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Posted November 2, 2012 by Derek Vicente in Gaming
 
 

Dishonored: Killing Enemies With Rats Is Pretty Dishonorable

Corvo Attano

I have never been a fan of stealth. I’ve always believed that keeping your enemies unaware of your presence would soon lead to a misstep, alarming them that there’s some sneaky filth creeping behind the shadows with a knife or Hidden Blade attached to his wrists.

But what happens if you fuse together the elements of stealth, Paganism, and witchcraft? Dishonored pulls you into a dystopia where a mysterious plague has people running with flies surrounding their bodies and blood covering their eyes.

You play as Corvo Attano, a bodyguard that serves under the royal mantle of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin who was shortly murdered by a mysterious group of fast-moving assassins. Corvo was framed by the Empress’s political allies, besmirching the bodyguard’s legacy with a hilt on the face. Not long afterwards, Corvo receives assistance from a group of Loyalists who wants the Empress’s daughter, Emily Kaldwin, succeed the throne and it’s up to the once respected bodyguard to take on the role of a masked assassin to claim back his life and the lives of the people who architected the Empress’s death.

Dishonored by Corvo

Developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks, Dishonored plunges Corvo in a battle to lethally punish Dunwall’s villains or seek a non-lethal solution by doing side missions. During your forays to Dunwall’s forgotten streets, Corvo will encounter city guards, masked overseers, Walls of Light, and pylons that shoot electric currents that incinerate targets into ashes, making it difficult for players to establish sweet spots where they can easily go in for the kill undetected.

To assist Corvo in his quest to travel the heavily guarded districts of Dunwall is his arsenal of supernatural abilities granted to him by the Outsider, a mysterious enigma intrigued by how Corvo will decide the fates of his antagonists. Corvo’s powers provide players with choices in accomplishing missions. For example, the skill Blink teleports Corvo to short distances while Devouring Swarm enables the player to summon a hungry pack of rats that surround enemies within seconds, consuming them to the bone.

Dishonored shines in encouraging players to experiment on how they want to proceed without Corvo being shot or electrocuted. This experimentation can be either stealthy or destructive in approach and for those who value quick slashes to the neck than explosions, Corvo’s Bend Time slows down the passing of time, making it possible for players to dash in normal speed and avoid conflict or decapitate guards huddled together in groups.

Powers can be upgraded by unearthing Runes hidden in the plagued ruins of Dunwall. Additionally, Corvo has access to mystic items called Bone Charms, which supply Corvo with passive bonuses that vary from amplified combat skills and HP/Mana restoration. Runes and Bone Charms can be easily located by an artifact called The Heart, a mechanical version of our heart that speaks about Dunwall’s secrets and more on the plague.

Corvo’s skills as an assassin are unparalleled and with the Outsider’s magic helping him in quest for revenge a watered slide, Dishonored employs a unique grading system that judges how Corvo’s road to vengeance will end. If you wish to move like a ghost and avoid direct or indirect confrontation, you’ll be greeted with a peaceful ending. But if you fancy death over diplomacy, then expect a chaotic ending with few of the allies you’ve met in your journey acting more aggressive and unreasonable.

Dishonored is definitely a game of choices. Kill without leaving a trace of your shadow behind and guards will soon panic and leave their back wide open for a crossbow finale, or you can just lob a grenade and finish them off one-by-one with calculated strikes and swift counters. The Outsider’s mark is at your disposal and whether you want to push enemies off the ledge with a strong gust or possess guards to do the dirty work for you, it’s really up to you.


Derek Vicente

 
Derek has been with Flipgeeks for almost three years. His first video game was Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Saturn and after blowing their television set after playing too much Rambo, he has set on a journey to play some of the best (and worst) role-playing games ever spawned. He recently completed Wild Arms 2 without any cheat codes.