Dishonored is a first-person stealth action video game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released from October 9 to October 12, 2012 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The first game contains two DLC packs - The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches. The second game, Dishonored 2, was released on November 11, 2016. The third game is titled Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and is technically an expansion pack to the 2nd game. It was released on September 15, 2017.
Dishonored has won numerous awards, including Game of the Year when it was released in 2012.
Set in the plague-ravaged city of Dunwall, Dishonored follows the story of Corvo Attano, the last bodyguard to Empress Jessamine Kaldwin. Framed for her murder and the abduction of her daughter, Emily, Corvo is falsely imprisoned by the Empress' Royal Spymaster and usurper, Hiram Burrows.
Six months later, on the eve of his execution, Corvo escapes confinement with the help of a shadowy group of loyalists who seek to eliminate those involved in the assassination of the Empress and restore Emily to the throne. He is further assisted by an enigmatic god called the Outsider, who grants him Supernatural Abilities for reasons equally mysterious.
Corvo takes on the role of a feared and infamous assassin as he pursues members of the coup one by one - but whether he is out for justice or revenge is another question. Dishonored features multiple endings, which are dependent on Corvo's actions and player choice throughout the course of the game.
The focus of Dishonored is on affecting the world and the narrative primarily through Corvo's actions, and how he accomplishes each of his missions. Corvo has an extensive variety of weapons at his disposal, as well as an array of supernatural abilities. Corvo can choose whether to sneak through his environments without being detected, or wreck havoc on his enemies in broad daylight.
Dishonored runs on what's called a chaos system, which tracks the number of kills and chaos that Corvo has done during missions. If he has committed more crimes and caused more deaths, the game environment reacts accordingly, changing character's dialogue and modifying the levels to make them more difficult.
Each of the world's environments focuses on verticality, enabling the player to experience the entirety of a level from sewer systems and waterways to rooftops. Players can use Corvo's free-running expertise to scale buildings, slide under obstacles, and sprint across platforms, with certain supernatural abilities further augmenting his movements. Many areas are open to exploration; hidden rewards and experiences await for more adventurous players to find.
This chaos system continues into the DLC as well as Dishonored 2. Death of the Outsider does not have the chaos system.
There are a variety of different missions that take place in the Dishonored world and most of them are centered on assassinating (or otherwise eliminating) a certain target. Detours may be taken along the way to discover secrets and rewards.
| Mission | Character | Game |
|---|---|---|
| Returning Home | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| Dishonored | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| High Overseer Campbell | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| House of Pleasure | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| The Royal Physician | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| Lady Boyle's Last Party | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| Return to the Tower | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| The Flooded District | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| The Loyalists | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| The Light at the End | Corvo Attano | Dishonored |
| None Like Her | Daud | The Knife of Dunwall |
| A Captain of Industry | Daud | The Knife of Dunwall |
| Eminent Domain | Daud | The Knife of Dunwall |
| The Surge | Daud | The Knife of Dunwall |
| Choosing Your Mark | Daud | The Brigmore Witches |
| A Stay of Execution for Lizzy | Daud | The Brigmore Witches |
| The Dead Eels | Daud | The Brigmore Witches |
| Delilah's Masterwork | Daud | The Brigmore Witches |
| Memories of Training | Emily Kaldwin | Dishonored 2 |
| A Long Day in Dunwall | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| Edge of the World | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| The Good Doctor | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| The Clockwork Mansion | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| The Royal Conservatory | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| The Dust District | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| A Crack in the Slab | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| The Grand Palace | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| Death to the Empress | Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano | Dishonored 2 |
| One Last Fight | Billie Lurk | Death of the Outsider |
| Follow the Ink | Billie Lurk | Death of the Outsider |
| The Bank Job | Billie Lurk | Death of the Outsider |
| The Stolen Archive | Billie Lurk | Death of the Outsider |
| A Hole in the World | Billie Lurk | Death of the Outsider |