I feel as if I’ve beaten this horse to death already, but Dishonored is a great series. Games like Dark Souls or MGS have never really clicked for me because I’m less into challenging gameplay or deep mechanics and more into story-driven experiences. I’d rather do a walking simulator with dialog choices than how to kill a tough boss in an FPS.
But if I can get won over by a stealth-action FPS, I think that says something.
It’s not that Dishonored has an engrossing storyline. Each installment works off of a relatively similar plot without a ton of depth.
But the world is extremely unique and interesting. Not quite steam-punk, but something that’s its own thing. And Arkane manages to change up or add to the power sets in each installment to allow for unexpected and entertaining gaming encounters. The level design is second to none, incorporating various approaches or escapes.
Death of the Outsider continues the high bar of quality, despite a more limited power set and borrowing liberally from some elements of Dishonored 2.
Some tweaks have allowed the player to use skills more often and also face less consequences for blown stealth and more action.
While the game provides some closure, I was surprised that the door wasn’t shut as definitively as I was expecting. I doubt we’ll see another Dishonored anytime soon, but Arkane has at least managed to leave a tiny crack in the void for us to come back.
