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[zkylon]

I understand this game isn't about role playing, but why even put a chair there if it functions as a giant rock? It is just unnecessary. I had a similar problem with Deus Ex HR, where it seems the levels had an immense level of object detail and variety (especially the offices), but all of it was baked. The illusion was shattered the moment you accidentally bump into something or an explosion goes off.. and nothing happens to the stack of papers that were in the middle of the blast radius.

This is a stealth game? So take your pretty lighting system down a notch and introduce dynamic lights. Let me turn off generators to certain buildings so I can use darkness as a cover. Let me shoot out lights.

Why shouldn't I have expected any evolution from the Deus Ex 1 formula? Its not that I feel entitled, but this mixture of visuals and gameplay just isn't doing it for me anymore.. and I can't be the only one can I?
Minecraft is so immersive to me because it's game world is consistent in its rules. Even a text-adventure game is more immersive because it only communicates to me what I need to know and what is important to me. When game worlds become so visually dense and the game-design doesn't evolve along with the visuals it becomes more and more obvious to me as a player that I am simply being fooled by smoke and mirrors and walking through a pretty maze with some A,B,C choices.

If that chair was not there I wouldn't have been taken out of the experience. If I could have interacted with it I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Deus Ex 1 allowed me to pick up chairs, why couldn't Dishonored take it to the next level and use the chair as a way to distract or attack the guards?

If I could've closed my cell door after opening it I wouldn't have been left wondering 'why can't I close this?' (my in-game reasoning was that if I left it open it would attract the guards' attention, which doesn't seem too far fetched.)

Dishonored is technically an extremely well executed game, but I think the gameplay design is holding it back from its peers. As a stealth game it isn't anything new or daring, and as a FPS game with RPG elements it is severely handicapped and too streamlined.

Why do guards 'sleep' eternally? Why can I, after putting someone to sleep, pick up their body and toss them around infinitely with no fear of them waking up from my behaviour?These are all things that could have made the experience so much deeper.

I agree completely with the sentiment, but I think that may come from being inspired more by Thief and Bioshock than Deus Ex. I wish Dishonored took a couple more ideas from Deux Ex (consistency in object interactivity is one of them), but even if it is more DX:HR than DX, I'm so far very pleased with what I got.

I hope these quirks are changed in the inevitable sequel. Also, bird possession.

 

[epmode]

I have played Ultima Underworld 1, System Shock 1, 2, Thief Gold, Thief 2, Thief (Dark Shadows? on xbox..), all Deus Ex games, ...

Should it matter if I have played those? We are 2012, and can do so much more with our technology then just make things pretty. If I look forward to the next Deus Ex game it won't be for its storytelling, it will be for the sense of agency that its world gives me so I can get lost in it. Not being reminded that I'm playing a videogame.

The thing is, most of your complaints make sense and I can't really disagree with them, but none of it bothers me when playing the game. I mean, it would be fun to toss chairs around like a drunken Gordon Freeman. It might have even bothered me if it wasn't for everything else the game does so well*. The level design is leagues above almost everything from the last decade and the way they've crossed a genuine superhero game with Thief is fascinating.


*and hay, if I really need a distraction, there are always bottles lying around. I guess I'm fine with gamey conventions like that.

 

[RedSwirl]

Art direction is fantastic but textures suck on 360. Are they any better on PC?

 

[branny]

I feel like I'm playing RE6 reloading so much. :lol

This game is really good. Blink seems far more pivotal to the experience than I wanted it to be, but I don't mind because it's fun and super useful. I love all the areas so far, and the art direction is lovely.

 

[Ingueferroque]

The thing is, most of your complaints make sense and I can't really disagree with them, but I none of it bothers me when playing the game. I mean, it would be fun to toss chairs around like a drunken Gordon Freeman. It might have even bothered me if it wasn't for everything else the game does so well*. The level design is leagues above almost everything from the last decade and the way they've crossed a genuine superhero game into Thief is fascinating.


*and hay, if I really need a distraction, there are always bottles lying around. I guess I'm totally fine with gamey conventions like that.

Your post makes me a bit more excited to pick up Dishonored again tomorrow, I will try to just take it for what it is and enjoy it.

 

[RedSwirl]

Actually, how is Thief compared to all those other games?

 

[KingKong]

So why did they get such an expensive all-star voice cast for this game? Seems like a waste of resources to me and it wasn't even a big selling point (not that people would buy a game just because Chloe Grace Moretz is in it)

 

[epmode]

Actually, how is Thief compared to all those other games?

I'm glad you asked!

