The Dishonored games present themselves as a realm of endless possibilities, allowing the player to guide their own journey through meaningful decisions and creative problem-solving. Though the game's systems go a good way toward reaching that goal - this one is a nice example of how far they can be pushed - the moment-to-moment interaction with the world undermines their influence over the full experience. The real meat of Dishonored is reading logs and finding your way around, and that ultimately clashes with the fact that the only way you're truly allowed to impact your environment is through violence. Despite wanting to experience the world to its fullest, the player is ultimately driven towards playing it as they would any other stealth game, a realm in which Dishonored is incapable of matching up to its contemporaries.