Review: Dishonored

I played Dishonored at E3 earlier this year, and I honestly wasn’t quite sure what to think. However, after some time with the game at home, I can say that it definitely lives up to a large portion of the enormous hype train it rode to its October 9^th release date. The beauty of this game lies in a late night with headphones on, plotting your next kill from a dark perch above some unsuspecting enemy. Dishonored does have its flaws, though. We’ll talk about all this and more throughout the course of this review.

First off, I’d like to talk about the story. Dishonored takes no time in launching you headfirst into the fray, as ten minutes into the game you are fending off masked enemies to defend Dunwall’s current Empress – Jessamine Kaldwin. Things go awry, and through a series of unfortunate events, you are framed for her murder. I’ll keep away from some of the finer points pertinent to the game’s story so as to avoid spoilers, but rest assured – it’s a wild ride full of hard choices and equally tough consequences. 

An interesting example of this can be found in your kill/incapacitate ratio. The more people you kill, the more rats appear in the streets of Dunwall – a heralding of the game’s less savory ending. On the other hand, you can let your opponents live, and thus keep the streets rat-free and capturing that “good-guy” ending. 

What can make this tough is the game’s blistering difficulty. While in some cases you can swing, shoot, and button mash your way to victory, there are others where use of your brain is quite necessary. Maybe it’s that I am simply not inclined towards stealth-style gameplay, but getting caught by a group of enemies just means death. Use of your magicks can often mean survival, but they rarely give you an easy way out. You’ll pay for your mistakes… unless you play on the easiest setting. 

What came next was a better understanding of the game’s mechanics and an all-around better “Dishonored” experience. I was flitting around corners, calling rats on people, and slicing heads off – is it obvious I played as an assassin yet? However, somewhere in between all the gunshots and sword-clanging, I found a beauty I haven’t found in any other game… ever. 

It took me a while to realize it, but I also hadn’t taken the time to appreciate the small things. This revelation dawned on me as I walked towards an enemy like any other, but the stars were aligned so perfectly: rain pattered on the tin roofing next to me, I stepped through various murky puddles, and drew ever closer to my target. It was in this moment I realized not just the amazing gameplay Dishonored had been providing me with, but also of the stealth genre in general. 

The gameplay in particular was not without its flaws. Gun and sword play – especially in the early segments of Dishonored – were quite lackluster. The sounds and effects encompassed within these game mechanics left nothing to be desired, but there was a definite chink in the armor of Dishonored, which came in the form of player immersion. The Heads Up Display (HUD) was very stiff, and I never felt like what I was doing came through with purpose. For instance: gun recoil was non-existent and swordplay was simply put – bad. When not using magic, I felt that the game wasn’t near as strong as it was without. It’s as if the development team decided to really kick things into gear once they were allowed the luxury of creating magicks and new ways to use them. 

We’ve only discussed these conventions at their base. Dishonored is a classic case of “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” when it comes to gameplay. While the standard combat in this game might not shine like a new penny, the evolutions most certainly do. One moment that stands out from memory is the time I shot my pursuer’s foot with a crossbow bolt. He – almost pathetically – sat there trying to pull it out. Furthermore, because I was able to stand over him without worry of danger, I sliced his head off… execution style. It was sickening, but at the same time ingenious. There are little things like this hidden in the veritable ocean that is Dishonored.

Graphics – because those are important too, right? Dishonored is quite possibly one of the prettiest games I have ever played. The frame rate is impeccably solid, and I never once had problems, regardless of how many enemies appeared on-screen. I looked off in the distance at one point in the game, at a point where I could see the city in its fullest – I was stunned... If only there wasn’t that texture problem. (Oh, no!)

I feel that textures take quite long to load. While this certainly did not detract from the experience, I am disappointed to see so much criticism towards games like Rage – which is another “Bethesda baby,” even if developed by id Software – which featured the same, exact problems. Generally, this flaw only shows itself in secondary areas of the environment, which in turn makes it a secondary problem. When I think about the pay-off, it’s all worth it, though. The world is amazing, both in terms of atmosphere and graphical prowess. This small complaint is barely a blip on the radar, but it’s worth noting.

While Dishonored is by no means perfect, it is also a remarkable achievement in game development. Bethesda Softworks impressed me throughout my time with the game, and I am absolutely looking forward to whatever they are cooking right now. All of this said, where does Dishonored stand after the blood – and rats, in my case – have cleared? I think it’s somewhere between an “8” and a “10”, which would mean it’s a “9”. Yeah, that sounds about right. Dishonored gets a nine out of ten on the Gameranx Scale of Awesome. 

Editor’s note: That means it’s a 5/5.

The Verdict

Dishonored: 5 out of 5 Stars