Posted by Gary Steinman on Bethesda
Empress Emily Kaldwin or Royal Protector Corvo Attano? Violent and chaotic, ghost-like and non-lethal – or perhaps something in-between? Dishonored 2 is all about empowering you to make your own choices. But it’s not just about which character you play as, or what you do during your time in Karnaca. Dishonored 2 also delivers when it comes to the missions themselves.
“We wanted to do classic Dishonored missions where it’s a highly defended location, it has its own character, it has its own nature, and you’re going after a high-value target,” says Creative Director Harvey Smith “But we also wanted to give them some sort of epic theming, either fictionally or game-mechanically, so that it created a completely memorable space to move around in.”
Take the Dust District, for example. Not only do you have to contend with randomly occurring windstorms, which obscure the field of vision for your enemies and yourself. But you also have twopossible targets – with the choice to pursue either one, and the option to finish the mission with a lethal or non-lethal approach as well. In the Clockwork Mansion, players must puzzle their way through a house where they can literally change the configuration of the rooms – and even move through the space between the walls. Crack in the Slab lets players travel between two time periods, switching back and forth at will, in order to reach their goal. And other missions, like the Royal Conservatory, offer players a deeper view into the alt-Victorian world on display in the Empire of the Isle.
Like the original Dishonored, you can choose your where to go, and how to get there. “Given that in one playthrough of Dishonored 2 you probably see 20 percent of the game, it feels to us like no two players will have exactly the same path,” Smith says. And now, with Dishonored 2’s themed missions, you have so many other options as well. “We’ve put so much effort into having so many things to do – so many ways to do things, so many choices – I would like the player to feel like the possibilities are endless,” says Lead Level Designer Christophe Carrier.
Check out our new video (above) for an inside look at the themed missions in Dishonored 2, with exclusive commentary straight from the team at Arkane Studios.
For more on Dishonored 2, check out these videos and features:
Dishonored 2 – Creating Karnaca
Dishonored 2 – Daring Escapes Gameplay Video
Dishonored 2 – The Evolution of Emily & Corvo
Dishonored 2 – Character Art Gallery
