Dishonored 2
About the Game
Dishonored 2 is the sequel to Dishonored and it is set about fifteen years after the events of the first game. It had different endings and this game picks up the story for the one with the best outcome for the characters. Corvo Attano, once framed for the murder of empress Jessamine Kaldwin and the kidnapping of her daughter Emily, has his name cleared and is now Royal Protector of Emily, the new empress of the fictional Empire of the Isles. She has to deal with the Crown Killer, someone who is against her will killing all her enemies and opposition, making it look like she rules with an iron fist and undermining her power.
Story & Setting
Unlike the first game there is no silent protagonist as they both are voiced and speak throughout the game. There is a main quest to pursue, but the character can also freely explore and discover many side quests or optional activities in a random order.
Gameplay & Core Systems
Those can also be discarded entirely by rejecting the Outsider's help and just like the first title it can also be approached as a pure action game with melee and ranged combat, as a pure stealth game or as a mix of everything. Emily's abilities often focus on distraction and they are Domino to link the fate and actions of two or more characters, Doppelganger to create a clone, Far Reach as a grappling hook, Mesmerize to turn enemies into a dream state and Shadow Walk to turn into smoke for stealth or to move through vents. For stealth it is possible to knock out, drag and throw enemies, it is possible to distract using sound and alarms, and guards have an awareness meter based on sound, discoveries and alerting each other, and vision. They can attack the character, but can also be turned into a distraction. Runes need to be discovered or bought at black markets to upgrade the abilities.
Standout Features
- It had different endings and this game picks up the story for the one with the best outcome for the characters.
- Corvo Attano, once framed for the murder of empress Jessamine Kaldwin and the kidnapping of her daughter Emily, has his name cleared and is now Royal Protector of Emily, the new empress of the fictional Empire of the Isles.
- Those can also be discarded entirely by rejecting the Outsider's help and just like the first title it can also be approached as a pure action game with melee and ranged combat, as a pure stealth game or as a mix of everything.
- There is a main quest to pursue, but the character can also freely explore and discover many side quests or optional activities in a random order.
- Just like Corvo, Emily has access to the Outsider's Mark and can choose to use supernatural abilities or reject them entirely.
- Abilities can be upgraded, for instance for Corvo's Blink to pass through glass without breaking it or Emily's Far Reach to snatch items harpoon-style.
- For stealth it is possible to knock out, drag and throw enemies, it is possible to distract using sound and alarms, and guards have an awareness meter based on sound, discoveries and alerting each other, and vision.
- They can attack the character, but can also be turned into a distraction.
Presentation & Atmosphere
Where the first game linked together environments as hubs with loading times, Karnaca has a more of an open world-style approach as a single environment, but the game still uses hubs as large sandbox environments for missions. Overall there are nine, large missions that usually each have a distinct environment such as the Addermire Institute, the Clockwork Mansion or the Royal Consevatory. For stealth it is possible to knock out, drag and throw enemies, it is possible to distract using sound and alarms, and guards have an awareness meter based on sound, discoveries and alerting each other, and vision.
