Dishonored: why you shouldn’t buy Arkane’s gorgeous sandbox

VG247: Dishonored finally arrives in Europe today, and a lot of people are going to buy it. Will you be among them? Or do you just hate fun?

[DestinyHeroDoomlord]

Good read.

[Mocat]

Maybe so, but i still think it's one hell of a game.

[lastdual]

As much as I'm looking forward to big titles like Halo 4 and AC3, I can't help but feel that those games are like cheeseburgers, and Dishonored is like a steak.

This is the real meat of gaming, and has reminded me why I love this hobby.

[knowyourstuff]

The complaints are a bit misguided. Ok cancel that, they're unbelievably stupid.

Really? The game is too short? 12 hours is twice as long as any first person shooter these days, and it all depends on your play style, so if your goal is to speed through it in 4-8 hours, you can't really complain that the game was too short. I'm glad it isn't padded with nonsense objectives like so many other games that will go unmentioned.

The game is too hard? Use your brain, the Call of Duties of the world have stifled your creativity with the same old mindless crap that doesn't challenge you to think, just twitch around corners taking pot shots with almost no skill involved. If you aren't creative or smart, you can only blame yourself.

This one really pissed me off - too different.
I almost shat myself, with all the complaining that goes on with games like Madden and Call of Duty, someone comes out with something original that no one has ever seen before and it gets pissed on for being not enough like every other piece of crap you played in your life. I think we can all conclude this "author" is so incredibly low brow, mouth breathing, slack jawed stupid you can hardly figure out who was dumb enough to hire them to run a half baked excuse for a website. Particularly one that approves articles that bash something great and different that comes out. I believe all the same complaints about this game were made about Bioshock from the same mouth breathers fishing for hits.

[xPhearR3dx]

@knowyourstuff

I think you should take the time to actually read the article. Those reasons were reasons found on the internet. VG247 went against those reasons and tried to conceive you (the reader) why those reasons are BS and you should buy the game. Title is misleading, but the article itself is a good read.

[BinaryMind]

I honestly don't think "too short" is a valid complaint for games. Just saying too short implies you were enjoying the game enough to want more. That's how I want all games to end. If I think a game is too short, I'll go for the optional missions or replay it. Most games these days pad out their games and get boring midway through all to avoid the criticism of "too short."

I watched a movie the other day that was 65 minutes long. You know what, I got a lot more out of that than most 2-3 hour movies.

The only way a game can thought of this way is if it's 3-4 hours long, no multiplayer, no optional stuff. In which case it should have been a downloadable title. It's not too short just overpriced. Any added content would likely drag down the game quality.

[schlanz]

Good read indeed.

People are going to misinterpret the article from the title... and not realize this is a shining endorsement to go and buy this game... unless you hate everything that makes games great.

[OhMyGandhi]

agreed.
also, this part of the article,"
A lot of big budget triple-A games are so afraid of you not playing them that they play themselves, or maybe play with themselves; certainly some of the single-player shooter campaigns seem to be pointlessly masturbating while you quietly follow the camera through corridors."

one of the best summarizations of this up and coming trend followed so closely by games like Resident Evil 6 and the like.

[Jaces]

So what if it's "too short", I'll be playing this one over and over and over. I haven't had an urge to platinum a game in a long time, and even if there were not trophies I'd still run through it multiple times.

I've never been so overwhelmed with the amount of choosing I have to do. Do I take this path or the rooftops, maybe a rat, hell lets head into the sewers, kill or let live.

It's hard to find any complaints IMO about this game thus far. Also, too difficult? Excellent, I'm down for a hard game.

[Pintheshadows]

I don't think it's too short at all. It's not the game's fault if someone blazes through it. That's their problem and I don't consider it to be a valid criticism.

With regards to difficulty, i'm playing on hard and it seems fine to me.

You could easily spend a couple of hours on each mission if you want to find everything this masterpiece has to offer. And it really is a masterpiece.

It's just people nitpicking for the sake of it. I can't believe some are saying it doesn't have any replay value.

[Jaces]

I haven't played through to the end yet so I can't comment on length but I've already put in a good 5 hours so I think I'll move well past the 12hr mark.

I've found it to be a bit difficult on how to approach enemies with what abilities and how to take out a group of 4 or 5 at a time even though running would be the logical choice...I can't back down from a fight, lol.

Goes to show you can't please everyone all the time so nitpickers are easy to dismiss, I'm just about to jump on again, love this game! Have to rid of the twins at the brothel, and I'm giddy with excitement to see what path I take in this endeavor.

[Rifkens]

I heard its not a sandbox

[SCW1982]

It's set up like Bioshock so it's freedom In a assigned space but its definetely not linear. I am on the 4th mission and I have sunk about 13 hours already. It's a amazing experience.

