Test: Dishonored 2: stealth with sass

I hate stealth games.

I get flustered every time I’m detected by a guard in Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. I resort to a guns-blazing approach to Metal Gear Solid V. Stealth in video games is reserved for the patient and the skilled.

Dishonored’s sandbox approach to stealth flipped the genre on its head for a generation of quick-and-easy Call of Duty gamers. Stealth became not only fun, but faster and more creative, too. Because of its level designs, Dishonored was not a truly open-world sandbox game, but it gave players the most creative and gameplay control a game of its age could muster.

Dishonored 2 shares in its predecessor’s glory which makes it a sequel worthy of being called one. It exudes the same spirit Dishonored had, but offers just enough technological advancements to differentiate itself as one of 2016’s best games.

Play as either Corvo Attano or Emily Kaldwin. Set 15 years after the original game, Dishonored 2’s biggest draw is the option of playing either the original protagonist Royal Protector Corvo Attano or his daughter Empress Emily Kaldwin. Unlike Grand Theft Auto V’s switch-anytime­ approach to multiple protagonists, Dishonored 2 will have you pick between the two before any real action starts. You’ll have to play as your chosen character for the whole game.

Revenge is in the air once again. Much like the first game, Dishonored 2 will have you stripped of your regal titles. Delilah, an immortal witch who claims to be Emily Kaldwin’s aunt, has come to usurp the throne. She takes the palace and captures the character you didn’t choose. Barely escaping, you make your way to the coastal city of Karnaca and expose the political conspiracy that gave Delilah the throne. Once again, you’re assisted by the mysterious Outsider, a deity-like figure who grants you supernatural powers. Narratively, it makes more sense to pick Emily over Corvo. Even if the narrative stays the same either way, a Corvo-led story is just a reenactment of the last game’s rescue the princess (now empress) story.

Stealth master or master assassin? Choosing one character over the other offers no strategic advantages, however. Besides different dialogues, they each have different skillsets for sneaking and assassinating. Corvo uses mostly the same kit he had in the first game including the short-burst teleport ability called Blink. Emily, meanwhile, has a different but still badass set of skills. For example, instead of Blink, Emily uses Far Reach, a grappling gun type of skill that propels either her across distances or other objects/enemies towards her. Because of Corvo’s Stop Time and Possession abilities, he can be more geared towards stealthier approaches. Realistically, however, both skillsets provide ample opportunities for Low or High Chaos modes.

Make the choice. The Low or High Chaos system returns from the original game. Killing too many people will plunge the world into High Chaos. Versus a Low Chaos world, a High Chaos world will have more bloodflies that nibble away at your health and slightly more guards. The two world states don’t drastically reduce or heighten the game’s difficulty, but each approach can affect your ultimate ending.

Playground, not sandbox. Dishonored 2 isn’t an open world sandbox game. I’d rather liken it to a playground. You can’t explore everything but the levels are so well-designed that you can approach your mission in a multitude of ways. Dishonored 2’s nonlinear structure opens up passages from the side, from below, and even from above. Exploring the entire map and deducing paths can even open interesting mission endings. You might even have an option to “save” a target rather than assassinating her. There’s even a mission wherein you can travel back in time and affect the future. Dishonored 2’s level designs offer surprises with every level.

Adaptive AI. Despite some bugs, Dishonored 2’s AI adds to the game’s challenge. Even at normal difficulty levels, the AI adapts and perceives immediately according to your actions. Knock over a bucket? “What was that?” Kill one of their comrades? “I swear, someone was here a second ago.” Enemies don’t mechanically get harder as the levels progress. Instead, the level design works against you. You might be faced with a patrol that covers itself from all angles, guards with the ability to teleport, or mechanized robots with limited weak spots.

All-star cast. Due to the writing, Dishonored 2 doesn’t have the most notable voice performances. The names attached to it, however, are surprising in their fame. The game features the voices of Stephen Russell (Thief), Erica Luttrell (Steven Universe), Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil), Rosario Dawson (Luke Cage), Sam Rockwell (Moon), and Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham).

Prepare the future. There are unannounced DLCs already in the works. It has also been confirmed that the game will have a New Game Plus mode in the future. The game’s PC version will also receive much-needed patches for optimization.

VERDICT
Dishonored 2 deserves the “2” affixed to its name. It’s a sequel that lives up to its name. While it doesn’t quite reach the grandeur its predecessor achieved, it’s still a game that belongs among 2016’s best.