Dishonored 2 PS4 Review: "A journey worth experiencing more than once."

Dishonored 2 PS4 Review

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Patch Version: 1.04 -- 

Dishonored 2 begins with a black and white cutscene detailing the Empress’ death at the hand of a paid assassin who stabbed her through the heart, this all having taken place fifteen years ago during the rat plague. It then jumps to the present, where we see Emily Kaldwin (the new Empress) making her way to her throne.  The day is one of sorrow; the day the anniversary of her mother’s murder. 

Along the way we meet your father, Corvo Attano, who also doubles as your royal protector.  We also learn that a murderer dubbed the Crownkiller has been slaying your political adversaries.  A fact that you and your father are being blamed for.

However, when an unexpected guest arrives requesting an urgent audience, things take a very dark and unforeseen turn…

You are then given a choice.  Do you play as Corvo or as Emily?  Dishonored 2 not giving you any indication or hint as to what the difference between them is say but a very short snippet of bio.  I selected Corvo, but I must admit I was very curious to see the difference, so I actually played both briefly up to a point to see what the differences were.

It seems both are exactly the same with one exception; the magical powers they eventually can wield.  (I will talk about this later)  But, suffice it to say, with the exception of one power that they both share, all the other powers are very different.  So depending on who you choose, your gameplay experience will most certainly be different.  Not only this, but the dialogue you hear and the interactions with NPC’s is also different, so from a story aspect it will also be a slightly different experience.

Returning to my Corvo save, I am tasked with my very first mission.  Escape the Palace via the secret Throne Room, but one of your guards, turned traitor, took your signet ring, which doubles as the key for said room. This becoming your first goal.  Claiming back your ring from the person who stole it: a task made easier having picked up the sword that was carelessly discarded having being taken from you.

However, it’s a little more complex than that.  You see, Dishonored 2 also allows you to complete key tasks it seems in multiple ways.  Your options in this case being three fold:   Kill him.  Knock him out or Lock him in the throne room.  As to what the long reaching consequences of my actions will be depending on the choices I make I do not know at this point, but, what I can tell you having played through this early section twice with both characters, on one occasion killing him, the other not, there were different dialogue lines played from certain NPC’s.  So your decisions it seems will definitely be reflected in the perspective of the story you witness as you play through it.

Having escaped the Palace through the Throne Room, where you also pick up a gun and your mask, which comes equipped with a monocular like device, Emily having a telescope of sorts instead, both allowing you to zoom in, your quest is then updated tasking you with meeting a captain of a nearby vessel, who it seems had come looking for you.   Making my way through the city is thwart with dangers though; all the loyal guards slain.  The ones that remain, make no mistake, will show you no quarter if they spot you.

On my first attempt I decide to fight my way through them.  Your left trigger firing your gun.  The right trigger allowing you to attack with your sword.  Holding the same buttone down will also perform a heavy attack, and pressing R1 will also perform a block or parry.  Timing is everything it seems when it comes to melee.  Dishonored 2 allowing you to perform rather brutal kills if you parry or block at the right time, then instantly perform a counter.

However, I am quickly overwhelmed by 4 guards, who slay me rather swiftly I have to say.  There behaviour is more advanced than typical enemies in games it seems.  They can dodge, and block your attacks.  But worryingly will swarm you.  There is no ‘polite’ manner in which they have at you, meaning you don’t get situations like:  “Good sir, you attack my comrade first whilst I stand off to the side twiddling my thumbs, then, when he is dead, I will then make my attack.”   This is something I hate in games, because it’s just not realistic and a total cop out. So on one hand I’m pleased that Dishonored 2 does not do this, but on the other it means combat is now or-so-more dangerous.

However, according to the difficulty I’m playing the game on, the enemies should not directly attack in numbers greater than two, so the fact they are disregarding that rule would suggest something is awry.  Regardless, it makes things more real, so I reload and try again.

My second attempt I decide to go the stealth style.  As in carefully approaching each guard and disposing of them silently.  Doing so is simple.  Approach unseen and you can either: press and hold R1 to render them unconscious while you drag them backwards, or press R2 to instantly kill them.  I do a mixture as I stealthily make my way to the harbour.  The bodies I drop on route I also pick up and hide along the way because the guards will react if they spot fallen kinsman and alert those within earshot.  Body management.  I love it!

Having dived into the ocean and swam to the boat, I board and meet the captain where I request we travel to the town where the Crownkiller has been most active in order to investigate and find out what is going on, but before arriving you meet a dark individual who bestows upon you the Outsiders Mark.  This giving you access to your magical powers. 

