User blog:JAlbor/Dishonored Preview Impressions

Hello there Dishonored wiki users!

A couple weeks ago I got the chance to attend a demonstration of Dishonored by Co-Creative directors Harvey Smith and Raphael Colantonio and an visual design talk by Art Director Sebastien Mitton and Visual Design Director Viktor Antonov. Now that the embargo is up, let me share with you my first impressions of Dishonored as well as some excellent new assets.

Smith and Colantonio emphasized Dishonored's flexible combat system by taking us on two very different journeys through the same level. Set at a Dunwall brothel called the Golden Cat Bathhouse, the protagonist Corvo Atano hunts the Pendleton Twins, two corrupt Parliament members marked for assassination. Sneaking into the bathouse and dispatching the targets varies with the game's magical powers.



Taking the stealthy approach, the player used the Blink ability to quickly teleport from ledge to ledge, navigating the outside of the building. Among other alternatives, Colantonio describes, Corvo could hae possessed a rat and snuck into the bathhouse through a sewer pipe. Standing on a ledge above a guard, a drop kill quickly and silently executed a guard standing below. Once inside the bathouse, sticking to shadows and blinking over balconies and chandeliers, Corvo navigated the mansion, seeking first, above all else, information. Peaking through keyholes and standing near NPCs could treat the player to overheard conversations that reveal significant story and gameplay information, potentially revealing the location of the twins.



After sneaking up on a guard, a quick knife to the through will take them out quietly. Using Blink, the player disposed of the body in a shadowed overhang. While they will not sound an alarm, guards will notice when patrols are unmanned and change their path accordingly. It seems timeliness just as important as stealth when it comes to alluding notice. Trap mines can make taking out guards from a far even easier. Smitha nd Colantonio showed off the Spring Razor in particular, a press mine that shoots lethal spikes into anyone standing too close.



Meanwhile, the action-heavy playthrough depicted the carnage of a weapon and magic wielding force tearing through the bathhouse in search of his prey. Armed with a sword and pistol, the player mowed down anyone standing in his way. Taking some guards by surprise, enemies that have just noticed Corvo are vulnerable to an instant execution, too shocked to fight back for just a moment. Wielding powers and weapons at the same time made Corvo a deadly efficient machine. Grenades and Spring Razors offered area damage while Windblast knocked enemies back and the Devouring Swarm ability called forth an army of rats to assault Corvo's foes. Interestingly, Colantonio did confirm that players could possess those rats and make a quick escape if necessary.



Of course Time Bend, which allows players to freeze time briefly, appeared the most useful and impressive ability. With time stopped, Corvo could fire off three crossbow bolts in an instant and then unfreeze time to watch the bolts drop three enemies simultaneously. If players time the power correctly, they can even possess an enemy, move them in front of another enemy's bullet floating in air, and watch the scene unfold. This type of emergent gameplay is endlessly fascinating and makes for ingenuitive encounters and rewards clever thinking.

Assassinations appear just as flexible as combat. The descruction focused player could dash in, stab the target and run. Alternatively, the stealthy player could sneak into the room and execute a target with a dagger, or even possess the target, lead them to the ledge of a balcony, and then reappear just to throw them over to their death. Smith and Colantonio also states that all targets can be dispatched non-lethally. In fact, players can traverse the entire game without killing anyone, using stealth, tranquilizer darts, and other forms of punishment (such as sending one of the twins to work in their own mines) to overcome obstacles.



The demo concluded with a brief visit to The Flooded District, an aptly named city section patrolled by Tall Boys, guards walking on mechanical stilts, each armed with incendiary crossbow bolts. In comparison to the Golden Cat Bathhouse, The Flooded District appeared dank and wretched, showing off the Arkane's commitment to artistic vision and coherent world building. As Mitton and Antonov described, Dunwall is heavily inspired by industrial and victorian London, very much apparent in screenshots and concept art. The character design in particular, despites its admittedly exagerrated look, fits with the world incredibly well. The team actually hired an artist with an expertise in figure work to create much of the caracter concept art during pre-production.



From the gameplay to the visual design, Dishonored looks fantastic. Both Smith and Colantonio appear incredibly committed to a vision undoubtely informed by Thief, System Shock, Deus Ex, eager to make a new IP that is narratively rich without undervaluing the importance of interesting systems and variable and emergent gameplay. I, for one, have high hopes for Dishonored. I already have my sights on playing the game without harming a soul, a possession-focused stealth pacifist.

How will you play?