Hints (Dishonored 2)

While loading the next mission, Dishonored 2 displays many game-related hints yielding valuable tips to better make it through the game. Hints are outside the influence of chaos and are therefore not chaos specific, but they can vary depending on the protagonist's powers. Hints from Dishonored and its DLC can be found here.

Narrative

 * Addermire Institute: At Addermire, a Watchtower deters intruders approaching by boat. Most visitors come by carriage.
 * The Outsider: The Outsider is a figure from myth, seen only by a handful of people in each generation.
 * Clockwork Mansion: Grand Inventor Kirin Jindosh has a domed laboratory within his elaborate home that was once an observatory.
 * The Howlers: Led by Paolo, the Howlers control crime in Karnaca.
 * Carriage Station: Karnaca’s carriage lines connect the districts, granting passage to aristocrats and friends of Duke Luca Abele.
 * The Heart: Direct the Heart at a person to hear their secrets and get a sense of their morality.
 * Heart Whispers: The Heart will reveal secrets about people or places. Most others cannot see the Heart.
 * Lore Books: Books provide lore and background information about the Empire of the Isles.
 * Imperial Safe Room: The Dunwall Tower Safe Room contains a month’s supply of food and water. The Imperial signet rings are the only keys.
 * Grand Guard Patrols: The Grand Serkonan Guard patrol outside the Royal Conservatory, but are not inside.
 * The Overseers: Vice Overseer Byrne has established a temporary outpost in the Dust District.
 * Windbreaks: Windbreaks have been erected to protect those living in the Dust District from the intense dust storms.
 * The Duke: After old Duke Theodanis Abele died, his unprincipled son, Luca, took over as Duke of Serkonos.
 * The Abbey: The Overseers from the Abbey are religious militants dedicated to fighting heresy and witchcraft.
 * Bloodbriars: The supernatural vines summoned by Delilah’s coven will lash out at any nearby enemy, sometimes grabbing them.
 * Crone's Hand Saloon: Paolo and the Howlers own a bar in the Dust District that they’ve renamed The Crone’s Hand.
 * The Timepiece: Unfold the Timepiece lenses to see into the alternate timeline.
 * Gang Activity: Some areas around the Grand Palace are under Howler control.
 * The Cult of Delilah: Delilah’s closest followers are women from across the Empire, who share some of her supernatural powers.
 * Witches: Witches from Delilah’s coven can walk among bloodflies without harm.
 * Stilton Manor: The Timepiece will allow you to solve odd puzzles within Stilton Manor, but can also be used to trick or bypass enemies.
 * Warped Magic: Deprived of your supernatural powers and enhancement, you’ll have to rely on the Outsider’s Timepiece and your wits.
 * Past & Present: Aramis Stilton’s Manor was more dangerous before it fell into ruin, back during the years that security was still in place.
 * Past Actions: Armed with the Outsider’s Timepiece, take care. What you change in the past will have ramifications in the present.
 * Tie Obstacles: If there’s no way forward in the present, look for one in the past, and vice versa.
 * The Timepiece: Using the Outsider’s Timepiece, you cannot carry bodies through time.
 * Time and Space: If there’s an object or person blocking your intended “arrival” point, you won’t be able to switch time periods.

Combat

 * Slide Attack: Sprint toward enemies and slide into them to assassinate ([assigned key]), or knock them out ([assigned key]).
 * Drop Assassination: Drop Assassinate an enemy by falling toward them and attacking just before you land.
 * Falling Damage: A successful Drop Assassination cushions you against falling damage and makes no sound.
 * Head Shots: Ranged attacks inflict more damage if you hit the enemy in the head, unless they’re wearing a helmet.
 * Finishing Moves: Attack an off-balance or downed enemy to deliver a lethal strike.
 * Counter-attacks: A well-timed block puts your enemy off-balance, so you can deliver a lethal counter-attack.
 * Blocking & Parrying: Blocking is a critical part of combat. Timed right, you can put an enemy off-balance, making them vulnerable to counter-attacks.
 * Combat Basics: Keep moving in combat and don’t get surrounded.
 * Escape!: Combat is not the only option. Even when surrounded, you can almost always get away.
 * Avoiding Combat: Use stealth and mobility to your advantage. Evade your enemies!
 * Pistol Range: The pistol is most effective at close range, inflicting damage and putting nearby enemies off-balance.
 * Use the Environment: Some bottles contain flammable alcohol and will explode if thrown. Others contain ether and will render anyone hit unconscious.
 * Breaking Enemy Defenses: An enemy will sometimes stay on the defensive, making it smart to switch tactics.
 * Witch Archetypes: Coven witches develop different sets of powers. Learn to identify them by armor color, and use this knowledge in combat.
 * Bloodbriars: Bloodbriars are huge vines shaped from Void magic by witches, and can’t detect you if you move slowly.

