It’s been four years since the release of Arkane Studio’s Dishonored.
Set in the fictional city of Dunwall, it focuses on first-person stealth,
giving players freedom to approach missions in a variety of ways
equipped with supernatural powers.
Now, Arkane looks to expand the scale of its critically acclaimed predecessor
with a sequel starring multiple protagonists.
Set fifteen years after the original Dishonored,
Emily Kaldwin is now the Empress of Dunwall
with her father Corvo Attano by her side as Royal Protector.
The good times quickly turn sinister as Duke Luca Abele of Serkonos
and the witch Delilah Copperspoon stage a coup.
It’s here where the player chooses to play as Emily or Corvo
for the remainder of the game.
With Dunwall compromised,
the protagonist flees to Karnaca, capital of Serkonos.
Often referred to as the “Jewel of the South,”
it’s a bright coastal town powered by giant wind turbines
where laborers extract silver from the bountiful mines.
It’s a stark contrast compared to the brooding, steam-powered Dunwall,
helping to expand the narrative scope of the franchise.
While the plot offers intriguing mission objectives,
it rarely has anything interesting to say.
Even the all star cast of Sam Rockwell, Rosario Dawson and Vincent D’Onofrio
feel as if they are simply reading their lines
rather than expressing them with real conviction.
Despite the shortcomings,
the city of Karnaca is an interesting and mysterious place
and the ability to control the outcomes of most missions
by causing chaos or sparing lives helps fuel the emotional incentive.
During the fifteen hour journey to retake the throne,
players will explore the city and eliminate targets.
Each mission can be approached in a variety of ways.
Countless rooftops, street lamps, and wind turbines
can be mounted for tactical advantage on unsuspecting foes.
Back alleys and apartment buildings beckon players
and almost always reward curiosity with collectibles or alternate routes.
Hidden side quests can be acquired from talking to certain NPC’s,
and these add additional ways to bypass dangerous locations.
The way each area is connected
makes exploring always feel natural and seamless,
and it’s easy to forget about the mission at hand
while marveling at the little hidden details you are guaranteed to stumble upon.
The AI is intelligent which helps add tension to each stealthy moment.
Enemies still rely on vision cones but are sensitive to their surroundings.
If a door remains open they may question why,
and if one of their comrades is mysteriously missing
they may become more alert.
Shadows are essential to remain hidden
and simply crouching in a corner often isn’t enough to avoid detection.
This forces you to constantly be aware of your location,
stay patient and pay attention to minor details.
Dishonored 2 asks a lot from players,
especially those that prefer a more stealth oriented approach,
but successfully sneaking past unsuspecting guards
is an exhilarating feeling.
Open combat is where Dishonored 2 begins to falter.
For non-lethal players,
a simple parry mechanic sets up an incapacitating choke hold.
It can be frustrating to have to wait for an enemy to set up a parry opportunity,
which makes for some awkward moments.
For lethal players, simply mashing attack with an occasional block
is enough to fell nearly every opponent.
There are times when mixing in powers and ranged weapons
like the pistol or crossbow adds some dramatic flair to the proceedings,
but the encounters are basic when compared to the rest of Dishonored 2.
Each character plays the same series of missions
but comes outfitted with a suite of different powers.
Veterans of Dishonored will feel right at home with Corvo’s abilities
like Blink and Devouring Swarm.
Emily has a variation of Blink called Far Reach
which is essential to navigate the massive stages.
Shadow Walk is perfect for slipping by enemies undetected
and can even be used for offensive takedowns.
Domino is one of the more creative powers as it links targets together,
with the fate of one affecting the rest.
Experimentation is encouraged,
and combining powers can yield some fascinating discoveries.
Each stage features a myriad of collectible runes,
bone charms, upgradeable blueprints, and journals to collect.
Runes are essential for upgrading powers
and even after collecting the majority of them,
it’s likely you won’t have enough to unlock every ability,
emphasizing how meaningful each one is.
Due to the sheer amount and length of some journal pickups,
they can severely slow the pace down for players hungry for lore,
but they add a considerable amount of context to the regions
and motivations of key players of the story.
Additionally, the economy is well balanced due to expensive upgrades,
further motivating and rewarding exploration.
One strange omission is the ability to replay missions,
a feature that was in the original Dishonored.
Additionally, a New Game Plus mode
would have further encouraged more playthroughs
thanks in part to the difficulty of obtaining every power.
Thankfully Bethesda recently stated
that New Game Plus and additional difficulties
will be added in the future.
Dishonored 2 offers players an immense amount of freedom
to solve each scenario and imprint their own choices into the story.
Exploration is not only encouraged but rewarded,
and the use of powers to navigate the environments and eliminate targets
adds a complex layer of strategy to nearly every moment of the journey.
Bland story and combat hold Dishonored 2 back,
but the quality of everything else make the journey to Karnaca a memorable one.
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