Dishonored

Still an amazing game in 2024, I love the graphics, the art style, and the general story. Though the lengthy novels were unnecessary, it had me reminicing over Bioshock. This is a game that will never go out of style!

Absolutely fantastic game. One of the best stealth games out there. It's aged Extremely well. From the controls to the stylized art. Honestly the stylization of the art is the reason why it aged so well visually, the environmental design is incredible and the world has amazing atmosphere to it. The morality system of the game is well implemented, where it forces you to make choices but doesn't absolutely ruin your run if you only make a few mistakes.

A amazing game beautiful world one of the best stories i have seen for a long time and i love how you can pretty much do whatever you want to shape the ending

I like the story and stealth game play with consequence base on your actions.

Impressive worldbuilding that holds up a mediocre story. Where this game fails in telling a unique narrative, it succeeds in pushing the immersive-sim genre forward. The artstyle is beautiful, the gameplay is fine-tuned, and the characters are memorable (in spite of the weak plot). This is certainly worth your time.

Great game! Still holds up in 2024. Amazing story, and has the ability to semi-choose which track you take for the story. Every level has many different ways that you can interact with the environment and allows for variability in play.

Best Game. I really enjoy and like the depth of the game. The game is meticulous and impeccable.

the story, the lore, the graphics, the gameplay-- everything was amazing

This game plays really well and looks great but its un-skippable cut scenes are problematic and its too short. You'll complete this in less than 6 hours. I'm now just going for achievements now.

Classic of the superpowered assassin hiding behind crates and sneaking through vents genre.

Great game. Its an oldie, but the story and game-play stood the test of time. got it here on steam on sale. worth every penny.

nostalgia save me. save me nostalgia.

9/10
the sequel is similar but with better mechanics and worse story.

I loved this game. I am not the best at stealth games (I tend to face tank everything), but on normal I fared okay. I loved the style, the missions, the story, and the world built. Good game. I finished it in about 12 hours (I died a lot, see the face tanking). I love that your choices affect the outcome.

Dishonored is a masterclass in stealth and freedom of choice. Set in the hauntingly beautiful, plague-ridden city of Dunwall, it lets you play as Corvo, a bodyguard-turned-assassin seeking revenge after being framed for murder. The game stands out for its blend of stealth, combat, and supernatural abilities.

What I love most is the freedom to approach missions your way. You can go full stealth, leaving no trace, or unleash chaos with powers like teleportation and rat swarms. The level design is brilliant, offering multiple paths and secrets that reward exploration.

The dark, steampunk-inspired art style and compelling story make the world feel alive, while your choices significantly impact the ending. Dishonored isn’t just a game; it’s an experience that challenges you to think creatively and reflect on your actions.

Dishonored is an absolute classic for me. This game has been such a good example of a stealth game, but also gives the player the freedom of doing anything you want to. The Chaos system is basically a simple karma system, the more you kill and cause panic, the worse the city will get. The less you do those things, the better the city becomes. I believe Dishonored will always stand strong, no matter how advanced gaming becomes. The artstyle is beautiful, looking like an oil painting of a vaguely victorian-steampunk mixture which becomes Dunwall. The details do not stop there, however, as the player can use the heart item to hear secrets and lore of different areas and people. Simply cannot overstate how much I personally love this game. (even if some detections are legit BS)

World/Setting - 8.5/10
Story - 6/10
Music - 8/10
Gameplay - 9/10

Overall Rating- 8/10
One Line Review - Exceeded my expectation

Review

World/Setting
I loved the setting for this game: 19th century England, but mix with magic and supernatural elements. The world created by the game is really intriguing, and fun to explore. I specially love how the game leaves you books and notes, which contains some background story or lore about the world. So you are always looking for books and reading about new things.

I just wished the first half of the game had more locations than the district area, and it's surroundings. But nothing major to complain about.

Story
I think the story was the weakest component of this game. It was pretty basic. And you can judge all the twists before they happen, because it's predictable. I wish it had a more interesting story.

Music
I loved the music.

Gameplay
The component that shines the brightest in this game. I loved that the game does not limit you to one play style. I started this game by playing it like a action game, which was less fun, and then shifted to stealth/pacifist way, which was far more fun.

