| Platform | OVERALL |
|---|---|
| Xbox 360 | 8.70 |
| Overall | 8.70 |
|
I so wanted to really love this game but when it was all said and done I found it to have too many holes for me to really call it a masterpiece. The first few levels gave me sense that I was about to embark on an incredible game where I can mold my assassin into any way I want. That I would slowly add all sorts of powers that would totally shape the way I play. Then I noticed how quickly I could unlock the powers and max them. As I played it became more and more apparent that only about 3 powers are any good and the rest are sort of pointless. The missions in Dishonored are sort of a mix of Deus Ex and Hitman but without the impact of choice like Deus Ex or the creativity of Hitman. You land in a certain part of the city, these areas are pretty large with about three full sections to explore. Guards and security systems create your main obstacles to moving around. In these levels there are a few NPCs that may offer a side mission or two, they also open up alternate solutions to removing your target, usually a non lethal method. Once you land you are given free reign to go about the mission as you like, very stealth like or be rambo. The rambo option is not a viable one cause your character will get his ass whooped when the entire city comes down on him. Even with max powers fighting off a whole horde of enemies isn't that fun, reason being that combat seems like an afterthought here. The fun comes from stealthy killing or submitting your opponents. The key gameplay mechanic is the blink move which allows you to basically do a short teleport jump, think Nightcrawler. With this move you can quickly move from cover to cover, reach new heights and quickly get behind an enemy for a kill then retreat an instant later. Carving your way through a room of guards without any of them knowing what is going on is an absolute joy and it is what makes Dishonored such a great experience. You have other options available to you like hacking security systems to turn them against the guards or even possessing animals or humans if you level up enough. These other options have been done before in other games and have been done better. I found teleporting around to be a huge thrill and every thing else to be a bit dull honestly. There are about 9 missions in Dishonored, each can take a bit over an hour so it is a decently sized game yet as I said earlier I still felt it rushed to much with the powers. The missions themselves are so open with various paths that it never makes any of the powers outside the blink move feel necessary, and that too me is one of the big issues with the game and games like this. There needs to be a balance between freedom and scripted, it is why I love MGS games so much cause they walk the line perfectly. Dishonored is a game with no boss battles and no major scripted action moments. If you boil it down it is area after area of random guards walking in patrols, after a while it just gets repetitive. It is not till the very last few missions that you get giant walker things and other teleporting badasses as enemies, even then all they do is patrol. The story is rather average, a basic revenge tale with a twist or two. Your choices in being lethal or not changes the story a bit and gives you a different ending so there is some replay value there. Graphically the game is rough, it has a distinct almost cell shaded look but clearly not on par with the best of this gen. Dishonored feels like one of those first games in a series that lays the foundation for a masterpiece sequel. It has an interesting gameplay mechanic that can make for a stellar game. It has some compelling ideas but needs to work on execution. If done correctly Dishonored 2 can be one of those much improved sequels like AC2. |
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Posted by Dvader Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:22:45
Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:05:53
Thanks for that, first review I resd for this in full. It's a definite buy.
Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:03:04
Good review. Like you, I was disappointed when I realized that the powers and exploration were extremely limited. It's a cool concept and setting though. I just wished for more exploration.
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