay.
You play as Corvo, a bodyguard who’s promptly set up for the murder of your master and the kidnap of her daughter. After a brief spell in jail you soon escape thanks to some outside help and seek to clear your name, exact revenge and rescue the girl. What’s really cool about this game is that although it has stealth elements we’ve seen before, there are new things in here that set it apart from the rest of the pack.
You’ve not just got gadgets such as sleep darts, traps and of course the sharp end of your sword which you must use along with blocks to effectively behead those trying to do the same to you, but also some supernatural surprises including the ability to ‘blink’ which is basically teleporting about the place, summoning a plague of rats to feast on your foes and a heart you can hold in your hand which not only directs you towards runes and bone charms which can be used to buy new powers and equip extra perks, but also tells you secrets about people you point it at. This, along with all the books and notes you can read lying around the towns and cities really adds to the rich, involving feel of the game.
There are multiple ways to go about getting your kills. You can clamber over walls, possess a rat to run through a tunnel, silently kill your foes or go in guns blazing. However, your gameplay effects your Chaos level which isn’t shown to you as you play but given as a rating at the end of each mission. This Chaos level also effects the way the game plays out so you’d better be cunning about the way you carry out your assassinations. For example, you could just walk up to someone and stab them but it’s far more fun performing the old switcheroo on someone’s poisoned drink and watching them choke to death!
The graphical style here is stunning. All the men have oversized hands and that certain afore-mentioned TimeSplitters face shape and the world looks like a painting in motion. It also plays really smooth. There’s no slowdown here whatsoever so it feels like you’re gliding about the place which is actually a very nice feeling indeed!
Dishonored is yet another worthy first-person adventure. With its
RPG-style elements, rich characters and a world that lets you play the way you prefer, it really is one of the best games of the year so far so it gets 9 out of 10.
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