Low chaos thoughts on Dishonored

For a game that I nearly passed on, Dishonored has given me a good innings. It runs a close second to the game I consider the best of this year so far. If I had felt a little more attachment to the game-world and Corvo – I hate mute lead characters – then it would have been on par.

Saying that 2012 has been a patchy gaming year for me. Dishonored is the first full game I’ve completed since Mass Effect 2 back in March. So that says something for how well the game was developed. Other than the ‘Blink’ ability that has Corvo manoeuvre the world like a cat after catnip, the other standout feature was the way NPCs would be dynamic to how you approached them. I found the dialogue of those one-sided conversations excellent but would have been far more enriching if Corvo had a speaking role.

Low Chaos then. It did seem the obvious choice really. That’s not to say I ran away or hid from every situation. I found Low Chaos more in keeping with the way I like to play but when things did go wrong I rolled with it. If you employ that type of play-through yourself just make sure you remember to save your game and save it often!

Next up is AC3…

Early Dunwall

When I recently posted about being a traditional gamer I had hopes that Dishonored would give me the scope to be that gamer again. Let me explain a little more what I class as traditional gaming and why I allude to being that type of gamer.

I prefer the single-player only experience. When I look at a prospective game purchase and see that the development team have opted for Co-Op and/or multiplayer that’s when I get nervous. I believe the SP element of a game gets sold-short once a multiplayer option is introduced. Gameplay within SP seems to always lose out to the longevity of including MP or Co-Op. Having a structured, linear but also a bold world is how I consider good traditional gaming to be.

So going back to Dishonored where, in my short time in Dunwall, I have played through the opening stages in both high and low chaos. I have to say I enjoy the sneaking and less-lethal way that is low chaos to the full on rampage that is high chaos.

The interaction with the world is good and the early quests introduce important allies that will aid you, as Corvo, by finding Lady Emily. Piero Joplin, an NPC who invents your weapons and upgrades, is excellently voiced by Brad Dourif and is my current fave NPC with Granny Rags a close second.

Dishonored has had a few nice touches and surprises already and the game has been shown love by Arkane Studios. Art direction is superbly imagined and it’s no-wonder why really when you have Viktor Antonov involved.

More to come as I get further in. How’s it been for you?