This article contains major spoilers for the video game Dishonored and it's sequel Dishonored 2, read at your own risk
The sequel to the popular stealth assassin game Dishonored came out in November, and while it's release was peppered with performance issues on the PC. There is still a whole lot to love about this game.
The Story
The story of this game takes place fifteen years after the events of the first game, the rat plague is a thing of the past but there are new things to worry about as Empress Emily Kaldwin, the daughter of Corvo Attano. There is a local killer who is going around murdering your enemies and everyone thinks you and your father are behind it, but it's all part of a larger plot to steal your throne right out from under you. There were people who weren't quite fans of the story to this game, saying that it didn't stand out or that it was rather lacking but I find so much charm in the story, especially the focus on the mystery of who or what the "Crown Killer" is, It's almost like it was borrowed from an episode of Gotham (And that isn't a bad thing) It's a cozy story that launches you into a bigger world once it starts to unravel and you fit more of the puzzle together, finding out who was behind the murders and who set you up.
The Characters
Dishonored has always had a fantastic set of characters that you interact with in the world, now baring in mind that this isn't exactly an RPG game and you don't have full fledged one on one conversations with your mates the same way you would in Mass Effect or Dragon Age, There is still a lot of personality to be gleaned from even the smallest interactions in this game, There is the eccentric Kirin Jindosh, the mysterious Megan Foster and some recognizable faces such as Anton Sokolov.
Emily Kaldwin
We first meet Emily in Dishonored (Voiced by Chloe Moretz) as the child of Empress Jessamine who is assassinated right in front of her ten year old daughter, Emily becomes a pawn for political power and Corvo is tasked with rescuing her and bringing the rightful heir to the thrown to safety.
Having Emily as a playable character is extremely fun because it was always something that many wondered about, what would playing as Emily be like? What kind of person would Emily grow into? It turns out she takes after her father Corvo a whole lot, being trained in the arts of assassination, stealth and much more, these skills come in handy when Emily's entire life turns upside down.
A wonderful performance by Erica Luttrell brings this character to life and easily makes her one of the best video game protagonists in a very long time.
Voiced Protagonist
The original dishonored had your character as a silent protagonist throughout the entire game but it's successor decided to give a voice to Corvo and his daughter Emily, The games protagonist is based on choice but Emily Kaldwin is the accepted and promoted protagonist of the game and it's story, It's incredibly nice to hear what the character is thinking throughout the adventures they are having, And the lines even change based on how you play the game and what you decide to do, If you decide to become a brutal killer in high chaos mode your character becomes more cynical and violent with what they say.
Brilliant voice acting by Erica Luttrell and Stephen Russel (of Thief fame) bring these lines to life and make the experience feel that much more authentic.
The Outsider
The Outsider is back and better than ever with a redesigned look and a new air of mystery about him, The Outsider is a fan favorite character from the original game - a God that grants you powers and watches from another world known as The Void as you make decisions that may shape the world around you for many years to come. He comes to you again and offers you powers to fight against those who have made you powerless.
In this game he has a much larger part and much more interesting things to say not just about the world around you, but about the choices you are making in your quest to "Take Back Whats Yours", originally portrayed in the first game by actor Billy Lush, The Outsider was recast for the second game with Robin Lord Taylor of Gotham fame delivering lines that draw you in and make you want to listen to every single word. (Hey, you don't want to make Penguin mad. Do you?)
The Outsider's new look and voice is just part of what makes this character ten times more cool in this sequel, He has new animations and paces, moving while speaking to you instead of merely standing still and crossing his arms disapprovingly as he did in the first game, It adds an air of personality to the character - They also opted to remove the otherworldly smoke that surrounded him in the first game and replaced it with an intriguing animation of him disappearing and reappearing in what appear to be pieces of The Void's sharp jagged and black rocks.
Actor Robin Lord Taylor brings new life to this character with The Outsider's monoluges about characters within the world, the stories of places near and far and his reactions to your part in all of this and even his own origin story.
Beautiful Scenery
The first Dishonored took place in the run down rat invested parts of Dunwall City, many of the areas you would go to were broken or destroyed altogether but there was still a really beautiful charm about the way the game looked - While it gave off a slight steampunk feel, This game takes it up to about eleven with the beautiful city of Karnaca, A lovely city full of brightness, steampunk themes and whale carcasses... Not to mention horrible infestations of Bloodflys, a new kind of pest that wants to eat everything you love.
The colors and vibrancy of Karnaca are a wonderful contrast to Dunwall from the first game, Karnaca is a great place to explore and sight see (Provided you've knocked out or killed all the guards first!)
Every single mission has something beautiful about it's scenery whether it takes place in beautiful mansions or run down derelict buildings or dusty parts of town that look as though they haven't had visitors in a very long time, There were times when it became more about looking around the city than finishing a certain mission.
New Powers
Speaking of powers, There are new powers and new ways to use them as you play through the game - Emily gets a ton of awesome and completely original powers that aren't only cool but practical, Her elastic far reach lets her grab onto ledges and pull herself towards them, her domino effect lets you connect the fates of several NPCs so that if one is harmed, they all suffer the same, As Corvo you reuse the powers that became so familiar from the first game, Blinking your way through crowds of people and onto the windowsills of buildings, summoning rats to eat your foes and possessing anything with a pulse, Now upgrades let you buy powers with Runes and upgrade them to have different and more powerful effects.
One of the best powers belongs to Emily, It's called Shadow Walk and when you activate the power it turns you into a disturbing twisted and shadow monster and you can use that to your advantage as you skulk through alleys and hallways tearing your foes apart with your shadowy tendrils
Exciting New Missions
There are extremely frustrating missions, and there are extremely fun missions. Dishonored 2 has a mix of both of these and a new fantastic innovative way of approaching missions, Two of the best examples of this new innovation are seen within the Kirin Jindosh mission, The Clockwork Mansion - fighting against clockwork soldiers in his home that constantly changes with the pull of a lever and the Aramis Stilton mission, A Crack in The Slab - in which you are stripped of your powers and have only the aide of The Outsider's helpful Timepiece that lets you travel between two times and change things in the past to help you in the present.
To get through the missions in Dishonored 2 you have many choices, you can choose brute force and violence or you can opt for a more stealthy way of playing, The way you play through your missions changes your overall chaos level and alters the way the game reacts to you.
Delilah Copperspoon
Delilah Copperspoon was first introduced in a DLC (Downloadable Content) for the first Dishonored game called Witches of Brigmore Manor - in which the Assassin Daud (Who was responsible for the murder of Jessamine Kaldwin and who had his story told in the first DLC: Knife of Dunwall) Investigates a witch and her coven who seem to have a very dark plan for young Emily Kaldwin
She is ultimately defeated by Daud but comes back with a vengeance for blood and a thirst for the throne that nobody can stop, She's powerful, she's dark and she is completely ruthless. Her coven of witches helping her and her statues watching you from all around. This is one witch you don't want to mess with.
With all the fantastic scenery, characters and some of the best missions I've played in a video game for a very long time and with some of the best music, Dishonored 2 is definitely a game I recommend to anyone who is willing to part with 60$
So what are you waiting for? The game was released in November! Go take back whats yours already.