Dishonored is a fantastic stealth-action game from 2012, a tale of revenge set in one of the most well realized cities and fictional settings in its generation if not all of gaming. While I've completed the game a couple times before this is my first replay in over a decade and frankly I'm torn - do I review the game for what it is now or by how it stands up today?
The Good:
-Art direction for the city/characters is fantastic. Steampunk in theme but very much with its own gritty twist. The city is crumbling and every person and object you come across (even the very nice places..) is showing this decay has spread
-Level design for each area you head to is distinct and good looking from a distance..
-The overarching story is quite good albeit simple and there are some twists that come from a mile away but it is made in such a competent way you won't really mind
-Worldbuilding in general is off the charts good - the City of Dunwall and its world are fascinating places and the many hints of how this world is NOT our world (the whales and magic esp) are as intriguing as they are unsettling
-Following off a previous point from "bad" about High/Low chaos, I do actually LIKE the two different endings and feel like they make sense. High chaos actually makes MORE sense really, as the one issue with Low is the Certain Twist Betrayal later makes a lot more sense with a bloodthirsty maniac Corvo vs. a Peace&Love Corvo in a Low Chaos ending.
Bad
-Lots of people cry about the "bad ending" being too punishing for people who want to use the powers and I think they're little babies who can't handle consequences for their actions BUT.. I think the straight dichotomy of High/Low and it just being based off of how many people you kill is definitely undercooked. More based on story, more based on civilians vs. guards, more based on what you talk with Emily etc
-This one is a bit mean but the fine details of each area is pretty barren. Desks and beds are empty cookie cutter models, houses are all pretty much the same minus a few exceptions. This is 100% due to the limitations of the 360/PS3 hardware and in Dishonored 2 the leap in this is enormous.
Meh
-The melee combat leaves quite a bit to be desired, but for a primarily stealth game I can see why they didn't put too much into it. It's pretty much just attack or block. Good and brutal animations though
-Powers are pretty imbalanced with focus on lethality vs. utility. There are some neat ones like possession and time stop can be used in fun ways but for a game that chastises wanton violence they sure love handing you the tools for it.
-Undercooked sidequests. There are a few of them but they're pretty limited w one exception (Granny!)
Hmm
-There are quite a few points in the game where the bad guys realllllly should've just shot Corvo in the head, cmon
Typically I never give out half stars in my reviews - they are for gutless cowards who can't make decisions and 5 Point scales are objectively the review system (5/5 Stars for 5 point scales I say) but a game of this age and style just honestly has two real reviews. For its time, it was an amazing move foward for the stealth genre with added layers of action and powers to create excellent immersive sim situations along with a beautifully portrayed decomposing Empire. Today, the details lack the honed edge it once held over a decade ago on release: the combat is a bit simple, the environments are underdeveloped and the special powers strongly promote a playstyle that only suits one half of the game's narrative and leaves the other out to dry. Now, there is still oodles of fun to be had even leaning into the leaner parts of this game but it does feel like a bit of that black magic has lessened.
Final Grade: A-
The Good:
-Art direction for the city/characters is fantastic. Steampunk in theme but very much with its own gritty twist. The city is crumbling and every person and object you come across (even the very nice places..) is showing this decay has spread
-Level design for each area you head to is distinct and good looking from a distance..
-The overarching story is quite good albeit simple and there are some twists that come from a mile away but it is made in such a competent way you won't really mind
-Worldbuilding in general is off the charts good - the City of Dunwall and its world are fascinating places and the many hints of how this world is NOT our world (the whales and magic esp) are as intriguing as they are unsettling
-Following off a previous point from "bad" about High/Low chaos, I do actually LIKE the two different endings and feel like they make sense. High chaos actually makes MORE sense really, as the one issue with Low is the Certain Twist Betrayal later makes a lot more sense with a bloodthirsty maniac Corvo vs. a Peace&Love Corvo in a Low Chaos ending.
Bad
-Lots of people cry about the "bad ending" being too punishing for people who want to use the powers and I think they're little babies who can't handle consequences for their actions BUT.. I think the straight dichotomy of High/Low and it just being based off of how many people you kill is definitely undercooked. More based on story, more based on civilians vs. guards, more based on what you talk with Emily etc
-This one is a bit mean but the fine details of each area is pretty barren. Desks and beds are empty cookie cutter models, houses are all pretty much the same minus a few exceptions. This is 100% due to the limitations of the 360/PS3 hardware and in Dishonored 2 the leap in this is enormous.
Meh
-The melee combat leaves quite a bit to be desired, but for a primarily stealth game I can see why they didn't put too much into it. It's pretty much just attack or block. Good and brutal animations though
-Powers are pretty imbalanced with focus on lethality vs. utility. There are some neat ones like possession and time stop can be used in fun ways but for a game that chastises wanton violence they sure love handing you the tools for it.
-Undercooked sidequests. There are a few of them but they're pretty limited w one exception (Granny!)
Hmm
-There are quite a few points in the game where the bad guys realllllly should've just shot Corvo in the head, cmon
Typically I never give out half stars in my reviews - they are for gutless cowards who can't make decisions and 5 Point scales are objectively the review system (5/5 Stars for 5 point scales I say) but a game of this age and style just honestly has two real reviews. For its time, it was an amazing move foward for the stealth genre with added layers of action and powers to create excellent immersive sim situations along with a beautifully portrayed decomposing Empire. Today, the details lack the honed edge it once held over a decade ago on release: the combat is a bit simple, the environments are underdeveloped and the special powers strongly promote a playstyle that only suits one half of the game's narrative and leaves the other out to dry. Now, there is still oodles of fun to be had even leaning into the leaner parts of this game but it does feel like a bit of that black magic has lessened.
Final Grade: A-