Gamesplanet Review Round Up: Dishonored 2
Take back your Kingdom
Back in 2011 we were treated to a brilliant artistic stealth action game with Dishonored, 5 years on it's time for its sequel to take the spotlight and it got plenty of new tricks up its sleeve. For the first time ever you'll be able to play as either Corvo Attano or as the Empress Emily Kaldwin (making her playable debut) - each with their own unique sets of powers and moves. The game takes place 15 years after the events of the original game and we're heading to the brand new location of Karnaca, where as a boy Corvo spent most of his childhood becoming a skilled swordsman before taking up a job working in Dunwall. Now it's time to go back as a new threat leads our heroes back to uncover a mystery which will save their land and restore Emily to the throne.
So how is Dishonored 2 shaping up amongst the critics? Let's dive into the world of Karnaca and find out!
Be ready for anything
Diving straight in we've got the review from Games Radar+ who awarded it a lovely 4.5 out of 5 stars, as with the first game players are given a set of powers that can be customised the way they want and you're even given a choice of playing without powers should you wish to make things even more challenging. With the introduction of Emily that brings brand new powers such as Shadow Walk or Mesmerize which turn our Empress into a sinister agent of darkness. There are so many options to upgrade certain powers, and luckily the game does still give you trusty abilities like Corvo's Blink (or in Emily's case she gets Far Reach). Some powers (and their clever upgrades) are definitely more satisfying than others, and you may start to rely on your favorite combinations before long, but the sheer number of possibilities they offer is a source of continuous excitement for the next encounter or upgrade.
Meanwhile the guys over at GameSpot were also excited by the new open world which takes place in Karnaca, in the original Dishonored sections were much smaller but now the levels are much larger with plenty of various ways to tackle them from Stealth choices to Lethal confrontations the game let's you play the way you want. Dishonored's world is undeniably intriguing thanks mainly to its vaguely steampunk aesthetic and the tangible history hidden in every detail. A game would be nothing without some strong characters and Dishonored 2 does not disappoint with a varied cast (including dialogue from the main characters this time) which all leads to a lived in world sensation that's hard to get from most open world games, which really makes you care about your actions. It was given an impressive 8.0 out of 10.
I regret eating that burger at lunch
Twinfinite scored it 4.5 out of 5, Bone Charms from the first game also make a return but this time you're given more choice with them. Much like Dishonored you'll have to hunt these in the world (you'll never be far from one normally), except now you can also create your very own charms which make things fun. If you collect enough raw whale bones, players are able to construct their own charms by infusing various powers they’ve collected. However, the more powers you add, the higher chance you have of creating a Corrupted Charm, which have a very high risk, high reward philosophy. If there is one complaint it's that the sequel didn't really add much to Corvo, who didn't get a range of new powers and mainly just had upgraded powers. Still as you're given the option of playing 2 characters it tempts you into another play with Emily - which may be more fun for certain people thanks to her abilities being pure mayhem.
Lastly we've got the review from Cheat Code Central which received a perfect 5 out of 5. The story while not going to win everyone over does a good job of telling a tale and should last players around 15-20 hours for their first playthrough (or longer depending on how much you explore the world and do sidequests). You'll also be able to play more Stealthy this time, unlike the first game which seemingly forced you into being thrust into a conflict. This time, non-lethal players have a full toolbox of gadgets and powers to support them. If you get into a sword fight, you can choose to strike back lethally or perform a well-timed block, knocking your opponent off-guard and knock them out instead.
Do you smell that? I knew this place was trouble.
Positive reviews all round then, reuniting with Corvo and Emily once more will be a joy for any fan of the original game. For me the original was a fantastic Stealth Action FPS game and I just loved exploring every corner of the world, having played a few hours of Dishonored 2 I can see it being another enjoyable experience with plenty of freedom to tackle situations in a variety of ways. Plus you can always quick save/quick load at any point should things not go your way, which makes experimenting even more rewarding - one example while I was playing involved me being stealthy and a guard spotted me, threw a grenade at me and the entire shop next to us blew up as it has explosives in it (which was an incredible "WTF" moment).
The sequel does feel a little too familiar, but if you've wanted more Dishonored then the second game will offer you that and more. I am especially looking forward to trying Emily with her various new powers which should spice up the gameplay quite a bit, for my first time though I'll stick with Corvo as I did in the original.
It's worth noting though that the PC version is suffering from some performance issues (even on high end machines), however Bethesda are working to patch out all the performance problems and should have things fixed soon.
Dishonored 2 can be yours today for £34.99!
– Craig Bishop