GAME REVIEW: Dishonored (PC)

“Winner of over 50 E3 awards”, Dishonored is the product of the collaboration between Arkane Studios and Bethesda and in my opinion one of the best games of 2012. Playing a former royal bodyguard, the main character is driven to become an assassin to seek revenge and rescue the next heir to the throne.

GOOD

1.       Setting

The alternative post-apocalyptic, steam punk inspired setting ravaged by the plague is a new and wonderful environment that makes roaming around a must. Players who do not enjoy finding nooks and crannies will have the urge to wander around simply due to the well-designed areas and the fact that the game allows you to go almost anywhere.

2.       Combat

Being in the first player perspective, the melee combat is surprisingly fluent and enjoyable. Combined with the various supernatural abilities available, ensures you can play however way you want. 

3.       Game freedom

A major factor that made me enjoy this game so much is that Dishonored truly does allow you to play however you want. Besides, providing moral pathways through various optional objectives, the types of weaponry enables you to choose how you want to seek your revenge as an assassin. You want to be the stealthiest and a non-lethal assassin? You can. Dishonored can be completed without killing a soul. For me though, it was equally as fun going hand to hand with enemies, one by one. Another mechanic that the game does to provide the sense of freedom is the use of the supernatural ability to blink from one spot to another at a certain distance (vertically and horizontally). This ability is available very early on and it encourages world exploration as you blink across roofs and into hard to reach windows. 

4.       Ending Scene + Credit

The ending surprised me, as I was left convinced experiencing the journey of a true assassin. Instead of being praised as the ‘hero of the land’ with grand parades, the game portrays a more realistic ending fit for a killer. The ending portrayed me as a ‘dark knight’, a protagonist that not necessarily brought a bright future, but a shadow that did the dirty deeds that needed to be done.  

BAD

1.       Graphics

This could be an instant good for some, but the water colour styled scenery and models was disappointing at first glance. Textures and other graphical options must be on high, as I found that anything less made environmental models, such as boats, simple blurred models. However, the artistic hand drawn style soon grew on me as I viewed the game as “paintings in motion”. 

2.       Voice acting

As a personal opinion, I initially found the voice acting slightly odd with the American accents, as I initially saw the world as a more Victorian London setting. Nevertheless, the voice of granny rag and the sound effects of the moaning weepers (those infected by the plague) honestly made my hairs straighten. The unexpected thrill down my spine, gave an extra layer of fun to the overall gameplay.

  

Even with the initial grimes towards the game, I soon was lost in the world with a grin on my face, as Dishonored truly gave an epic assassin experience. When it comes to making your own fun, Dishonored is a game that must be recommended to everyone.