Thief and Thief 2 are two of the best games ever made. And they're still relevant, provided that you can get over the textures. Brilliant open-ended level design, lore, sound, music, everything. No fat, no bullshit, just pure stealth.

I'm ashamed to admit that I only played them for the first time within the last two years but you can take that as a testament to their longevity.

 

[phantomspiker]

Actually, how is Thief compared to all those other games?

Better.

But I really like stealth games more than RPGs...and the Thief games are amazing stealth games.

 

[Riposte]

Hard or Very Hard? My gut instinct tells me Very Hard.

 

[zkylon]

Actually, how is Thief compared to all those other games?

Better. Thief's sense of exploration might never be matched.

 

[phantomspiker]

Hard or Very Hard? My gut instinct tells me Very Hard.

I went with very hard and the difficulty feels just right.

 

[-tetsuo-]

Trash interactivity dies nothing for the game. New gameplay or some kind of revolution to the genre falls behind the need for strong gameplay and mission/level design.

 

[Derrick01]

Hard or Very Hard? My gut instinct tells me Very Hard.

Hard is a decent challenge but not what I would consider "hard". Try very hard.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

The atmosphere and art in this game is really something special.

 

[RedSwirl]

Better. Thief's sense of exploration might never be matched.

Stop it you guys.

 

[calder]

The rumble and clank of machinery in Thief 2 (I can still imagine the sounds during loading screens) is so vivid in my mind. The ominous tone the constant thrum of the Mechanists' devices generated as you sneaked into their bulidings was so damn effective to me, Ike a slowly building menace. Hmm now that my PC has proper 5.1 sound I should really replay that game.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I understand this game isn't about role playing, but why even put a chair there if it functions as a giant rock? It is just unnecessary. I had a similar problem with Deus Ex HR, where it seems the levels had an immense level of object detail and variety (especially the offices), but all of it was baked. The illusion was shattered the moment you accidentally bump into something or an explosion goes off.. and nothing happens to the stack of papers that were in the middle of the blast radius.

This is a stealth game? So take your pretty lighting system down a notch and introduce dynamic lights. Let me turn off generators to certain buildings so I can use darkness as a cover. Let me shoot out lights.

Why shouldn't I have expected any evolution from the Deus Ex 1 formula? Its not that I feel entitled, but this mixture of visuals and gameplay just isn't doing it for me anymore.. and I can't be the only one can I?
Minecraft is so immersive to me because it's game world is consistent in its rules. Even a text-adventure game is more immersive because it only communicates to me what I need to know and what is important to me. When game worlds become so visually dense and the game-design doesn't evolve along with the visuals it becomes more and more obvious to me as a player that I am simply being fooled by smoke and mirrors and walking through a pretty maze with some A,B,C choices.

If that chair was not there I wouldn't have been taken out of the experience. If I could have interacted with it I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Deus Ex 1 allowed me to pick up chairs, why couldn't Dishonored take it to the next level and use the chair as a way to distract or attack the guards?

If I could've closed my cell door after opening it I wouldn't have been left wondering 'why can't I close this?' (my in-game reasoning was that if I left it open it would attract the guards' attention, which doesn't seem too far fetched.)

Dishonored is technically an extremely well executed game, but I think the gameplay design is holding it back from its peers. As a stealth game it isn't anything new or daring, and as a FPS game with RPG elements it is severely handicapped and too streamlined.

Why do guards 'sleep' eternally? Why can I, after putting someone to sleep, pick up their body and toss them around infinitely with no fear of them waking up from my behaviour?These are all things that could have made the experience so much deeper.

Great critique. I completely agree with what you wrote here.

Static objects in the environment is particularly annoying to me.

I'm sure the developer did their best with the resources they had, but I often feel like I could deal with less pretty for a more dynamic environment.

With that said, I still love Dishonored and am having a blast.

 

[ironcreed]

Where in the hell is that rune in Dr. Galvani's office? I went to the top floor, but it looks like it is right behind the wall and I can't get to it.

 

[NoirVisage]

I'm burnt out on this game, i tried to get into it, but i've already treaded this ground and had more fun doing it with deus ex HR, traversal with blink was great though (Tangent: Next borderlands should have a character with a similar ability) but it looks like it'll take ages to find the runes to make things more interesting, love the look but this isn't the fun break from getting punked by Xcom that i'd hoped, glad i rented it.

So why did they get such an expensive all-star voice cast for this game? Seems like a waste of resources to me and it wasn't even a big selling point (not that people would buy a game just because Chloe Grace Moretz is in it)

Who does she play, i heard Brad Dourif (the legend) but can't recognize anyone else.

