Dishonored

Publié par Unknown à 09:24

Wading deep into the wetworks as a contract killer isn’t the most noble of callings, but when dirty deeds need doing, there’s little room for principle. Improvisation and a touch of the supernatural are Dishonored’s trumps against seemingly impenetrable targets and impossible scenarios. With an abundance of stealth and steel, does Dishonored deliver?

The City of Dunwall has problems: an oppressive religion, rising whale oil prices, a growing divide between the haves and have-nots, and an especially vicious plague spread by teeming hordes of rats. The Empress has dispatched you, as Royal Protector Corvo Attano, to search for help. Upon your return, the Empress is assassinated, you’re framed, and her heir is spirited away by the murderous conspirators ruling the state. Sprung from prison hours before your execution, you join a rebellion to eliminate the usurpers and rescue princess Emily and place her back upon the throne.

The setup has all the elements for a solid story, but never amounts to much more than a threadbare outline plotted with smart scenarios and the occasional conventional plot twist. It’s also swimming with cool plot elements that never fully congeal, from the mysterious Outsider who bestows you with your powers, to the mask you don before each assassination. Books and missives litter the world, filled with exhaustive background information conveyed by the written word; meanwhile, the audio logs and overheard conversations that more effectively flesh out Dunwall are quite scant by comparison.

Corvo’s fall from grace might not be a spectacular high dive, but it makes enough of a splash. The colorful characters and pivotal moments will hold your interest, even if the tapestry of their world often feels vague.

Corvo’s redemption plays out over a number of missions throughout the city of Dunwall. Most require you to explicitly end the existence of a key member of the new regime, with some latitude for kidnapping and the occasional escape objective. Rowed ashore and briefed with the latest intel and rumors, it’s up to you to devise a path to your prey.

On the most basic level, Corvo’s mantra is “flight, fight, or out-of-sight.” Corvo’s newly-minted magical prowess gives him the ability to teleport short distances, making the rooftops, awnings, and piping accessible avenues for skullduggery. Braving the roads and hallways head-on will let you practice your combat skills with guards, while sticking to the shadows and laying low allows for quick kills, gentle asphyxiations, or no contact at all.

Non-lethal methods are available for dispatching any target. Guards can be choked out or hit with a sleeping dart, while the more nefarious quarry will require more precise operations--you can brand a lecherous religious leader with a heretic’s mark to ensure his disappearance, for example. Moral choices and side-quests can open up other routes, and even the simple act of eavesdropping can further splinter the possibilities. All of these choices have rewards and ramifications, echoing out to later missions, reflecting the chaos you’ve caused with tighter security.

This means that stealthy players with a soft touch will have an overabundance of cash, ammo, and elixirs, which greatly lessens the need to scavenge. Those looking for a fight will certainly find one, though, and properly stocked and powered-up with magical abilities, it can be easy to trigger an alarm and cut down the cavalry--but you’ll be left licking your wounds with dwindling supplies in the aftermath.

Finding runes scattered throughout the world unlocks powers, while similarly hidden bone talismans yield small stat bonuses and effects. These are the major prizes. A weird artifact that resembles beating and talking heart helps light the way to these otherworldly goods via ghostly advice and waypoint markers, encouraging you to explore while at the same time dispensing lore.