Eurogamer Expo: Hands on with Dishonored
Words by: Gregg Remmer | Posted: 8 months ago | Filed under: Eurogamer 2012, Previews.
In short – Dishonored blew me away. It was, by far, the most impressive experience I had. Dunwall, an industrial city, is the setting and Carvo Attano is the protagonist. It is a game of revenge as this legendary bodyguard seeks redemption after being framed for the Empress’ murder.
The steampunk world gives a unique look and feel, while the gameplay offers endless possibilities. The number of options available was, in fact, rather overwhelming, at first.
Possession, teleportation and rat summoning are just a few of the abilities available to use to work your way through each area. Such areas can be cleared of guards using stealth, combat or both, lethally and not. Using alternative routes can also give you the edge when it comes to battle. Dropping down on an unexpecting enemy and distracting another with sound to take down a room full of guards, one by one, is tremendously rewarding.
Combat, itself, feels harsh and fleshy. Involuntary gasps escaped me as I watches a dagger plunge into an enemy’s face. It’s both brutal and exciting. An array of sword swings, gun slinging and mechanical grenades help keep it fresh throughout. It took me several deaths to get the hang of all these weird and wonderful abilities, but it was easy to see that, once you’d mastered them, you’d be able to eliminate people in an infinite number of imaginative ways.
At times, I was worried of what I was capable of in a world as dynamic as this one and with so many choices at hand. I happily played around in the same area multiple times to see how my decisions affected the end result. A mindless charge saw me come to an abrupt end. Some careless stealth attempts found me caught out in uncompromising positions. But, eventually, possessing a rat to scout out the area gave me the upper hand I needed.
It’s rare to see a brand new franchise in these days of sequel saga and especially one as promising as this.
About Gregg Remmer
Struggles to finish any game that isn't Portal and loves nothing more than a little bit of nostalgia, which is evident from his ONLY 1k'd game - TMNT