 

[Krappadizzle]

I understand this game isn't about role playing, but why even put a chair there if it functions as a giant rock? It is just unnecessary. I had a similar problem with Deus Ex HR, where it seems the levels had an immense level of object detail and variety (especially the offices), but all of it was baked. The illusion was shattered the moment you accidentally bump into something or an explosion goes off.. and nothing happens to the stack of papers that were in the middle of the blast radius.

This is a stealth game? So take your pretty lighting system down a notch and introduce dynamic lights. Let me turn off generators to certain buildings so I can use darkness as a cover. Let me shoot out lights.

Why shouldn't I have expected any evolution from the Deus Ex 1 formula? Its not that I feel entitled, but this mixture of visuals and gameplay just isn't doing it for me anymore.. and I can't be the only one can I?
Minecraft is so immersive to me because it's game world is consistent in its rules. Even a text-adventure game is more immersive because it only communicates to me what I need to know and what is important to me. When game worlds become so visually dense and the game-design doesn't evolve along with the visuals it becomes more and more obvious to me as a player that I am simply being fooled by smoke and mirrors and walking through a pretty maze with some A,B,C choices.

If that chair was not there I wouldn't have been taken out of the experience. If I could have interacted with it I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Deus Ex 1 allowed me to pick up chairs, why couldn't Dishonored take it to the next level and use the chair as a way to distract or attack the guards?

If I could've closed my cell door after opening it I wouldn't have been left wondering 'why can't I close this?' (my in-game reasoning was that if I left it open it would attract the guards' attention, which doesn't seem too far fetched.)

Dishonored is technically an extremely well executed game, but I think the gameplay design is holding it back from its peers. As a stealth game it isn't anything new or daring, and as a FPS game with RPG elements it is severely handicapped and too streamlined.

Why do guards 'sleep' eternally? Why can I, after putting someone to sleep, pick up their body and toss them around infinitely with no fear of them waking up from my behaviour?These are all things that could have made the experience so much deeper.

While I agree with the sentiment.

Where does it end, where is the line? If I see a building I should be able to smash a window and get in, and then go out a window on the opposite side of the room and continue to the next house, and then so on and do forth. My point being, if you start going down that route, you'll never have a finished product as you should be able to go on forever. Why can't I grab just a helmet off of a guard and throw that as a distraction, or the coins in my purse. Why can't I etc.

While I believe games will get there one day, it won't be for the foreseeable future and right now we must just make due with the conventions that are laid out in front of us and have fun with what is there, not be bothered with what isn't.

 

[xelios]

Where in the hell is that rune in Dr. Galvani's office? I went to the top floor, but it looks like it is right behind the wall and I can't get to it.

Spoiler

Look for a fake book on the bookshelf

 

[adamsapple]

Where in the hell is that rune in Dr. Galvani's office? I went to the top floor, but it looks like it is right behind the wall and I can't get to it.

Spoiler

did you do the mission where you open the library ? there's a false book in the library stand thing, you press on it and the bookshelf moves away revealing a small lab in the back

if you are where i think you are.

 

[ironcreed]

Spoiler

Look for a fake book on the bookshelf

Ah, should have been more observant. This one slipped by me. Thank you.

 

[GorillaJu]

Where in the hell is that rune in Dr. Galvani's office? I went to the top floor, but it looks like it is right behind the wall and I can't get to it.

Spoiler

false book in the book case.

 

[RedSwirl]

Pierro immediately comes off as an Otacon type of character to me.

 

[Jarmel]

Just finished the game on Hard doing a mostly Ghost run. Haven't done an 8 hour bender like this in awhile. Overall I'm very happy with the game but there are definitely some faults that pop up in the later half. Also the narrative is extremely predictable to the point where I easily guessed not only how but when the big twist was going to happen. The game feels very much like Bioshock Part Deux especially in the later half.

The problem with the later half is how inferior it feels to the first half. The settings aren't as interesting or vibrant. For example the color scheme or even atmosphere in general is much more dreary and constant throughout. While the first half had this as well, there was also sporadic moments that helped work as a change of pace. The pacing in general in the second half feels kinda wonky as one level in particular drags on for forever.

I also think the map designs took a hit in the later half for the sake of making the game hard. There seems to be less routes which takes away some of the fun of the first half. Blink is far and away the best ability quickly followed up by possession. None of the other abilities feel necessary or even wanted. There definitely feels like a power imbalance with the abilities. I wanted opportunities to use the other abilities but they never came up.

