Game developers are constantly coming out with new games with new ideas, storylines and characters. More often than not though, few of these games make it to the top of the charts and get a following. Popular gaming company, Bethesda, has recently released the new IP “Dishonored.” Thankfully, unlike the many new IPs that come out, “Dishonored” is a fantastic game that anyone should try.
Enter the city of Dunwall, where citizens are overrun by the plague and the Empress is their only hope. Gamers play as her guard, Corovo, though things take a turn for the worse when only a few minutes into the game, Corovo is framed for the Empress’ murder. The gamer is quickly captured and thrown in jail, only to awake six months later the day before your execution. A few friends who know of your innocence help you to escape but it’s not until that night that things get really interesting. Corvo receives a special tattoo on his left hand that grants him special powers. These abilities range from being able to possess animals and humans alike to summoning plagued rats to kill your enemies for you.
While you’re given a wide variety of powers, choice is a core theme throughout “Dishonored.” Players can decide to be a ruthless killer and lay waste to everyone to continually upgrade powers or to be the stealthy assassin sneaking in and around a variety of buildings undetected. Gamers can even play inbetween the two, sneaking around and still killing those who end up finding you. Choice is again a key theme and it’s really up to the player to decide how they want to go about their missions.
“Dishonored” is also beautifully done with very intricate A.Is. The city of Dunwall is so life-like you may begin to think it was once a real city. The A.I.s are also extremely realistic and intelligent. Bethesda did not include planned scripts when doing the voice acting of the A.Is. Instead, everything the characters say to each other is unpredictable and will be new every time the game is played. Listening to these characters may also provide clues and new information about missions despite being unscripted. It’s a very unique approach to A.I., one that will likely be used in other games as well.
While stealth games aren’t for everyone, this is by no means a game that requires stealth. It can easily be considered an action game depending on the player’s choice. “Dishonored” provides a fun and memorable adventure for anyone who plays it, and every gamer should give it at least one play through.
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eodermat@ramapo.edu