The powers in the game are also unique, and fun to play with. Like stopping time and then fast teleport across the area, before anyone gets time to notice anything.

The game also gives you choices. It might feel similar to any rpg game, but feels different. It is because, the world and the characters starts acting differently according to your playstyle. When I first noticed it, it blew me away! Like the dialogues will dynamically change, the interaction will become more hostile etc.

Dishonored is a stealth game with powers, but you can play without the powers. My 40 hours are all from one playthrough without the DLC, if you pass directly through the map you will lose side quests and lore.

In The story you are tasked with the mission to eliminate targets that oposse Lady Emily ascension to the Throne, and this is where comes the Main Part of the game: The Chaos System. kill people and doing some side quests is going to increase the chaos. A low level chaos means a smooth and tranquil transfer of power, the people in the base of the food chain won't care because its doens't affect them. A Hight Level Chaos means a turbulent and chaotic transfer of power, more guards going to appear, people will be scared, and the plague will advance. The game taunt you to kill and going rampage, but the best part is that for some targets, the alternative to death means r@p$ or torture, for some targets a mercy and clean kill is the most humane option.

The Story is copy pasta, but the lore is amazing. Kaldwin is amazing, from Dunwall Tower to the Flooded District all feels real. Emily, Granny Rags, The Outsider, Havelock are all great characters.

The game ask the question if Corvo is the Royal Protector trying to ensure Emily's Future or an Assassin doing a job, for that it uses two characters, Daud and Emily. Daud is an Assassin who have the same powers as Corvo but choose to kill for money, in a log is stated that Daud and his assassins could do theirs jobs without casualties, but they chose to kill because is cheaper. Emily serve as a mirror of Corvo Choices, Corvo is Emily greatest Hero, for good or bad she will take example from Corvo's Actions, in a mission a character says "Are you gonna kill me or not Corvo? Either way Emily is gonna watch".

The stealth part of the game is amazing, and if you don't like the non killing part, there's mods.

I can't believe it took me this long to finish this game, but what a great experience. I've really missed these shorter [10-15 hour] games that have open-ended approaches to complete missions, with different endings that encourage multiple completions. Arkane made a classic and they will be missed.

PROS:
Open-ended mission design that encourages experimentation.
Simple but solid stealth mechanics and fun combat.
Beautiful artistic design that runs great on a modern computer.

CONS:
There's a lack of enemy variety that can get repetitive towards the end.

A very fun game. Lots of different ways to play, so good replayability as well. Feels like a spiritual successor to Deus Ex.

My only gripe is that bushes apparently count for nothing when it comes to stealth. Enemies see right through them like they have x-ray vision!

Battle system with supernatural powers is done perfectly. Story is great. Multiple approach system rules.

This game is a masterpiece. The replayability is absolutely amazing. The fact that the game only took me 10 hours to fully beat (With High Chaos mind you) is just awesome, and it has 4 DLC packs you can buy for cheap and get even more gameplay out of. I can't believe I put off playing this game for so long because it is just so much fun to play. The way it draws you in with the immersion and the just long enough missions that make you want to keep playing is just awesome. I am so excited to replay this game and try for a low chaos run and then buy the DLC and play those stories, and then buy the second game and the third game. Arkane Studios is amazing.

TLDR: If you haven't played this game and you like Tom Clancy style stealth games, then play this game. It's honestly better than the Tom Clancy games. Then play the DLC and the rest of them.

Fantastic game, plays great on the Steam Deck. Got it for a really good price and worth every penny. Highly recommend picking this up if you like stealth assassin-type games. 10/10

Phenomenal. The setting, the tone, the visuals, the stealth gameplay, the storytelling. This handcrafted world is such a joy to drink up and such a thrill to sink yourself into. This game and its sequels are probably the keystone of the genre and hold up to this day.

It's nice playing an old game and being able to load saves instantly

One of my favorite games of all time. Incredible gameplay that you can replay forever, and a gorgeous artstyle that you never tire of looking at.

Old but Gold. Time before remaking games was a thing and the developers working for big companies had actually new ideas. At the time it's rough around the edges, but hey, it's a video-game!

