1. BGYeti

   9

   It is a rare sight in this day and age to have a game that gives the decision making to the player. If you are an action nut and killing everything in your path is your style Dishonored lets you do it, if you are a stealthy assassin who's goals are to inflict little to no casualties, Dishonored lets you do it. I have only had my hands on Dishonored for a few hours but in that time I see how well Arkane Studios has done with this game. The control are solid, the stealth system has only a few flaws to mar an almost perfect system, and the action is intense. Dishonored is definitely a sleeper hit for this year and is going to be the game that will be given credit for Arkane Studios success with future games. The only small issue I have with the game is the graphical design the developers took. Looking back on trailers and reading article about the game it gave off a vibe of gritty and dark that would benefit from a very realistic graphical approach, unfortunately it comes up short in these aspects, the graphics mimic more of a Bioshock look and some of the colors in game are too bright and eye catching for a game based in a town plagued by corruption and a plague. Overall the game is not something that most people should pass up on, and I can't wait to see the work that Arkane Studios will be putting out form here on out.… Expand

   • Helpful? 12 of 15 users said Yes.
2. msherry9

   8

   I would most likely grant this game a solid 8.25 rating. The game largely succeeds at what it set out to accomplish but manages to trip up on more than one occasion. This is definitely one of the better stealth games that I have played in recent memory. You take the role of Corvo, the personal bodyguard to the Empress and her daughter, Emily. As you probably already know, the Empress is slain on your character's watch and Corvo is framed for the dark deed and immediately thrown into prison to await execution. At first glance, this is a fantastic (albeit somewhat cliche) setup for a good revenge story, but as you progress through the game, it never really becomes said story. The people who framed Corvo for the assassination rarely made any sort of appearances, save for when you're sent to assassinate them and so I never quite developed a need to hate them. The story fails to build this hate that's necessary for any good revenge story and so these missions wound up being "Kill this guy because he's supposedly bad". Not to mention that the entire game progresses in a repetitive manner that will quickly bore you of the storyline. I found it difficult to care what the hell happens to the future of Dunwall and what the hell is currently happening to Dunwall as you assassinate targets. The storyline also proves to be quite predictable throughout and there will be multiple occasions where you will have deciphered what happens next before it's even revealed to you. The game attempts its own twist about 3/4's of the way through the game but as I mentioned earlier, you will probably already have it figured out at that point in time. The fact that Corvo is also a silent protagonist means that any NPC interaction is pretty much trimmed to a minimum and so your ability to care for anyone other than yourself becomes quite limited. The inclusion of a supernatural being that bestows your character's supernatural powers feels forced and is entirely unnecessary to the overall plot. The game attempts to include this character as a bigger part of the story but instead, it serves simply as a means of explaining how you're character obtains powers and that's it. The game's environments quickly become bland and rather colorless and the game's climax is extremely unsatisfying. Generally, when a good revenge game or movie concludes, the targeted audience will feel relief and satisfaction knowing that the main character accomplished what he/she set out to do. I felt none of this at the game's conclusion. In fact, I actually began to feel somewhat angry at how unsatisfied I was with how the entire plot panned out. There's two different endings to the story, depending on how many people you actually kill throughout the game. Similar to the original Bioshock, the "evil" ending pretty much sucks and the "good" ending is far and away better. However, unless you want to Youtube it, the only way you can view the other ending is by playing through the entire game again. Honestly, this isn't so bad, as the game does possess some fantastic controls and combat mechanics. In my opinion, I felt that the combat was far too easy. Obviously, the primary goal of the player should be stealth but not every encounter will go so smoothly and this forces you into combat with guards or Overseers. Blocking and countering are key aspects to surviving encounters, unless of course you have ammunition with your pistol (which you always do). Shooting enemies or destroying them with your supernatural powers is far easier than engaging them in swordplay, making any scenario throughout the game a cakewalk. Moving on to positives, the stealth mechanics in the game are top notch and they really give the players an astonishing amount of tools to get the job done. All of Corvo's gadgets are extremely fun to utilize and there's a delightfully wide range of them to choose from to accomplish the task at hand. Whether it be sleeping darts to silently take down targets in a nonlethal manner or explosive bolts to eliminate clusters of enemies at once, it's all up to the player how these scenarios go down. Corvo's supernatural powers are grandly-implemented, never feeling imbalanced or out of place and they really allow you to overcome just about any obstacle. Possessing a guard and walking him into a nearby electrical fence is always good fun. As is with any good stealth game, there are multiple paths that you can take to successfully eliminate guards and complete missions. It's always a treat to become the silent predator lurking from above, waiting for that one guard to be alone before pouncing. Overall, Dishonored is a treat for stealth-game fans. The stealth mechanics are surprisingly well-done and allows for tons of freedom in how the player chooses to accomplish tasks. However, the story is weak and predictable and if you have never been a fan of stealth games before, I highly doubt that this game will change your mind.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
3. osprey

   5

   This game is not bad but it is not good either. The writing and the acting is atrocious despite some of the voice actors being famous stars. All the dialogue over explains what is already apparent. This is no Bioshock. There is no atmosphere whatsoever and quite frankly I couldn't wait to get it over with. I finished the game hoping it would pay off at some point but it was just trite and predictable. The game play had some good ideas and that is where the game redeems itself somewhat but not enough to make me want to replay it. Also I found all the paintings and the achievement did not unlock. I did not have fun playing this game and do not recommend you buy it, borrow it from a friend if you must play it but I suspect you will be disappointed.… Expand

   • Helpful? 6 of 8 users said Yes.
4. saints51

   2

   This game was so hyped. I was hyped for it too. It was an epic fail. The story was horrible. The character you play never speaks in the cut scenes. You never see his face. I could not get connected with the character or the story. The controls were decent but graphics were sub par. Just a game I was really hoping to like but towards the end of the game, I just wanted to beat it and move on. Wait for it to hit the bargain bin then give it a go.… Expand

   • Helpful? 11 of 21 users said Yes.

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