I deem two aspects as the most important in forming the identity of a stealth game; they are level design and the freedom of choosing to assault or not. Dishonored is a masterfully created combination of both and is thus, one of the greatest stealth games ever.
With one of the most ingenious uses of imbuing player choices into a cause-and-effect system at the centre, it's visible how the world design is such that it keeps track of every stealth choice, and displays its effects through various factors like number of rats, environmental state, NPC dialogue, severity of the plague, etc. Stealth games which are also action-adventure often tend to deviate from the central design philosophy of stealth, and tend to indulge highly in a spectacle with flashy action; Dishonored does not avoid that per se, but it definitely tries to weave around it, albeit intentionally. Despite the narrative urging towards a "correct way to play", it intelligently prioritises player freedom.
The sheer difference in experience based on my own choices of whether to kill, confront or leave alone was a revelation. The disparity between my high and low chaos playthroughs was far more than "bad/good ending", it delivered a whole new experience. While it is true that the Chaos system isn't that well conceived and complete, it serves as perfect leverage to influence the consequences of lethalities into the level designs which brings us to the meticulously crafted world of Dunwall.
Every level is superbly designed with unique pathways, routes and the player has complete liberty to achieve the target in numerous ways, with not a single method breaking the narrative harmony. Especially fantastic is Lady Boyle's Last Party with the sheer complexity of the level layers.
Coming to technical performance, the stealth mechanics are immaculate because of which there's more than enough allure to stick to stealth in combination with the astonishingly innovative ways in which magic complements either style over the unpolished FPS mechanics and slightly janky combat.
Last, but not the least, the downloadable content. Dunwall City Trials is a nightmarish mess, especially for achievement merchants, you can go ahead and skip that. The Knife of Dunwall, in particular, and the Brigmore Witches, with the assassin Daud as the playable character, are remarkable in every manner. While I do not agree with a popular sentiment of the two DLCs being better than the main game, I can definitely see why. Taking all the strengths of the original game, the DLCs script a fabulous story about Daud's quest for redemption which catapult him to the position of the best character in the series by ease. Brilliant.
Every mission of Dishonored serves as a great narrative piece and can be enjoyed and appreciated by any person alike. There's something for everyone. A consummate work of the medium and arguably the best stealth game of the past ten years.
With one of the most ingenious uses of imbuing player choices into a cause-and-effect system at the centre, it's visible how the world design is such that it keeps track of every stealth choice, and displays its effects through various factors like number of rats, environmental state, NPC dialogue, severity of the plague, etc. Stealth games which are also action-adventure often tend to deviate from the central design philosophy of stealth, and tend to indulge highly in a spectacle with flashy action; Dishonored does not avoid that per se, but it definitely tries to weave around it, albeit intentionally. Despite the narrative urging towards a "correct way to play", it intelligently prioritises player freedom.
The sheer difference in experience based on my own choices of whether to kill, confront or leave alone was a revelation. The disparity between my high and low chaos playthroughs was far more than "bad/good ending", it delivered a whole new experience. While it is true that the Chaos system isn't that well conceived and complete, it serves as perfect leverage to influence the consequences of lethalities into the level designs which brings us to the meticulously crafted world of Dunwall.
Every level is superbly designed with unique pathways, routes and the player has complete liberty to achieve the target in numerous ways, with not a single method breaking the narrative harmony. Especially fantastic is Lady Boyle's Last Party with the sheer complexity of the level layers.
Coming to technical performance, the stealth mechanics are immaculate because of which there's more than enough allure to stick to stealth in combination with the astonishingly innovative ways in which magic complements either style over the unpolished FPS mechanics and slightly janky combat.
Last, but not the least, the downloadable content. Dunwall City Trials is a nightmarish mess, especially for achievement merchants, you can go ahead and skip that. The Knife of Dunwall, in particular, and the Brigmore Witches, with the assassin Daud as the playable character, are remarkable in every manner. While I do not agree with a popular sentiment of the two DLCs being better than the main game, I can definitely see why. Taking all the strengths of the original game, the DLCs script a fabulous story about Daud's quest for redemption which catapult him to the position of the best character in the series by ease. Brilliant.
Every mission of Dishonored serves as a great narrative piece and can be enjoyed and appreciated by any person alike. There's something for everyone. A consummate work of the medium and arguably the best stealth game of the past ten years.