Dishonored Review

High Replay Value
To see the different sides of the story in Dishonored, you will be required to play the game at least two times, as the story will differ depending on the choices that you make, or how you tackle the mission. Since every mission contains the option to kill or not kill someone, these little things will greatly effect how the story will play out. In general, there are a couple of endings that you can unlock and the only way to see them both is to play through the game twice with two different tactics. Also, if you are a trophy or achievement hunter, you will be required to play through the missions over and over again to unlock them all.

Bioshock Feel w/ Great Presentation
Since it was Arkane Studios that helped develop Bioshock 2 with its art and visuals, their previous experience bleeds into the world of Dishonored. Fans of the Bioshock series can see a lot of similarities when it comes to the game’s visuals. Everything from the characters to the environments, you will get the Bioshock vibe, though it’s not a bad thing. The world feels lively and the city is somewhat open-ended, allowing you to explore at will. As for the voice overs, they are done excellently, setting a good tone and conveying emotions well when characters speak. This all comes together with a great soundtrack backing everything up.

NOT

Same Old Revenge Story
The story of Dishonored isn’t quite as unique as we had hoped. The game starts off with Corvo, a bodyguard to the Empress, being blamed for killing the Empress and abducting her daughter. He is sent to jail, set up to be executed and publicly dishonored. Since he is framed for crimes he didn’t commit, a group of loyalist planning to expose the truth helped frees Corvo and tasks him of becoming a master assassin, giving him his objective to kill those who want to take over the throne. The story contained within Dishonored is about revenge, comparable to the story of Assassin’s Creed. To add a little spice to the story, the developer behind the game added a supernatural twist to help it stand on its own.

Visuals are Somewhat Dated
Compared to the visuals of games recently released, Dishonored’s visuals can be considered somewhat dated. While the environments look phenomenal, the visuals fall short when it comes to the character models. They look like they’re from the early years of this console generation. Furthermore, the lip-syncing is off and textures are muddy at times. If you are getting the game on the Xbox 360, it’s highly recommended to install the game to prevent texture pop in and limit the muddy textures.

VERDICT

Out of all the stealth-based action games that I’ve played, Dishonored is simply one of the best around. The way Arkane Studios tackled the stealth within the game is perfect, making all the patience and time you’re putting in planning your strategy rewarding in the end. With the two ways you can play the game and a high replay value, you are looking to spend a lot of quality time with Corvo as you become the master assassin. Those who are looking for an engaging story will not find it in Dishonored, as it has the same rehashed revenge story with just a little of its own flavor (but not enough) through the player-controlled changes. Those looking to play a great stealth-action game, Dishonored is the game for you.

[Editor’s Note: Dishonored was reviewed on the Xbox 360 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]