Dishonored 2 – What We Want To See

• Tweet
• Pin It

• Tweet

Dishonored was one of 2012’s strongest new IP’s with many critics praising its art design and rich universe. However, not everyone was blown away. Main areas of criticism aimed towards the pacing, story and length. Our review claimed ” With an engaging storyline and a world that’s unpredictable and immersive – Dishonored is one sweet journey you’ll want to experience.”

With the positive critical response and solid sales, it would be more than likely if Arkane were to produce Dishonored 2. So, what could the sequel do to fulfill the true potential for one of the generations most intriguing IP’s?

More Freedom

Dishonored is one of the true examples of player freedom with most levels having scope for numerous approaches. At times it is overwhelming but at other times the game removes your freedom and forces you into a linear approach, squandering creativity. A level that comes to mind is the Flooded District where you almost have a set route to follow and it acts as a low point in the experience.

If the sequel were to have even more paths for every level then Dishonored 2 could truly achieve its sandbox title. Let the player have more than 4 or 5 choices per level, and persuade them to explore and scout out the level. Also, it would be great to see the branching options ranging further than killing-spree and Sam Fisher silence. By providing players with a plethora of options appealing to different play styles, Dishonored 2 could push the limits of the FPS and single player experience.

Greater Influence

When originally advertised, Arkhane pushed the idea of how your actions heavily affect the story. In practice, this concept reaches no further than having more rats and a slightly more depressing ending; it’s certainly nothing revolutionary.

Games like Mass Effect and Fallout show that gamers love to forge their own tale where they can see the results of their actions; it makes games more personal. By having a multi-branched story, Dishonored 2 would, much like our previous point, expand player freedom and create an involving experience where players would feel part of the world.

If they failed to kill a target then the target would live on and change the whole course of the game, say, by murdering your revolutionary leader. It could change not only the ending, but also the levels you experienced and characters you meet, much like the bigger storylines in Mass Effect or even Heavy Rain.

Better Story

As gamers we are rarely treated to a Booker Prize level narrative, but over the last couple of years games have started to broaden their stories; Batman Arkham City, Portal 2, The Walking Dead. So, with this in mind it was a bit of a shame to see quite a predictable and in places, dull storyline for Dishonored. It didn’t ruin the game, but after previews comparing Dishonored to Bioshock, we think many gamers were left slightly disgruntled.

The world was so rich and dense that an improved narrative would beautifully complement the game. The locales of Dishonored were fantastic and we hope to see them truly utilized next time, acting as the backdrops for an intriguing tale of crime and corruption that we couldn’t decipher in around two hours. Dishonored 2 could either take Corvo on another journey or even become a prequel, exploring the criminal underbelly of Dunwall under the reign of Empress Kaldwin.

Expanded Powers

One of the many pleasures of Dishonored is choosing which skill tree to expand; the choice is almost stress inducing. Do increase Blink and invest in Dark Vision to become the Sam Fisher of Dunwall or do I pair Wind Burst with the vicious Devouring Swarm? There was such great diversity and freedom in Dishonored’s powers that it urges players to play multiple times.

However, although we do not insinuate it, we wouldn’t want Arkane resting on its laurels. For Dishonored 2 we’d like to see an expanded plethora of powers, offering players even more choice. What about the inclusion of some classic fire/ice powers or even invisibility or invincibility? Ours may not be the most original ideas but with Arkane’s creative talent, we’re sure they can concoct another tree of power-inducing abilities.

Expanded Universe

We may have mentioned this a few times, but Dishonored’s world is incredible. Whether it be the settings, characters or even mysterious farewell letters, Arkane have forged one of this generations most imaginative worlds.

So, unsurprisingly, the real thing we’d like to see with Dishonored 2 is an expanded universe. It may mean making the game longer (which to be honest, should be another improvement we want to see) but Arkane have shown how much potential they have with Dunwall.

Although Bioshock 2 may have shown us that the power of surprise and wonderment can be dwindled slightly, there can surely be no disadvantage to exploring this world even more. We also think that Dishonored lends itself perfectly for a comic-book series or novel, taking on a different perspective or exploring the history of Dunwall. Either way, many gamers, including us, want more of Dishonored and Dunwall.

So what did you think of Dishonored and what do you want to see improved for the sequel, if you want a sequel that is! Let us know in the comments!

• Tweet
• Pin It