Below is an in-progress review of Dishonored based on my first play-through of the game. I wish I had the time to write everything up and post it all at once, but I don't. In fact, I haven't finished the final mission yet!

But, here are my thoughts. I will update this thread as I go and will hopefully provide valuable player feedback for the developers.

SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!

You have been warned.

The Story
What I thought it would be:
I expected Dishonored to be a sandbox stealth action game that allowed me the freedom to roleplay as a vengeful assassin or humble protector. I knew that I would assume the identity of Corvo Attano, Royal Protector to Empress Jessamine and Emily Kaldwin; and that I was falsely accused for the Empress' death. Imprisoned, I would be approached by a mysterious being known as The Outsider and given supernatural powers as a means of exacting revenge on those who were responsible for her murder.

What I experienced:
The story was intriguing, but felt a little rushed. I'm aware that it's no Mass Effect, and would like to point out that the story itself was excellent. I was instantly drawn into my role as Royal Protector and did feel a deep sense of failure for the Empress' death and her daughter, Emily's, disappearance.

That aspect of the story alone was enough to motivate me to play as a man who lost many things, but not everything. Despite my failures, I still had someone left to protect; someone I felt I promised to always protect - Princess Emily Kaldwin. She is the reason why I continue to fight and the reason behind the choices I've made.

I have spared every life, save those who wished to do harm to others. I protected the weak, the vulnerable, and spared the unknowing. Even if the Pendleton brothers did keep Emily locked away inside a room, as far as I knew, they didn't harm her or expose her to any of the sixual immoralities presented throughout the manor. That's the only reason why they still live, albeit, not as lavishly.

Now, what was the reward for all this? No rare, purple weapon? No bulky suit of reinforced, bullet reflecting armor? Nope. Nada. Just the overwhelming feeling of peace for having rescued someone very important to me. This is where Dishonored shined the most I think. There was nothing else in the game that made me feel more accomplished or redeemed for my failures than when Emily drew a smiling picture of me (Corvo) with the word "Daddy" written at the top in addition to a drawing of her mother.

Dishonored's story was amazing to me, especially when experiencing moments like this. I just wish there was more of it.

The Verdict:
The story is short, but offers fun and rewarding opportunities to carve your own destiny within the plot.


The Gameplay (Unfinished)
What I thought it would be:
I expected to have the freedom to kill or spare any individual I came into contact with. I would have the ability to approach targets stealthily or head on and make use of the environment to accomplish my goals. In addition, I would be granted several supernatural abilities (of my choosing) in which to use against my enemies.

What I experienced:
Most of my personal expectations of the gameplay were met. I absolutely loved the fact that I could spare main assassination targets and not fully realize the results of doing so. For example, choosing to spare Lady Boyle is great, but what happens to her afterward is simply unnerving. Is she safe? Would she have been better off if she died by my own hands instead? Who knows.

As for the stealth and action gameplay, overall, it's been a lot of fun. There's certainly plenty of room for creativity, but there were just a few concerns and things I wish we were able to do in-game:

• Not being able to upgrade Sleeping Dart capacity.

Yes, if we could, we would probably just go around shooting people in the neck with it, effectively putting them to sleep, but, we do it anyway, albeit, with our hands. Piero tricked me into upgrading the normal bolt capacity, which did nothing for me, haha. It would have been a nice option to upgrade the amount of Sleeping Darts we could hold.

• Unable to knock people/animals out in-combat, with the exception of upgraded Sleeping Darts.

I think having this ability would have been very helpful because Corvo seems like the kind of person who can do it. If he can kill quickly and effectively in combat, he should be able to knock people unconscious equally as well, no?

• Moving bodies can be a chore (and pointless, at times).

?Although it serves a purpose, I eventually found it to be quite boring later in the game. I felt like I was arranging furniture, to be honest. Perhaps if there was a lesser ability to warp these people into the Void. Besides, it felt even more pointless to move bodies if the game was going to make them disappear after a certain amount of time (or bodies) anyway. Hey! Maybe they were sent to the Void!

To be finished...

Have you played the High Chaos version. The ending is REALLY different to be sure. It's a different ending and the final rescue of Emily is... chilling to say the least.

Have you played the High Chaos version. The ending is REALLY different to be sure. It's a different ending and the final rescue of Emily is... chilling to say the least.

Ah! Spoiler alert!

Haha, I have not. I was all for Low Chaos, but not I'm curious!