I am thinking about giving this game a try, and I'd like to hear your guys' opinions. I'd like to add that I am a big fan of the Thief series (playing the first game again).

It's quite awesome. I haven't played much, just finished the first real level (which took several hours to sneak thru, explore and do various side quests) and I think it's a lot of fun. If you like Thief, then this game is a must.

Agreed. If you like Thief then there is no reason why you shouldn`t get dishonored. I`m not saying it will be better (Thief is a classic after all), but you will get that same good feeling

I've been having some serious Thief deja vu playing this, I must say. I'm having a blast at it. 13 hours in, and just finished the third post-escape mission. Stealth doesn't work quite the same way (simply staying in the shadows won't do), but the supernatural powers really add something to the mix.

Great game sofar, but good lord, my eyes... I hope Arkane patches in more field of view options at some point.

It's good and that surprises me since for one thing I usually hate a strictly FP perspective. The game feels kind of like Thief, Bioshock and Half-Life 2 all thrown together and it works out well. It has a very non-linear approach to most levels and you can decide to be completely non-lethal or a brutal murderer, I for one appreciated the option of the former which is rare in games.

Let's just say that this is the best gameplay experience I've gotten in a very long time. Last time it was partly Half-Life 2 and Deus Ex. There is an argument that this game is not for everybody and it is true. If you are not a fan of games like Thief, Deus Ex, Hitman and so on, then you will be disappointed by the game's length. The story isn't the best thing in the world but it isn't necessarily bad, definitely better than most titles. Rushing to get the main objectives and playing just to see how the story unfolds is not a good move. The pacing suffers at the end and and it seems there should have been a lot more to the story.

All and all, solid and polished gameplay with a fair amount of depth, great level design and exploration options, decent storyline with odd pacing at the end and some pretty nice choices and consequences through the game's mechanics. That last part is something we do not see a lot of since developers thing that Blue or Red gamey conversation choices are the way to tell a good story and have a deep choice. It isn't.

Dishonored is definitely Game of the Year for now. The only title that can surpass it is Hitman: Absolution but it has to be solid and never break its pacing and have some neat gameplay mechanics that never take away from the overall experience. That will be difficult to manage but it is possible. AC 3 is not even close since it hasn't made the single player more challenging or the storyline more deep and meaningful. It has polished its stealth a little but the optimal strategy is still kill a million guards in 10 seconds with an even better counter system now.

Great, great game. Only on the second assassination target and I've been playing as much as I can since Tuesday night or so. The levels are the type of level where you see a tiny little opening, or drainage pipe and think: "Man, now I need to figure out what's in there" because you never know what cool little "scene" you might find with dead bodies, or some helpful loot. Also I've only come across one weird bug, but I think it was mostly on me.

Take this where it comes from, an RPGer who isn't overly fond of adventure games to begin with...

Dishonored is one of the best, if not the best, adventure games I have ever played. The world is rich and full. It's consistent and tight (so far) with no glaring incongruous characters or events. It also FEELS very new, unique, and exciting. This alone is something as the entire genre seems to be, play like, unfold, like a clone of the last game. Not so with Dishonored. Don't want to spoil anything, but some of the quests (like say a fetch quest) are utterly unique in that not only do you need to ACTUALLY fetch your objective, but you also need to navigate the world while obviously carrying it, and without damaging/destroying it. Sounds tedious, maybe, but it's definitely not. The "new" powers are awesome, blink, possession, freeze time, etc. are amazing tools to work with and hella fun to play. A "realistic" weapon carry and inventory (ammo) system also make the action components challenging while not being overly difficult (i.e. no dying over and over and over again, if you're skilled). Like Skyrim, the same encounters can be played in multiple ways, from stealth to brutal murder. Objectives and objective markers are also very well employed. You know where something is, and your distance to that goal (say a house), but maybe not WHERE your target is within that house. You can eavesdrop and get that information, or barge in, kill, and snatch up that information, and so on. If you've watched any of the OEM trailers and they look fun, honestly, this game delivers on them, and more.

I am taking my time, having a ball. I am not going for pure non-lethal, but I do try and avoid a lot of combat. Quick save is your friend , since a few times I've misjudged badly and had a boatload of Overseers alerted

The game rewards patience and thoughtful gameplay. I had really been avoiding spoilers, so the I initially didn't realize that not hiding bodies reasonably carefully could trip you up. Heh. Although one guy I only knocked out and tucked in a corner by some furniture, and a little while later, when I was back in the area, I heard another patroller be all "What the hell are you doing sleeping here! Get up!"

As a fellow RPGer, I really appreciate this perspective, thanks! Almost sold then, but with one more important question to y'all:

As a more elderly gamer with poor reflexes, what chases me out of a lot of the adventure/action games is the need for quick and nimble controller use. From what I gather so far about the play options possible with this game, I'll be able to avoid the classic of quick-draw shootouts and twisty-jump escapes that I find most frustrating. True? Will this game be doable for someone like me?

I think so - I have been moving very slowly and carefully. It's not a run around and dash here and there type of game for me (although I imagine you could, if you wished, play it that way.) I like figuring out high paths, finding places to climb into and read journals and loot - it tells the story. I favor certain powers, and use the hot keys to swap them in and out quickly. Also - I quick save a lot, before I start a section, because if I am half way through and do something stupid, I often prefer to reload and try another option. The Overseer mission, with side-quests and exploration took me several hours.

Yeah, if your preffered playstyle is stealth then you will find it to be very methodical and slower paced. The combat part can be pretty hectic though. In the end this is litteraly a player paced game so you should have no problem finding a style that fits you

That's great to hear, thanks! Then I guess I'll be prying myself away from Skyrim for a while!

(The first reason I even thought about trying this game was my satisfaction with Bethesda's commercial entertainment products up to now.)

It's about revenge, I like it so much.

I don't see why not. I've rarely thus far encountered the need for that type of thing. On the few occasions it has come up (either because I chose to do something I could have avoided or screwed up and got spotted) the crossbow with sleep darts has quickly ended it without any trouble. And if it's really an issue, just make a beeline for the upgraded Bend Time power; with that you can completely stop time, shoot all the foes while time is stopped, and restart things again to watch them all fall. That'll take a bit to get to, as it's the most expensive power I've found, but for those situations it's a godsend.

Its great but my only complaint is the length of the game. I beat it in 9 hours and it was abundantly clear it could of been much better story and character wise with an extra 3-5 hours. Parts of the story felt a bit rushed and some characters could of used more fleshing out. They also hired an talented voice acting crew and I felt like some didn't have big enough rolls to warrant their hiring. With all that said I love the game. The stealth mechanics are solid and its great fun executing a well thought out plan. Combining your powers can make for some extremely satisfying kills.

I love the Slow Time shout in Skyrim, Bend Time sounds like even more fun!

I'm 13 hours into it and just came back from Kaldwin's Bridge. Depending upon how you play it may not be short.