Enemies

 * Clockwork Soldiers: Bring down Clockwork Soldiers by finding and exploiting their weak spots.
 * Clockwork Soldiers: Clockwork Soldiers can see in front and back. Removing the head renders them unable to discern between friend or foe.
 * Overseer Masks: The metallic masks worn by the Overseers protect their heads against frontal ranged attacks.
 * Nest Keepers: Some bloodfly-infested buildings are protected by Nest Keepers, whose shriek agitates the bloodflies.
 * The Grand Guard: The Duke’s soldiers have checkpoints throughout Karnaca, and will attack strangers on sight.
 * Bloodfly Nests: Bloodflies will attack when agitated, or when anyone gets close to their nests. Move past slowly in Stealth Mode.
 * Bloodflies: Bloodfly swarms lay eggs within corpses, hatching more bloodflies.
 * Bloodflies: Since bloodflies lay eggs in corpses, a higher body count leads to more infestations across Karnaca.
 * Rewiring Clockworks: A Clockwork Soldier will fight for you if you use a Rewire Tool on the panel attached to its leg.
 * Clockworks & Chaos: Destroyed Clockwork Soldiers don’t count toward the level of Chaos.
 * Bloodflies: Bloodflies will prioritize laying eggs in a corpse over attacking a living person. Use this to your advantage to distract swarms.
 * Civilians and Stealth: Bystanders won’t call for help outdoors, unless you start a fight. If you’re intruding, they will flee and alert guards.
 * Workers: If workers see someone attacked in the street, they will help them fight back.
 * Military Officers: Officers hang back behind the squad in combat. Take out the officer, and the squad might flee.
 * Howlers Attacks: Howlers use dust made from plant toxins and industrial chemicals to disorient enemies.
 * Military Officers: Officers are highly-trained swordsmen and sharpshooters. Engage with caution.
 * Overseers and Panic: Overseers are zealous fanatics who never panic or retreat.
 * Threatening: Civilians will call for guards if they feel threatened or witness aggressive behavior.
 * Public Space: Unless you act aggressively, civilians won’t call for guards when they see you out in the streets, even if your weapons are drawn.
 * Trespassing: Inside private apartments and businesses, civilians will ask you to leave, then call for guards!
 * Observing Magic: The Overseers and the Howlers are on edge, and will react to magic with hostility.

Ammo

 * Howling Bolts: The Howler gang uses customized pyrotechnic crossbow bolts to stun and intimidate enemies.
 * Grenades: Hold a live grenade for longer to “cook” it, so it detonates closer to target.
 * Mines: These weapons can be attached to any surface, even flesh. Turn rats into living, moving traps.
 * Crossbow Bolts: Sometimes your crossbow bolts can be recovered from corpses or the environment.