However, you can choose to not accept and play without them if you wish.  I guess for the challenge, and there’s an achievement it seems for completing the game with no powers, but I want powers so accept the mark and move on. 

As well as the powers you also pick up a half-organic / half-mechanical heart from this area, which, when held, allows you to see the location of Runes and Bonecharms.   (I will talk about these later)   You are then tasked with using your new found powers and the heart to reach your first rune.  I guess, had I have not opted to receive the Outsiders Mark, the route to the Rune would have be different.  Interesting…

Initial Impression

Dishonored 2 is diverse in many ways, from the character you choose to play as, how you choose to play and the decision you make at key moments.  There is a high replay factor here early on, which is rare, especially having only completed two of the chapters in my first 2hrs with the game.  So the fact I’m already itching to replay it to see how the story and my experience differs is surprising.

Graphically, the game has opted for a more cartoony approach rather than trying to wow you with realism; I’ve likened it to Bioshock Infinite in that regard, and in this case the style works and for the most part does not feel dated.  The levels so far have been well constructed and often there has been more than one route to my given objective, as well as multiple ways to complete an objective/mission, which is and has been very refreshing.   Audio wise it does not falter either; the sound effects and music fit well and are well done.

Combat is what you make of it, Dishonored 2 clearly favouring a more stealth-like approach opposed to an all-out assault that much obvious it would seem in the first two hours at least, whether this changes as you improve and advance we will have to see.   But right now, doing the latter more often than not will see you getting killed, at least that has been my experience so far.  Alerted combat quickly turning into spam fests because of the sheer amount of enemies that will rain down on you if you are careless in your approach.

Melee combat though is fun and shines when done so against one or two attackers.  A fact reinforced because the A.I. in Dishonored 2 is rather good and complex.  Not only will they dodge and parry your attacks, but they can counter you as well.  They can and will attack from range, and having witnessed one of their kinsman slain has a chance to trigger a flee, where they will run off and call for reinforcements unless you stop them.

The civilian populace is also something to watch out for.  Commit an act of skulduggery or violence within their line of sight and they too will flee and call in guards to investigate.   You can kill them too, but surely this is frowned upon, so it’s probably best to render them unconscious.  However, I am yet to see if there is a punishment for doing either.  Also, it’s not obvious that you can deal with them in a non-lethal manner, because there is no prompt when creeping up behind them like there is for enemies.  But, press that R1 (non-lethal) or R2 (lethal) button when close enough and it will do what you expect.

With regards to what you can do in combat, the system is actually rather complex, but at the same time simple once you get the hang of it.  A quick press of R2 will perform a swipe attack with your sword, and holding the same button down and releasing it will perform a heavy attack.  R1 will perform a block, and if your timing is right will parry their attack and throw your opponent off-balance.  If you then time your counter attack right, will subsequently perform a brutal finishing move or, if you are going for a non-lethal run, will grab them and knock them out.   All this being done with your ‘in-game’ right hand.

Your left hand is used to activate whatever it is you have assigned to it via a tried and tested wheel menu select system.  You can also setup and assign four things from the wheel menu to d-pad allocations, which allows you to quickly swap in game with no interruption.  In the early portion of the game, relating to combat, I have attained a pistol and a crossbow.  The crossbow having the ability to fire ammunition of varying kinds.

However, the fun really begins when you attain your Outsider's Mark, if you choose to accept it that is since you have the choice to turn it down and play without it.  Accepting it though will grant access to different magical powers depending on which character you choice to play as.  It would have been nice to know what these powers would have been at the point of choosing which character to play as, but you do gain access to them early on, and have the ability to create up to three different campaign playthroughs saves.  So if you are curious as to which you would prefer, you can simply start a new game and play up to the point where you attain them.  Still, it would have been far better to show the player more about each character at the point of choosing.

The powers themselves though are unique depending on your character, say but two of them.  Both characters having the power to see through walls to highlight threats.  It’s very much like eagle vision in that regard as used in the Assassin Creed’s franchise, with the added bonus in Dishonored 2 of showing the enemy’s direct line of sight, and also their patrol path when upgraded and things of interest.  The second is a power that lets you teleport to a set point.  Corvo warping to it, whereas Emily will pull herself to it.

The other powers are distinctly different though, all of which being upgradeable unlocking further attributes and abilities of that spell via the attainment of runes.  These runes are found in the world using an item you also collect early on, which is a half-organic / half-mechanical heart, which, when held, allows you to see the location of Runes in the world, as well as Bonecharms.  Bonescharms being equip-able items that heighten certain attributes and abilities, but some also have disadvantages as well, so reading them is important, but you can un-equip and re-equip them at will with no penalty.   And though you can only directly track one bone charm or rune at a time, you can cancel and select a new one whenever you wish.