I also understand some of the complaints about the ending. There is definitely some hyperbole around it as there is no way in hell this is one of the worst endings in game history. Anyone saying this is full of shit and doesn't know what they're talking about. It does provide some closure but again feels kinda tacked on, somewhat similar to the Bioshock 1 endings although executed better.

 

[eyeless]

Are you sure read the statement after each mission I thought I didn't kill anyone in the mission and it said 1 casualty, I heard rats can kill people even when unconscious.

you can check your mission briefs in the main menu and they all have the 'didn't kill' check. other people have reported not getting it, seems to be a bug. really hope they patch it.

i'm about to start a lethal playthrough despite the lateness, can't help it.

 

[KingKong]

I'm burnt out on this game, i tried to get into it, but i've already treaded this ground and had more fun doing it with deus ex HR, traversal with blink was great though (Tangent: Next borderlands should have a character with a similar ability) but it looks like it'll take ages to find the runes to make things more interesting, love the look but this isn't the fun break from getting punked by Xcom that i'd hoped, glad i rented it.


Who does she play, i heard Brad Dourif (the legend) but can't recognize anyone else.

Shes the little girl

Theres also Carrie Fisher, Susan Saranden, Michael Madsen, Cercei from GoT, Roger from Mad Men. They must have all cost a pretty penny

 

[Parakeetman]

Hope someone develops a mod to stop bodies from disappearing.

Its interesting I had a trash bin that would always eat a third body when I threw it in there close the lid and came back later. The other two would be there. On occasion only one. I had experimented by reloading a save and doing it over and over again.

Seems that the game doesnt like it if you stack a bunch of bodies in the same container.

 

[NoirVisage]

Shes the little girl

Theres also Carrie Fisher, Susan Saranden, Michael Madsen, Cercei from GoT, Roger from Mad Men. They must have all cost a pretty penny

WTH.. they had to have, i only completed the first mission, freed martin and everyone including Brad Dourifs character has very little actually character, the voice actings there for the most part but the script is tepid.

 

[mik83kuu]

Doing my second playthrough on the hardest difficulty with a goal of no kills or alerts. First playthrough I

Spoiler

maxed Chaos, killed tons of people (even Samuel in the last mission) and got the grim ending.

Was hella fun and lasted 8 hours. Great game and I can't wait to get more

I wish games like this had an icon somewhere that shows if I haven't killed anyone or caused any alarms.

 

[sp3000]

While I agree with the sentiment.

Where does it end, where is the line? If I see a building I should be able to smash a window and get in, and then go out a window on the opposite side of the room and continue to the next house, and then so on and do forth. My point being, if you start going down that route, you'll never have a finished product as you should be able to go on forever. Why can't I grab just a helmet off of a guard and throw that as a distraction, or the coins in my purse. Why can't I etc.

While I believe games will get there one day, it won't be for the foreseeable future and right now we must just make due with the conventions that are laid out in front of us and have fun with what is there, not be bothered with what isn't.

You are missing the point. This isn't some future technology he is talking about. This was done in many previous games in last generation. It's sticking out because we have seen it so many times before in similar games and it's missing here.

Even Deus Ex from 2000 allowed you to pick up every object and throw it around. Same with Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and Thief 3. Notice these are all last generation games.

There isn't really a good reason why with current gen technology you shouldn't be able to play around with your environment.

 

[Salsa]

currently finishing the lady boyle mission. Calmly signing my name on the guest book as I make my way out after murdering pretty much everyone felt too badass for words.

It also made me realize that im probably gonna end up getting Hitman Absolution day 1

 

[Papercuts]

currently finishing the lady boyle mission. Calmly signing my name on the guest book as I make my way out after murdering pretty much everyone felt too badass for words.

It also made me realize that im probably gonna end up getting Hitman Absolution day 1

If Absolution comes anywhere close to as good as Blood Money I think I may cry.

 

[ii Stryker]

The ending differs depending on how you play through it and the NPC's you've killed/neutralized.

I really dig the song that rolls with the credits. Is it something that was specifically produced for the game because shazam gets nothing from it?

I also don't get the comparison between this and DXHR. I loathed that game and thought it was for too limiting in how you played. Dishonored does a much better job of balancing and encouraging both aggressive and stealthy play styles where DXHR played horribly if you played it aggressively.

 

[Derrick01]

The ending differs depending on how you play through it and the NPC's you've killed/neutralized.

I really dig the song that rolls with the credits. Is it something that was specifically produced for the game because shazam gets nothing from it?