[uehc]

Each of the nine levels is a sandbox of its own. And they're packed with content. I spent a whole day on a single level yesterday, and boy haven't had this much fun with a game in a long time.

[ado908]

I don't have the game yet but plan on buying it soon but do you mean that the freedom is sort of like the witcher 2? You get assigned to one level to do missions but you get the option to look around and explore.

[floetry101]

It is VERY reminiscent of Bioshock and Deus Ex: HR, both of which I feel are some of the best this generation has to offer.

Very deep, exemplary level and art design, numerous takedown options, what's not to like?

In terms of The Witcher 2, it doesn't really remind me of it, but it's similar in the sense that you have an open area with all sorts of cool little objectives that you can do at your own pace, but again, it's much closer to Deus Ex.

[gaffyh]

It's not linear, but it's not a sandbox game like GTA or Skyrim. It's sort of split up into mini-sandboxes, but each of these is quite big.

[ado908]

Ahh I see what you're saying so basically a game like Dark Souls

[Xof]

No, it is an open sandbox.

The people you're hearing from (and, apparently, many of the people who have replied to your comment here on N4G) seem to be thinking that a "Sandbox" and an "open world" are the same thing. They are not.

Sandbox gameplay means being put into the game with freedom to act--to play as you like. You can kill things, you can not kill things. You can be stealthy, you can be oblivious. You can do sidequests, you can barrel through the main plot.

Open world gameplay means being put into the game with freedom to move--you go where you like. You can hike up a mountain, you can dive in a canyon. You can jump over rocks, you can crawl through tunnels. You can run straight to the next quest objective, you can turn around and run in the opposite direction.

Sandbox gameplay does not require open-world gameplay. And although most open world games emplay sandbox gameplay, they don't require it either. Many, in fact, do not--L.A. Noire would be a perfect example of a non-sandbox open world.

[jankur]

Everyone should buy it. its GOTY

[calibann]

Definitely. I cannot even begin to describe the amount of awesome moments I have lived through in this game. Just buy it, you won't be disappointed. The amount of freedom to complete levels is terrific, you create your own set pieces.

[Pintheshadows]

So there I was, off to a high society party. I'd taken in the extragance and blended in despite the fact I was carrying a heart around. I decided it was time to eat so I entered the kitchen where I was accosted by a guard. Outrageous I exclaimed! I stabbed him in his bitch face. Things then went a bit crazy. I wiped out the entire guard contigent with some civilian casualties thrown into the mix (every guest) and took out my mark. Before I left I signed my name in the guestbook. A guard outside said he hoped I enjoyed the party. I gave a wry smile and thought, 'yeah, it was the best high society ball EVER'.

[bumnut]

Its a good game, but not worthy of GOTY due to 90's textures.

[beerkeg]

The textures don't detract from it being an amazing game, and I think the art style more than makes up for it. It's certainly the best game I've played all year.

[Bimkoblerutso]

I get the feeling it's been a very, very long time since you've played an FPS from the 90's.

[TalesFromTheBud]

love the game but he does have a point... i felt like it was just a matter of needing more power than what my 360 has to offer. i like the style but some of the textures were blocky where i didn't think they needed to be... kinda looked like old school 16 bit color lol. anyway after being bothered by it for a minute or two i quickly forgot and continued loving the hell out of this game so no big deal imo.

[bumnut]

True the textures don't make the game bad, they just make the devs look lazy. GOTY needs to excel in all areas, not just gameplay.

I have the PC btw

[calibann]

I think it's time you bought a PC.

[schlanz]

I said that when I played Guild Wars 2. Then when I played Borderlands 2. Now that I just started this that old familiar feeling is coming back again...

GOTY!!

(until Assassin's Creed 3?)

[starchild]

Hell yeah. One of the best games I have played in a long time. Absolutely love it.

The textures aren't really detailed for the most part, but I really like the whole water color look of it. The lighting and effects are top notch. I think the game is beautiful overall. Most importantly, it is FUN!

[TheRacingX]

starting it this weekend cant wait...........

[AnarchistAbe]

I'm really glad the title was misleading. This game is fantastic, and deserves to sell very well!

[JasonXS12]

I finished the game in around 8 or so hours but I practically failed at being silent all the way through so I assassinated everyone. After each mission I realise my 'failness' at not finding all the charms or runes and paintings and when searching the internet, found so many other options I could've taken in order to finish the mission. My next playthough will definitely be a no kills, no detection run (or walk).

[Chuk5]

It's a good game.

But it's not totally clicking with me the way I thought it would.
That makes me a little sad, because I really want to love it and I only like.
I should have got xcom.

[cr33ping_death]

I tried not killing people in this my first time through..... but i couldn't resist!!!

[Pintheshadows]

I wanted to do the same but I got carried away with how awesome the swordplay is.

[cr33ping_death]

yeah, i killed one by accident..pressed the wrong button. once i got the taste of blood it was over for all the guards of Dunwall lol

[Captain Qwark 9]

you bought xcom instead like me......