Further to upgrading your powers, both characters also share an attribute tree which can likewise be upgraded using runes too.

The only other item, gear wise, I have unlocked is a device that allows me to zoom in.  Corvo being built into his mask, Emily’s a monocular device.

Though the game is linear, at least it appears it is from a story progression point of view, the manner you move through the world and the decisions you make at key moments is not.  There is often more than one way to reach and achieve your goal, the game even suggesting that the manner you play will affect how dark the ending will be.  So keeping a check on your body count is important.  Not only this, but Dishonored 2 also details a new plague of sorts in the form of blood flies.  The more you kill, the more bodies there are.  The more bodies there are, the more blood flies you will encounter. 

Furthermore, it also suggests that players who are more lethal in their approach will also impact and alter the disposition of NPCs you encounter making them more cynical.

It’s also worth mentioning that each chapter ends with a report card so to speak, which details your success and stats for said mission.  This shows you what you missed.  What you collected.  How you played etc… even giving you the option to replay it from the start.  However, right now I’m unsure if I can return to certain areas that you have completed to collect any items that I missed.  Given it’s a linear, I would hazard a guess I cannot, but I will update about this in the overall verdict section later.

Exploring the world is also advantageous and fruitful.  The game littered with newspapers articles, notes, audio graphs and books, all adding to the game's story and lore.  In some cases even unlocking optional side quest content too.  You cam also encounter NPC’s that can give optional side quests, so staying vigilant will be important, especially as they don’t auto trigger nor track unless you accept the mission from them.

As well as all this, you can also find coins and objects that are worth a set amount.  The spending of which is done at black markets where you can purchase gear and ammunition, among other interesting items including blueprints that can be used to upgrade your weapons and gear even further. 

The main in game menu, which you can access via the PS4 touch pad, gives you access to a whole heap of information.  Such as a mission menu, which also incorporates a separate tab that gives you hints if you choose to read them.  Your powers and their enhancements.  The Bonecharms, where you can equip/un-equip and also craft them.  Lore, maps and a travel log.  Interestingly, Dishonored 2 does not gift you a map for each area you frequent.   You have to locate them yourself in game if you choose, but so far I’ve not really needed a map.   But, once you have acquired a map, it is then always displayed in said menu for you to access whenever you wish.

In regards to your health and magical mana, both are tied to their own energy bars.  You can replenish health by either eating food found in the world, or via red health vials you find or buy.  Your magical mana is only rechargeable via vials of a solution called addermire, which you can also find in the world or likewise buy.  Your character it seems being able to carry at least 10 of each.  Though, your mana does recharge to a point, so managing it is important, and certain spells use more mana than others.

It should be pointed out that, depending on the difficulty you play as, a hell-of-lot about your gameplay experience will change.  You can view all this via the options menu in the gameplay menu and change it at any time.  There is also a custom setting further allowing you to tinker and set your own experience if you choose.

With regard to bugs, it’s not been riddled with them, but I have noted two very obvious ones.  Guards will often clip through doors before opening them, nothing major really, but the second issue is really bad.  Which is the audio will completely cut-out and stop in moments of decisions, but also when transitioning from certain moments and cutscenes.  This really detracts from the experience and it’s a shame.

However, at its heart, and where Dishonored 2 shines, is in its stealth and traversal mechanics.  Moving round the world is wonderful.  Let it be walking, running, sliding, climbing or swimming, or using magical powers, it all works and is implemented well.  You can even drop from great heights unharmed if you do so while directly above an enemy, if of course at the last moment you perform a kill or non-lethal take down.  You are also notified of enemy awareness with a subtle audio ding, and with an overhead indicator that builds up unless you hide.  It all just works so well.

One negative aspect though, was that it was hard at first to know the difference between being in stealth or not, but once you get used to the switch it’s obvious; the game making the edge of the screen subtly darker for one and your character holding their sword with a reverse grip kind of style for the second. This of course supplemented by entering into a slight crouch position.  You can also perform other actions in stealth such as pick pocketing.  Further to this, you can also peek over or lean around objects, not forgetting to mention peeping through keyholes.   If you played Thief, (another game I reviewed, which you can read here) you’ll be well versed in the mechanic.

So far, the two hours I have spent with Dishonored 2 has been very interesting and informative.  I look forward to carrying on and completing it for sure. I’m not only having fun, but the story is keeping me intrigued….

