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Dishonored 2 is a game I was hugely excited to play, and yet I was not even sure why. I started playing the first one a little bit late and by the time I was starting to get hooked, I was finding PS4 and Xbox One games to play instead. Then they released Dishonoured on the PS4, but I never did release the game from its cellophane surroundings. So why was I so excited about D2… maybe it was because I had seen some videos and I really liked the looks of it. Maybe it was because I had just got the PS4 Pro and the HDR 4K tv. Maybe it was because I was getting bored of the games I was playing (Mafia III and FIFA 17 – still keeping me hooked). Either way, when the game turned up at my house I was buzzing to play it.
First impressions: After waiting for this game to finally load (this isn’t an issue with just this game, but with every title I’ve played recently), you could tell that it oozed class. The graphics were crisp and the sound was on point. After switich the game onto HDR mode, I was ready to play. Sitting around 2 metres away from my curved tv, with the lights off and my wife occupied downstairs…. let’s play.
Gameplay: At the very start of the game you are accustomed to the controls through a clever training mission. You are in control of Emily Kaldwin (the Empress, as well as the daughter of the previous protagonist – Corvo Attano). Emily seems to like to run, jump, duck and sneak, especially over rooftops. You’re introduced to all the techniques that you can use in the game which include jumping from rooftops to slice off your enemies head, shooting your foe with a sleeping dart out of a crossbow or just going all out and shooting them with a gun, then finishing them off with sword chops to the head. Although this intro only gives you the basics, you’ll be able to tell straight away whether this is going to be a game you will enjoy. I knew it would be for me.
Of course, like any good game you are not given all your powers straight away and throughout the proceedings you make some game-changing choices which follow you on your journey. However, before I talk more about those, I must give you a basis of the story. Simply put, the game starts off with a visitor to the Empress who decides to usurp the throne and then comes your first choice. Will you be Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano – of course, being such a masculine man I chose Corvo Attano, therefore within seconds my loving daughter and wonderful Empress was set in stone. And so the story began. I escaped using my ‘Sneaky McSneakerson’ skills and had to find a way to kill the witch who imprisoned my daughter and save the world… okay, maybe not quite save the world, but it is good to add a bit of drama to it all. Shortly after all of this, you are given another massive choice – you need to decide whether you’re going to wear the dark mark and be able to use magical skills or whether you are not. Once again, I like the sound of magic so I tattooed that dark mark all over myself!
The upgrade system is quite simple and I like that. You can buy and find schematics which will upgrade weapons and give you a number of different variations. There’s also runes and bonecharms to install which add abilities to your character. You can also buy a range of different weaponry to suit your style of play. Some games recently have used too-complex upgrade systems and that has frustrated me as a gamer who plays a number of different games. However, with Dishonored 2, I found that it was more than possible to play the game for a bit, try a different game then come back and still remember how to play it. That was a real selling point for me.
Lastly, it must be noted that there are different ways to play this game. It is so cleverly written and created that you can either play as a gun-slinging killing machine, or as an agent sneaking everywhere and sparing everyone’s lives. I always tried to be sneaky then got found out… so I killed everyone! I liked the challenge of being sly but just wasn’t very good at it. Overall, the gameplay doesn’t offer you too much, but it offers you the right amount. It provides you different ways to play and it offers you a host of weaponry and attributes to keep you going. Overall, I have to give the gameplay a 10. I honestly couldn’t pick a fault with it.
Go to page 2 for more thoughts on the game.
I have been a video game player since 1993 and a music fan since I can remember. I studied Film and Journalism at university and ended up becoming a Primary School teacher. Video games changed my life and sent me on the right track and have stayed with me ever since.