10-/10

good story, good gameplay
what else can you ask from a game

Dishonored is truly a one of a kind experience, and is without a doubt one of my favorite games of all time. The levels are dynamic and at times, really challenging, but in a good way. Also lore, but not lore that you need to know that much, but its there if you want it. Either way, play dishonored, it's awesome

A classic of sorts that still holds up. A game like thief is too old for many people to get into, but I think Dishonored still holds up and has a lot to offer new players and returning players alike.

Having played it through again (with all the DLC), I now have trouble saying Dishonored 2 is the better game. They are both extremely good in their own ways I'd say they are about equal.

Also, the amount of items and abilities in this game that do not return in 2 is surprising. Plenty of stuff to work with for Dishonored 3.

Also also, Death of the Outsider is still by far the worst installment but if I count Daud's DLC as their own games as well the ranking is still:

Dishonored 2 = Dishonored 1, The Knife of Dunwall, The Brigmore Witches, Death of the Outsider

The best narrative and implementation of the "chaos" system in the series. The Flooded District is one of my favourite levels from Arkane. "The Knife of Dunwall" and "Brigmore Witches" expansions arguably improve on the base game. It scratches the 'immersive sim" itch, although your choices will be restricted to "stealth" or "combat" – diplomacy is rarely an option.

This is my first time jumping into this franchise and i can see what all the hype was about back in the day. Great stealth mechanics, good combat, and a decent story. It took me a minute to get the hang of as I am not really a stealth game player, but this game gives you the tools to play the game in just about any style you'd like. ^_^

Multiple play styles available. Great atmosphere and powers. A little thin on character development but the replay value is more for the different ways to play rather than figuring out someone deep-seated emotions.

Fun game, I don't understand why Corvo is dead at the end dialog of the good ending, because you can chose to play as corvo in the second game.

This game is gas... it has a somewhat sort campaign but makes up for that with all the things you can do in it. it's very open to your own play style and has an amazing story.

Stealth or smoke em all. You decide. Also has a nice story
8.5/10

game gives you massive toolbox and massive open levels with countless different ways to solve any problem presented to you with that massive toolbox. fun game

Revolutionary game. Amazing stealth mechanics, satisfying kills, magnificent interactions between NPCs. Assassins Creed on steroids basically, amazing DLCs and a good story. Also 100% is not too painful acutally somewhat enjoyable. All recommendations.

Aged like fine wine; timeless classic with smooth and satisfying gameplay

very good similar to prey again another play how you really want to game rip arkane

A fun Steampunk Sneaky Assassin game where the only politics are worth killing over. Very recommended. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Hasn't aged. Love the stealth mechanics (hasn't really gotten better these last years anyways). Doesn't overstay its welcome (completed in 10 hours).

good community drawings + great stealth game = good friday night <3

So much fun even after ages. Small issue with saving but you get used to it pretty quickly. Just need to do manual saves or you can challenge yourself and run through with no manual saves! would be insane to do it that way but definitely not unachievable.

Dishonored was... incredible. My first, and only playthrough (will probably come back) was a "stealth" play through, where I tried to remain in stealth at all times, and only kill when absolutely necessary, preferring to knockout/sleep dart.

With that said here are my thoughts.

Playing this for the first time in 2024, the graphics are a bit jarring, but I got used to it quick, and the game is 12 years old, so really you can't knock it too much. Just ensure you don't have your monitor set to blue light filter, as the dark setting (most of the time it's a dark setting) was graphically made weirder by the blue light filter (I had it on for most of the game not realising the vast difference without it). For most it won't be an issue, but I noticed it so wanted to point it out.

I used a controller, and it felt comfortable playing it. Did not try with a keyboard and mouse. I found it smooth overall and have no complaints in that area.

I found the start to be quite difficult, and I'm not talking about the introductory first mission - I'm speaking of the first "REAL" game-play mission. It took me quite a while to get used to how the stealth works, and how combat worked. I was dying a LOT. Getting ganged up on and such. The game does get tremendously easier, partially due to the unlockable abilities, but mostly just due to adjusting to the game. The AI, are simultaneously dumb and smart. What do I mean? Well, they're actually smart and will find you based on noise and line of sight, as well as if they find a body. In that regard it's actually quite GOOD and reasonably challenging. The dumb part is, that if you are above or below them, even if you are technically close, they won't really notice you, so a lot of parts can be "cheesed" in that sense (just don't hit a metal pipe with your sword or something super obvious).