Initial Score after 2hrs of play

Full Playthrough Score after 28hrs of play

Overall Verdict

It’s exceptionally rare that I find a game worth playing through more than once.  Even games that I have thoroughly enjoyed still don't really ignite a flame that would spark such commitment.

So I was exceptionally surprised when I found myself wanting to experience Dishonored 2 for a second time having spent 17 hours completing it the first.  What's more, having completed the second playthrough in 10 hours, if I didn't have other games to review, I could easily see myself embarking on a third.

Why is this I hear you all asking?  Well, firstly, Dishonored 2 can be played from two different perspectives.  Emily's or Corvo's. Albeit the two perspectives are very slight and subtle. However, each character has different magical abilities. These abilities being very different say but two, but the way you play will definitely be different depending on who you choose because of these spells.

Further to this, Dishonored 2 has a system called: Chaos. This chaos system being affected by how you play; either aggressively or non-lethally.  Ultimately affecting the ending you witness, but also influencing certain aspects to the environment and the characters within them.

But it doesn't end there, because throughout the campaign's nine chapters there are several key missions that can be done in varying ways.  Not only this, but the outcome and decisions you make while completing theses missions can result in the overall ending being completely different.  One ending for a High Chaos playthrough and another for a Low.  But further to this the two endings can have varying elements within them too.  Whether those elements further change depending on your chaos rating I do not know, but if it does that would mean more permutations, and if those varying elements also influence one another, well... that's a hell-of-a-lot of variety!

What's more, in the latest version of Dishonored 2 there is an additional game plus mode that unlocks once you've completed it.  This was not shipped in the release build.  So if you're just picking up the game now, lucky you, because this mode really does make a difference to the value for money factor the product brings to the table.  Basically, this new game plus mode allows you to playthrough the game again from the start, at any difficulty and with no restrictions, but, and more importantly, carry over all the rune points you acquired in your first playthrough to add to the ones you will find in the second.  These runes are what you spend to unlock new spells and abilities.  You also get to carry over any blueprints you found too, which not only allows you to be able to purchase them if you choose as soon as you can afford them, but also, if you have found all in a particular set will unlock a set of gold master craft blueprints as well.

Not only this, but you also gain access to all the spells the game has to offer regardless of which character you choose. And for those wondering, yes...if you then start a third game plus playthrough you again get to carry over the combined runes and blueprints again from the first two playthroughs.  If I'm honest, it was this game plus mode that sold it for me. And I don't think a game could do more to entice and encourage you to experience it more than once.

However, it's not all a happy sunset.   The ending(s) I found to be... well... underwhelming.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m not talking about the content and the endings themselves, but the manner the ending(s) were told to me in. They felt short and in truth not really in keeping with the rest of the game.  Still, the journey in Dishonored 2 far outweighs this shortcoming.  Furthermore it was very interesting seeing how things varied based on how I played and the decisions I made along the way.  So the manner the ending was portrayed by no means spoilt the game for me.  I can't tell you more else I risk spoiling it, but some decisions you make will have massive implications not only to the ending, but the environments and the characters themselves!

In terms of bugs, they are there, as outlined in the early segment of this review, but nothing that interrupted my playthroughs to great degree.  However, among the issues were two crashes; though considering I played for a total of 28 hours, the occasional bug and the two crashes are nothing that should concern you.
However, one aspect that did annoy me, not to mention ruined the immersion factor at times, was that when ever a prompt came up asking if I was ready to continue, either to a new area or to end a chapter, all sounds would just end.  No fade.  Nothing.  Just an abrupt silence.  The sound would return afterwards, but considering the quality of everything else it was a real shame.

Another aspect I think it is important to advise you on is the importance of making use of the game’s quick save and quick load feature.  The latter of that sentence though being anything but quick.  It roughly took around 50 to 80 seconds, give or take to load a save.  But, if you are attempting a stealth/non-lethal approach, you will learn to save and save often that is for damn sure!  Though, if like me your first playthrough is a high chaos run, you won’t need the quick save feature.  I solely relied on the game's auto saving feature and rarely was I inconvenienced.

With this said, I would be remiss if I did not state that the two savings systems are independent of one another.  Meaning, a quick save will not overwrite your AutoSave, and an AutoSave will not overwrite your quick save.  Note this.  Remember this.  And save often else you'll frustrate yourself no end on a low chaos run, especially if it has been awhile since you did so.  But fear not, simply choose load and choose the last AutoSave and you'll be right back on track.  Still, the first time this happened to me I truly panicked as I thought I had lost a whole chapter!