Powers

 * Supernatural Powers: Equip the Heart to hunt for Runes, then spend them to acquire or upgrade powers.
 * Upgrading Powers: Runes can be used to gain or upgrade supernatural powers.
 * Powers & Sneaking: For stealth, use Blink (Corvo) or Far Reach (Emily) to move from one cover position to another.
 * Mobility Powers: Blink (Corvo) and Far Reach (Emily) are useful for stealth, exploration, and evasion; not just combat.
 * Vertical Exploration: Agility allows you to jump higher and explore higher places. Combine Agility and Blink or Far Reach for extra distance.
 * Stopped Time: If you stop time, you can attach a Sticky Grenade, Mine or Springrazor to an enemy. When time resumes, the device triggers.
 * Possession: If you jump or fall from a great height, possess a person or animal on the way down to break your fall.
 * Dark Vision: This supernatural power allows you to observe enemies through walls while hidden behind cover.
 * Greater Dark Vision: This enhancement will enable you to see Clockwork Soldiers and security systems through walls.
 * Bend Time: When time is stopped, nobody can see or hear you, enabling you to sneak past enemies without alerting them.
 * Possession: Survive difficult combat situations by possessing an enemy and “hiding” inside them as you make your escape.
 * Mesmerize: This supernatural power is versatile, allowing you to assassinate mesmerized enemies, or sneak past them while they are unaware.
 * Doppelgänger: When badly wounded, summon your Doppelgänger and leave it behind to divert your enemies as you escape.
 * Combining Powers: Link your Doppelgänger to enemies with Domino, then attack your own Doppelgänger to affect them all.
 * Possession: Possessing people allows you to bypass security devices like the Wall of Light, if your host is authorized to pass.
 * Bend Time: Projectiles stopped in mid-flight can be collected.
 * Rats and Bodies: Rats summoned with Devouring Swarm will devour corpses and (sometimes) sleeping enemies, leaving no trace.
 * Domino: Use Domino to link an enemy with a hapless civilian in order to take out the enemy.
 * Dark Vision: Upgrade Dark Vision to spot valuables through walls. This helps when you are short on resources.
 * Shadow Walk: Shadow Walk makes you silent and harder to see. But enemies will still perceive a moving shadow if you get close.
 * Shadow Walk: While in Shadow Walk form, you will still take damage from enemies and security systems.

Runes and Bonecharms

 * Findings Runes: Equip the Heart to find Runes and Bonecharms.
 * Finding Bonecharms: Use the Heart to locate bonecharms, which grant small benefits when equipped.
 * Bonecharms: Read about each bonecharm you find in the Journal, and decide which bonecharms to equip and activate.
 * Bonecharms & Runes: Runes and Bonecharms emit a faint “singing” sound.
 * Heretical Artifacts: Collecting Runes and Bonecharms is considered heresy by the Overseers.

Game Mechanics

 * Alternate Solution: You can assassinate key targets, or find clever, nonlethal ways to eliminate them.
 * Higher Grounds: Ascend to the rooftops to avoid enemies and locate alternate pathways.
 * Left & Right: Bring up the Quick-access Wheel to use elixirs and left-hand gear like ranged weapons and supernatural powers.
 * Reading Notes: Written notes often contain useful information or clues.
 * Breaking Barricades: Break through wooden planks with your sword.
 * Combat and Stealth: Fight and kill your enemies, or adopt a stealthier approach and avoid them.
 * Escaping Detection: Escape is a valid option when you are detected. Sprint away, break line of sight, and hide in a safe place to evade enemies.
 * Improvisation: Improvise your way out of tricky situations — distract enemies; experiment with powers; and explore for alternate paths.
 * Re-thinking Things: There are multiple solutions to almost all obstacles or problems. If a situation is too difficult, approach it from a different angle.
 * Play Your Way: "There’s no “best” way to play: Focus on combat or stealth, play brutally or ghostlike — the world will react.
 * Tampering: Characters in the world will notice broken or missing items.
 * Weak Doors: Can’t find the key? Break down weak wooden doors with Wind Blast, grenades, or your pistol.
 * Protective Armor: Helmets, chest armor and Overseer masks protect the wearer against projectiles.

Equipment

 * Magnification: Zoom in on targets for better aim, especially with the crossbow.
 * Magnification: The spyglass optics in your gear will allow you to zoom in on a target location.
 * Amplification: The spyglass will amplify sound when you zoom in on a target location.
 * The Black Market: Hidden across the cities of the Empire, black market shops sell useful illegal merchandise and gear, like weapon upgrades.
 * Blueprints: Weapons and gear can be upgraded at black market shops, using blueprints found across the city.