I also don't get the comparison between this and DXHR. I loathed that game and thought it was for too limiting in how you played. Dishonored does a much better job of balancing and encouraging both aggressive and stealthy play styles where DXHR played horribly if you played it aggressively.

HR was also a pretty bad stealth game with terrible exploration and not challenging at all on the hardest difficulty. It's kind of an insult to compare Dishonored to it.

 

[dreamer3kx]

Hard to play stealth, you get spotted you get jumped by everyone in the area.

 

[Jarmel]

currently finishing the lady boyle mission. Calmly signing my name on the guest book as I make my way out after murdering pretty much everyone felt too badass for words.

It also made me realize that im probably gonna end up getting Hitman Absolution day 1

The Boyle mission is the best mission in the game. It's all downhill from there.

 

[-tetsuo-]

You are missing the point. This isn't some future technology he is talking about. This was done in many previous games in last generation. It's sticking out because we have seen it so many times before in similar games and it's missing here.

Even Deus Ex from 2000 allowed you to pick up every object and throw it around. Same with Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and Thief 3. Notice these are all last generation games.

There isn't really a good reason why with current gen technology you shouldn't be able to play around with your environment.

You are missing his point. If we could do all of this is deus ex, and it was in Dishonored, then people.would escalate and ask why the trash interactivity isn't even trashier now.

I guess there isn't a good reason why it isn't in the game, but there isn't a good reason for it to be in the game either. Besides people wanting to stack chairs, I guess.

 

[Salsa]

The Boyle mission is the best mission in the game. It's all downhill from there.

so far the first mission is still the best. The scope was unparalleled.

Lady boyle mission was basically the hitman bit of the game, and I enjoyed it, but it could have used more secondary objectives, for example.

 

[Derrick01]

You are missing his point. If we could do all of this is deus ex, and it was in Dishonored, then people.would escalate and ask why the trash interactivity isn't even trashier now.

I guess there isn't a good reason why it isn't in the game, but there isn't a good reason for it to be in the game either. Besides people wanting to stack chairs, I guess.

Stacking random junk because you think it might help you get to a higher area, and then it actually works, is one of gaming's greatest joys. Though in this game it's kind of negated by Blink.

 

[Jarmel]

so far the first mission is still the best. The scope was unparalleled.

Lady boyle mission was basically the hitman bit of the game, and I enjoyed it, but it could have used more secondary objectives, for example.

The atmosphere, alternate routes, pacing, and humor really make the Boyle mission stand out. Yes there were less secondary objectives but the Boyle mission was far and away the most fun.

 

[EatChildren]

Dishonored has its own specific and deliberate set of rules and mechanics and they work magnificently within the confines of game and level design built specifically around said rules and mechanics. I do not lament what Dishonored could be because, unlike Human Revolution's flaws (a game I still loved), what is there works incredibly well.

 

[TheExodu5]

Not sure how I feel about the game now. The first mission was great...but the second mission was just more of the same. All I really use is blink + stab...I don't see any reason to use much else so far.

 

[ii Stryker]

Hard to play stealth, you get spotted you get jumped by everyone in the area.

throw glasses or bottles to divert attention away from you. You can also use Blink, Possession and Stop Time(not slow time) to help avoid detection.

The Boyle mission is the best mission in the game. It's all downhill from there.

I thought the all missions were done really well but the Boyle mission was pretty good. One thing that kinda breaks that mission for me though was you can steal everyone of the NPC's money blatantly in front of other NPC's free from impunity.

 

[1stStrike]

Random bug I ran into while walking around... behold, the magical floating ammo!

 

[Jarmel]

Not sure how I feel about the game now. The first mission was great...but the second mission was just more of the same. All I really use is blink + stab...I don't see any reason to use much else so far.

Possession is really the only other truly useful skill.

I thought the all missions were done really well but the Boyle mission was pretty good. One thing that kinda breaks that mission for me though was you can steal everyone of the NPC's money blatantly in front of other NPC's free from impunity.

All the levels I thought were fine except for the Flooded level, it dragged on way way too long.

 

[TheExodu5]

Possession is really the only other truly useful skill.

Yeah I might go for that. I have level 1 already but it really doesn't let me do anything I couldn't otherwise...whenever I see a rat or fish nearby I just assume there's a tunnel and that's that. I'll usually end up stealing a key to get through anyways and possessing a rat suddenly doesn't sound as useful anymore.

Stop time level 2 seems like it'd be good as well...probably too good.

 

[ii Stryker]

Random bug I ran into while walking around... behold, the magical floating ammo!

The exact same thing happened to me in the exact same level on 360? lol