[Chuk5]

I actually returned my dishonored, to get xcom.

[Captain Qwark 9]

im sure both are great but i get enough first person games in my life. xcom is so much different than most of what releases today. it was a no brainer for me, plus advanced wars was the last game i played like xcom. ive missed it lol

[Sketchy_Galore]

I didn't enjoy the game much myself at first since I spent hours trying to get out of that prison without killing anybody, which I was far too drunk to do and which just made me frustrated. When I decided to just go with the experience and accept my mistakes it improved a lot for me. Still though I'm going to restart the game over tonight since I usually like to have a bottle of wine and relax while playing a new game but this is definitely not a drinker's game. I'm gonna have to have my wits about me for this one.

My only real complaint is with the graphics. Don't get me wrong the design is stunning and at a certain distance it ll looks amazing but up close (and I'm not talking about mush your face into the wall up close, just in doors) it looks pretty damn poor. The textures are absolutely dire and I'd say it's technically speaking the worst looking full retail game I've played in a while.

[FragMnTagM]

You must be playing on console. On the PC, it looks great. I don't think it will win any awards for graphics, but they look good nonetheless.

[Bimkoblerutso]

Yeah, the art style makes up for a lot of the technical shortcomings. There are some muddy textures, but for the most part it looks pretty beautiful to me.

[StraightPath]

Do u only care about graphics? The actually game is really fun n graphics do the job.

[Sketchy_Galore]

Ugh, seriously? I said that the graphics were my "only real complaint". I'm loving the game so far, If I only cared about graphics I'd have said the game sucks because the graphics are bad. As it is I said that the distractingly muddy textures are my only complaint about a game I'm really enjoying. Please leave the overreaction to any criticism of the things you enjoy to the religious fanatics.

[Bathyj]

Yeah, its a perfect example of gameplay over graphics.

Everyones always claiming the former is more important than the latter, and in this case I think thats definitely true.

The graphics arent great, (the graphic style is though) so I wouldnt let that stop me from playing it.

[Psychotica]

Fantastic game. Though it makes me wonder how much better it would be if the entire game was a sandbox like GTA or AC.

[vallencer]

The game is closer to deus ex in feel and playability than anything else. Looks wise though its a lot like bioshock. Regardless it's an amazing experience an I'm enjoying the hell out of it.

[Pintheshadows]

Or Thief.

[molsen81]

It appears that the characters in the game are human. So why do bodies disappear when they're killed?

[MattyG]

There is an ability that causes unaware enemies to disappear when killed, so you don't have to hide a body.

[annus]

Rats eat them, they are a major part of the game.

Amazing game, to bad it was pretty short and doesn't really offer much re-playability.

[Rubberlegs]

The game is only short depending on how you play it. I've been playing mostly stealth going for non lethal knockouts and I'm at 10hrs and just got to the four mission. Also been trying to find most items too, lots of books to find and read about the history and characters.

You always have more then few ways to assassinate targets. You won't even have to kill them when go for the non lethal route by getting help someone else or getting a required item for it. This gives it a lot of replay value.

[annus]

I finished the game in 10 hours, playing fully stealth, apart from killing a few people throughout the game. I was in no means rushing it and 100% the first few levels. With that said, the game didn't have a single non enjoyable part.

[zeeman]

Got it today can't wait to. Get cracking just need to put PES2013 back in its cover for a bit

[MattyG]

One of the best games this gen, not sure why the PS3 verison has a user Metascore of 1.4 though haha

[jjb1981]

I'll wait til black friday

[kamakaz3md]

i get more annoyed everytime i come to this site, not for this game article in gerneral, but because people post stuff that doesnt even have to do with news these days on n4g or they are so negative towards anything! If theres 1 game at all there should be any negativity towards it would be the COD series...

[stuntman_mike]

awesome game i love the art style and the world they have created. also i love that it has proper stealth in it too (if you want to play that way). i also like how they have made it a morality decision game do you wanna kill everyone or go through the game just killing your main targets. also love the fact you can have a clean playthrough no deaths at all which i really like in these type of games (like the old splinter cells or hitman)and the way i prefer to play them.

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

Title is very misleading people. Read the article. This actually shoots down reasons people wouldn't buy the game.

[LordHiggens]

Love the game...too damn hard for me though. You would figure a supernatural assassin and former bodyguard to an Empress would be more...durable...right?

[Ramon3MR]

Fun article; was a good read.

[KaBaW]

Definitely a great game. I couldn't put it down when I first started playing.

[Fixlarz]

Too short? Every good game is.
Too hard? Good, I actually like the challenge.
Too different? Nah, change is good. It's always nice to pick up a title that's not a FPS.

Not gonna cancel my order based on these reasons, I still think it looks very good and I've heard that it's a very good sneaking game and I happen to love them.