I can't comment too much on the combat as I played mostly stealth, but from my early experiences with it in the first chapter/mission, I was not a fan of the block/parrying and the (in my opinion) slow slashing speed. You can upgrade and adjust both (parrying for sure) of these things, but at the start, even on normal, it took several sword slashes to kill one person out of the group of mobs attacking me.

There is a lot of re-playabillity, even if you wanted to stick to one style (i.e. stealth or combat), as there's a dozen ways to do each mission, not even taking into account side missions. You can often approach, for example, from the front door, the back door, an open window/roof, or from below/sewer, or a mix of many of these options. Each of these has a totally different feel to it, and it means you have to deal with different aspects (more guards, an arc pylon, or some jumps/parkour that you might fall to your death from). Nothing is truly "frustrating" in that regard though, and the ability to be as creative as you want is incredibly fun!

Story wise, it's alright. It's not a masterpiece, but it's not rubbish either. A bit predictable in some regards, but the ability to alter the story based on your choices, through in mission choices, and then overall mission results, is astounding, and makes it feel like you are actually in control. I enjoyed the story for what it was, and I ignored the additional lore for the most part, but if you do like that stuff, there is a lot of it to explore. Most of the story is in fact told through listening in on conversations, reading notes/letters/books you find, as well as through making the choices you make, leading you to uncover more lore, that if you just try to do point A to B, you would miss. By the way, don't do point A to B. Explore! That's part of where the fun is!

I may come back to this in the future, and while at first I told myself "this is too hard I don't think I want to play Dishonoured 2 or DotO", by the time I got used to the game-play/mechanics at the 2nd or 3rd mission, I was having a blast and will definitely pick those up when I can.

I hope you enjoy this game! I did! Just remember, your choices have consequences!

Dishonored - Quite possibly the best stealth game franchise ever created. This game, Dishonored 1 has to be the best out of the series. There are TONS of ways to kill pretty much anyone (though if you aim for the good ending then... i'd say hold your horses, because you kinda need little to no kills to do that). The atmosphere is terrifying in my opinion, it's just purely depressing, there's no sun, no happiness, almost a colorless world (Well actually there is sun on like one or two levels but that's not the point) The music is again terrifying in my opinion. This game honestly brings shivers on my spine. But it's not a hard game under any means (Except one bloddy dlc) It's a fun game that you learn pretty quickly, the abilities help you a lot, so i'd advise you to take all of the runes that you can. For 2012 this game is AWESOME. I'd 100% recommend this, buy it even if it isn't on a sale, trust me, it's worth it.

Dishonored : An Underrated Classic

Gameplay

Combat

Powers

Story (No Spoilers)

Conclusions

8 / 10

This is one of my favorite games ever. Amazing lore and vast exploration and lovable characters. The powers and achievements are so fun to earn and use.

for a while now, i haven't really been enjoying games. finding it hard to really get into one, and have mostly stopped playing..
honestly i thought that maybe video games just weren't really my thing anymore
that is until i found dishonoured.
this game has rekindled my love for gaming.
the dark, twisted streets of dunwell tell a passionate and dark story.
but one of hope as well.
its immersive, dark setting, mixed with extremely flexible game play, makes this easily one of my favourites of all time.
my only regret is not taking longer with each mission. (its a little bit short, only 5 missions)
do yourself a favour and buy it. its worth every single penny.

Some of the mechanics are janky and unresponsive but this is still one of the best stealth games ever made.

This game is awesome. However, whenever I come close to Daud in order to steal his key, the game crashes.

It crashed in 2012. It crashed in 2018, and it's still crashing in 2024. Those are not just 3 different years, they are on 3 entirely different PCs.

I guess it's my save that's got an issue, somehow.

Other than that, a truly awesome game, still totally playable in 2024 even on a 5120x1440 resolution, no issues.