Journal

 * Upgrading: Keep track of your supernatural powers and enhancements from within your Journal. Spend runes to buy more powers.
 * The Journal: Check the Journal to review your current Objectives and Tasks, and to review the notes and clues you’ve collected.
 * Current Objectives: Open the Journal to learn more about your current objectives.
 * Chapter Summaries: Get a summary of your current objectives and read more about your assassination targets in the Journal.
 * Quick-slots: From the Quick-access Wheel, you can assign weapons and/or powers to Quick-slots for rapid access.
 * Health and Mana: From the Quick-access Wheel, you can consume elixirs that restore Health or Mana.

Mobility

 * Climbing: Stand next to a reachable ledge and hold the Jump button to climb.
 * Stow Weapons: Hold [assigned key] to put away your weapons. This allows you to move slightly faster.
 * Sprinting: Sprint to elude enemies or build up speed for jumps.
 * Auto-crouch: Hide under low tables and within other small spaces by entering Stealth Mode and moving forward into the space.
 * Quicker Movement: You move slightly faster with your weapons sheathed.
 * Rat Tunnels: Possessing rats, fish, and bloodflies will sometimes reveal alternative pathways.
 * Slide: Sprint toward an enemy and slide in order to perform an assassination or nonlethal takedown as you approach.
 * Vault: Sprint toward an enemy behind cover and vault into them to knock them off-balance.

Resources

 * Spending Coin: At any of the black market shops scattered across Karnaca, you can spend money to buy or upgrade weapons and gear.
 * Gathering Resources:Steal belt items from unaware enemies, or loot their bodies if they are unconscious or dead.
 * Scarce Resources: Cut off from your allies, you must explore and scavenge to replenish ammo, collect coins, and find elixirs.

Security Systems

 * The Arc Pylon: This security device will release a powerful arc of electricity when any unauthorized person, or animal, comes too close.
 * The Arc Pylon: The Arc Pylon is a powerful, stationary security device that produces a deadly arc of electricity.
 * Jury-rigged Traps: Disarm trip-wire traps and loot the ammunition found inside the launcher.
 * Windmills: In Karnaca, security systems are wind-powered. Follow the power lines to the Windmill and shut it down using the lever.
 * Electrified Systems: The Wall of Light and Arc Pylon will not harm those recently attuned to them, such as on-duty Grand Guard personnel.
 * Rewiring: Using Rewire Tools, you can turn a Wall of Light, Arc Pylon, or even Clockwork Soldiers to your advantage.
 * Alarms: The Grand Guard will sound an alarm to call for reinforcements.
 * Watchtowers: Avoid a Watchtower’s searchlight. Once you’re spotted, the Watchtower will sound an alarm and attack you.
 * Rewiring: Using Rewire Tools, most security systems can be rewired, reversing their effects.

Settings

 * Saving: Save your game often.
 * Screen Brightness: Brightness can be calibrated from the Options menu.
 * Difficulty Settings: Change difficulty settings at any time from the Options menu.
 * Quick-Save: Quick-save and Quick-load are available from the Pause screen.

Stealth

 * Making Noise: If enemies hear suspicious sounds, they will come to investigate.
 * Moving Quietly: Sprinting and running make your footsteps louder, alerting nearby enemies. Moving slower in Stealth Mode is completely silent.
 * Stealth Mode: To sneak, go into Stealth Mode and stay behind cover. Low light makes you harder to see only at a distance.
 * Sneaking & Listening: Eavesdropping sometimes reveals useful info.
 * Hiding Bodies: Pick up dead or unconscious bodies to carry them to a hiding place.
 * Leaning: Leaning out from behind cover enables you to watch enemies and eavesdrop undetected.
 * Nonlethal Takedown: To avoid killing, choke an enemy unconscious, or knock them out by dropping from above.
 * Nonlethal Attacks: Use sleep darts to knock your enemies out before they enter combat or sound the alarm.
 * Stealing Belt Items: Pickpocket enemies, or loot their bodies, for coins, ammo, keys, and sometimes notes.
 * Throwing Bottles: Throw empty bottles to distract enemies momentarily. Hit an unaware enemy in the head to knock them unconscious.