MadCap's Game Reviews - "Dishonored"

 

Dishonored lets you slip into the skin of Corvo Attano, the bodyguard on the Empress of Dunwall, who is framed for the Empress’s murder and then jailed, only to be released by a group of loyalists to the Empress who want Corvo to become the best assassin like no one ever was and kill their enemies in attempt to save the Empress’s daughter, Emily, and put her on the throne.  Done by Arkhane Studios and published by Bethesda, I can say I was honestly thoroughly impressed with this game.

It’s entirely done from first-person, which makes it a big of a challenge having to keep awareness of your surroundings. I’m used to having third-person and being able to do that without having to do more than a click of the control stick and a rotation.  But here, I simply resolve myself to find an appropriate hiding spot and surveying the area from there.  To the left hand the player can have the handy use of a gun or a crossbow or a magic spell, and to the right hand is Corvo’s trusty sword.  The interface reminds me quite a bit of Bioshock, so much so that one could easily be forgiven for thinking this was some sort of Neo-Victorian prequel to that game.  You pick up items much as you do in Bioshock and your magical abilities could easily just be called “plasmids” and it would make little difference.

 However, the game also puts me in mind of the Fable series, and the storyline is to blame for that.  Corvo has his mission set out before him, to kill the current heads of the government and put the daughter of the Empress on the throne, simple enough. However, Corvo soon finds that he has a mystical ally (sort of) in the form of “the Outsider”.  It’s never explained what he is, but he is mentioned several times by the people of Dunwall as well as showing up every so often.  He seems to be an almost neutral being, observing Corvo and his effect on the world for his own reasons.

Who is he? What’s his interest in all of this? These questions, spoiler alert, are never answered, but then they aren’t really given that much importance, either.  In fact, only one other character seems to have actually coming into contact with him outside of Corvo and it wasn’t a direct encounter.  Why this puts me in mind of Fable is a parallel I’m drawing between the Outsider and Theresa, the blind seer of Fable II and III. 

 Both are enigmatic insanely powerful, but seem to prefer to sit in the shadows and guide rather than directly act in the world with their godlike abilities, working through agents such as Corvo or the Heroes of the Fable series, that they give powers or knowledge to, such as when Corvo is branded with the mark of the Outsider and given magic powers to unlock through the use of runes found throughout the world.

The Outsider also appears to question Corvo’s choices at points as the narrative progresses, more so toward the end than in the beginning.  But I wonder why, really.  The only thing that really comes of it is the endings, of which there are only really two.  Depending on Corvo’s actions (read: how many bodies you’ve piled up), you either have a city consumed by chaos or a golden age. The aforementioned “chaos” comes from a running subplot about a plague carried by the rats that creates Weepers, basically zombies, and there’s really nothing you can do about perhaps finding a cure or something to that degree.  But then, that’s not what you’re here to do, either.

 But then, maybe I’m just not getting “the message”. Regardless, this game is fun and I would definitely give it a recommendation.  Someone more skilled at stealth games might not find it so, but I found it challenge and rather fun.  It’s been getting a lot of positive buzz and it is all definitely right.  It was just the right mix of storyline and gameplay that kept me interested and wanting to play, and I can’t really hate on it too much.  It’s enjoyable, though I expect once you’ve gotten both endings, there’s really not too much to do.  I also don’t really see this game having any sort of sequel, considering how things are wrapped up and the ending cinematic.  But I’ve been wrong before and game developers, if anything, are perfectly willing and able to milk a franchise cow into dust when they’ve got one, so Dishonored maybe very well be followed by at least a sequel, if not more.

Eh…I suppose it’ll give me more to review.

Dishonored is developed by Arkhane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and is now available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game.