Another important point to make is that even with two playthroughs done, I still did not have enough rune points to max out all spells and character abilities.  Which means that on your first playthrough it will be very important to plan how you wish to spend your points, especially as there is no way that I found to refund your runes and re-allocate them.

Speaking of spending rune points, Dishonored 2 also has a crafting system, though to use it you must spend rune points to unlock it.  You can also sink a lot of runes into this crafting tree too, which at first swayed me from doing so.  However, on my second playthrough I did decide to unlock it, and wow was it worth it.  It is extremely powerful when fully maxed out.   Not only can you use it to construct the bonecharms I mentioned earlier, but you can also craft bonecharms that can house between two, up to four traits. This in essence freeing up your valuable bonecharm slots for other charms.  You can also apply a single trait four times to the same charm, which is very powerful indeed.  Not only this, but if you can find whalebones, you can construct your own runes to spend as well!

Another aspect that you should also note is that there is no going back to previous chapters once you've completed them. So before leaving an area when prompted, be sure you are indeed ready. If you have not collected all the items you'll not get another chance unless you replay the whole level again.

I know what you're thinking at this point, how is the gameplay?  Well... it depends on how you approach the game.  Stealth in conjunction with your spells is amazing.  Let it me blinking your way from one spot and appearing in another; possessing the body of someone or something; creating a mirror of yourself as a distraction, or freezing time itself and manipulating the world at your leisure.  It all works beautifully and as a stealth game it is by far the best I have played thus far.

If you decide to take a more lethal approach, never fear, this can be just as rewarding. The combat takedowns in and out of combat are brutal.  Let it me sliding into them or creeping up behind.  The sword play is also impressive.  You can parry, lunge and swipe to your heart’s content.  No stamina bar to monitor here!  However, your enemies can equally do this and dodge to boot, but if you have the ammo, or equipment, you can lay waste to them in varying manners albeit loudly.  This of course all in conjunction with your spells and abilities.  You even can unlock the ability to parry multiple incoming projectiles.  It feels really fluid.  The only time it falters though is when you are fighting more than 2 enemies at once.  Then it becomes a tad spammy.   So for the best experience try and only fight two or less when they are alerted.

Speaking of combat, the game has a vast array of archetypes, however, in most cases say but the witches and the robots, most enemies are just re-skinned versions of themselves, some of the models are different of course, but they all draw from practically the same behavioural tree, or at least it seems as such.  This governing how they search and fight.

The story is interesting in the sense that depending on how you play, the experience will be different.  I loved this.  And it truly works.  The overarching premise of the story though remains the same regardless, it’s nothing special, there’s no twists, but the story is clear and at no point are you confused as to what your goal is.

The graphics as stated earlier in this review are stylised in the sense that they went for a more cartoony approach, but it works for the game.  The only aspect that lets it down is the backdrops, which at times look really low-res and don't really fit, but this is perhaps me just being a little nitpicky. Still, it jumped out at me and was something I disliked, but on the whole the game did look nice, and there are moments where you just lose yourself in the style.

In terms of level design, they are very well done indeed.  Some levels even morphing before your very eyes and changing how you traverse through them!  I won’t explain how, as I feel it will spoil it for you, but needless to say it’s beautifully executed and exceptional smart.   Furthermore, not only is each chapter different in look and feel, but there are multiple paths to complete certain objectives.  Not forgetting to mention puzzles to solve; some that are basic and simple like reading notes you’ve picked up and fathoming the code for safes, to truly mind bending puzzles, but even they have clever mechanics in place that will help you solve them.

In summary, Dishonored 2 is a game that should appeal to every style of 1st person gamer, regardless of having played the first one or not.  At it's heart is a story that will see you traverse a rich and varied world, where your actions and decisions will have a direct impact on what you see, hear and experience. The gameplay is solid.  The features well implemented, and if replay value is one of the most important aspects you look for in a game then look no further.  This is a game that was clearly designed to be played more than once.  And with the addition of the game plus mode, this fact could not be any more truer.  If you've been waiting for the price to drop, or been on the fence, then trust me, it will not disappoint.

Pros:

• Replay factor is extremely high
• Your actions and decisions have real impact on the story, the characters and the environment.
• Multiple ways to complete objectives and missions
• In Depth spell and abilities skill trees
• Solid gameplay as a stealth title with plenty of features to support it
• Equally impressive gameplay if you choose a more lethal approach

Cons:

• Combat against more than two adversaries can be button spammy
• Graphical backdrops look low-res and out of place at times
• Audio completely drops out whenever a decision prompt to leave a zone pops up

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Dishonored 2: PS4 Gameplay

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