Dishonored Series Review: Why Arkane’s Stealth Masterpiece Is an Essential Play

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The Dishonored series is one of the most well-crafted stealth games around. It is made by Arkane Studios, which may not be as renowned as Ubisoft and Konami. However, they made games that even rival Assassin’s Creed and Metal Gear. Their mix of otherworldly powers, old-city-era aesthetic, and the freedom of choice will never fail to be a fresh experience. 

These pieces, put together by Arkane Studios, provide players with a huge wiggle room to be experimental and innovative with their ways of assassination. That is why, despite its usual short play time, the Dishonored series will always be a playground for those who love to play among the shadows.

A World Worth Exploring

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Credit: Arkane Studios

In Dunwall - a grimy, plague-hit industrial hub - and Karnaca’s blazing alleyways, the Dishonored games build a world soaked in vibes from old-time London and scattered European styles. Its architecture alone tells a story of class division and lurking hidden truths. One alley may have regular people barely scraping by, while another area may have a mansion owned by a single man. Each spot in it is detailed with a tale that shares the world's context.

As players traverse the world, they may encounter books, scattered notes, or people talking about the Outsider. He is the magical figure responsible for giving the players their powers. Such powers are essential for completing missions, but they are well-hidden. This encourages further exploration and being meticulous, as you are not just looking for the old European aesthetics for vibes, but to become a stronger assassin.

Freedom of Choice and Consequence

Compared to other stealth games, the Dishonored games excel in providing players with freedom. It hands you complete control of your story. You’re an assassin, but it never forces you to sneak and aim for stealth kills. You can fight head-on against multiple guards or completely bypass them straight to your target. You have the choice to pick what happens, and being creative always pays off.

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Credit: Arkane Studios

Another unique feature that Dishonored has is the Chaos system. If you go on a killing spree, the world will turn darker as the quantity of guards goes higher, but they appear to be more afraid of you; rat swarms increase, killing more innocent people; and finally, the ending is grim and hollow. Meanwhile, if you try to help people as much as possible, only killing the necessary targets, the vibe of the game turns brighter. 

The integration of the Chaos system can be divisive. However, it provides players with an actual consequence for their actions within the game. To be honest, why would you expect a good ending if you didn’t do good, right? Despite that, it means you can shape your own playthrough and impact the world yourself without conforming to scripted events.

Supernatural Powers That Empower Creativity

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Credit: Arkane Studios

The powers are the reasons why you would want to play the Dishonored games. These powers range from useful to utterly godly. For example, the Blink ability can be the most straightforward power, but it can alter the pace of your run. With it, you can finish a mission within minutes or turn duels into a dance as you zap around. It is fitting that players unlock it for free because it is an ability that they will always find themselves using.

Other powers include seeing through walls, taking over enemies, slowing time, and much more. All these powers are available to make players more successful in their missions. These missions, despite having a single target to neutralize, offer multiple ways of executing them. They never directly tell players how to complete it; instead, it imparts tools for us to come up with ways to do it. 

Dishonored 2 offers another variety to the formula, as players can play as Emily Kaldwin. She has her unique powers apart from the ones she shares with Corvo Attano, who is also a playable character, as it is in the original Dishonored. This adds another layer to being inventive. Trying out these characters and playing around with their powers gives the game its depth and its replayable value.

Essential Stealth Game

The three Dishonored games, even up to this date, hold up strong. One game might stand out among the three, but all releases bring out something fresh: powers, places to explore, or people to meet. These games don’t talk players down; they let you have your way. The outcomes happen based on your actions, so every decision holds weight.

If you’re into stealth games or just trying out the genre, the Dishonored series is a great choice. It is not a massive or genre-defining game. What it is is a game that has a rich setting and deep decisions, spiced up by wild powers. Sneaking past or knocking out everyone, both feel powerful, but nothing else makes you feel powerful when you can impact the game the way you play it.

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