Dishonored Preview - E3 2012 - New Game Network

At the E3 that was quite full of sequels, Dishonored for Arkane Studios and Bethsda Softworks stood out as one of the few original IPs. Set in a steampunk world, players took on the role of a supernatural assassin, bent on revenge after being framed for a murder he did not commit. Utilizing specially designed weapons and your abilities, the game is based around a series of assassinations in the city. We got a chance to see the game, as well as play through a level, and things look promising.

Dishonored is a first person action game, that’s focused on stealth and story. You are an assassin with super powers, per say, who was falsely accused of killing the person you were supposed to protect. Players find themselves in a steampunk themed city, that’s being taken over by a tyrannical ruler, as they seek revenge. As mentioned, Dishonored is a series of assassination missions, each with their own unique feel from both visual and level design perspectives. Developers have confirmed that the whole game can be completed without killing anyone – even your targets, though this kind of playthrough will result in a rather grim end-game.

In the demo being shown, we had to kill two corrupt government officials who were in a local Bathhouse. The first attempt at the mission was focused on stealth, so we knocked out some helpless guards and hid the bodies. With the front entrance being thoroughly patrolled, we used our short-range teleport ability in order to reach the roof of the building. The developers commented that vertical gameplay will always be a viable option, prompting players to explore the environment and giving the freedom to go anywhere in the level, rather than using a linear path. To gain entrance into the house, we used our power of possession to take over the mind of a fish, and swam our way into the shower drain area, where we re-appeared.

Using another ability which allowed us to see through walls and also peeking through a keyhole, we identified the enemies in the area as well as their vision cones. Because the targets are often randomly placed in a level, we had to eavesdrop on some guards in order to get a hint for where we should head. To gain access to a restricted area, we snuck up on the lady of the house and pick pocketed the keys off her (option to kill or knock out was also available). We continued to teleport around guards from cover to cover, reaching our first target.

He was conveniently relaxing inside of a steam room. We could have gone in guns blazing, but instead opted to visit the next room and crank the steam valve, essentially killing the poor man in the next room. Our next target was nearby as well, but he was taken care of in a more creative manner. For the purposes of the demo, our powers were upgraded to the highest level, so we could actually take possession of our target. So, we walked him to the balcony, re-appeared behind him, and used our windgust power to throw him over the edge. For our escape, we could not survive the jump down from the building, so instead we possessed the bystander on the ground to break our fall, and walked off to safety.

The second playthrough was all about action. Combat in Dishonored is all about using actual weapons in combination with your abilities. It should be noted that the game takes into account the amount of innocent people that you kill, giving yet another ending to consider. Using a variety of guns and weapons, we cut and shot our way through the hard, with numerous violent executions and effective uses of powers – such as causing soldiers to get eaten alive by rats. This approach was more difficult, but also quicker and perhaps more satisfying to action fans.

After the demo concluded, we were able to get some hands-on time with the game, playing through another mission. Here, our task was to reach the top level of a small factory and kidnap a target. Using the powers and weapons was fairly easy, selecting each with the in-game wheel that’s common to games these days. Your powers were tied to the left trigger, while weapons were on the right trigger, making controls versatile and quick to switch. The level presented ample opportunity to sneak around, with the use of short teleport, so we decided to complete the mission in stealth. Dishonored felt a bit like Deus Ex (without a cover system), as there were multiple pathways to discover and reach our destination.

Things didn’t go according to plan a few times, so we got to test the combat as well. The melee system works well and feels viscerally satisfying, and using your supernatural abilities on the guards is also fun. It’s a challenge to stay alive though, so it’s likely not the best approach to the game. If a guard found one of the bodies we left behind, he would become alert and investigate the area, becoming a great target for the air assassination. When we finally reached our target and knocked him out, we had to make our way down again and carry him to the extraction. Once again, we managed to mostly avoid alerting the guards, through admittedly the last part of our journey was a sprint as bullets ricocheted off nearby walls.

Overall, Dishonored felt like an intriguing effort. Part Deus Ex, part BioShock, the game is an attempt to bring a steampunk setting to life while offering solid gameplay and plenty of action/stealth sandboxes. It’s got all the makings of being one of the best new IPs to be released in 2012, when the game ships this October.