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Dishonored 2 - All News

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Box Art

Monday - January 22, 2024

Dishonored 2 - Retrospective Review

by Hiddenx, 16:36

Mortismal Gaming looks back at Dishonored 2:

Dishonored 2 - Review After 100%

Thanks Couchpotato!

Saturday - January 20, 2018

Dishonored 2 - Levels

by Hiddenx, 23:48

PCGamesN thinks levels are still fun:

Dishonored shows that developers should still be building levels and not just worlds

For a long time, levels were the standard delivery format for videogames - discrete chunks of action, exploration, and storytelling that together formed a whole. Look at the best-selling games of 2017, though, and you will discover that is no longer the norm. Destiny 2 spreads its events throughout sprawling planetary hubs. Ghost Recon: Wildlands dots its missions across 11 biomes and 656 kilometres of continuous road.

PC gaming has been transformed by the rise of open-world streaming technology and its accessibility in the form of contemporary platforms like Unreal Engine 4. In tandem, triple-A developers have perfected a design methodology that emphasises quick, repeatable gameplay loops and percentage completion trackers - in other words, stuff that keeps you hooked in both the short and long-term. This is what devs refer to as ‘player retention’, and it is not hard to see the appeal in a market undercut by trade-in sales.

Nothing is fundamentally wrong with any of that. Most of us are in favour of triple-A games continuing to exist, and nobody who has played The Witcher 3 or Watch Dogs 2 would argue against the value of open worlds. But there is still something special about the level, isn’t there?

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Friday - November 10, 2017

Dishonored 2 - New Patch fixes framerate

by Silver, 22:43

@DSOGaming A new patch for Dishonored 2 brings UI optimization and fixes framerate hitching.

Dishonored 2 Update 5 Release Notes:

PC ONLY

  • Fixed various UI crashes
  • UI optimization
  • Fixed a bug when ALT-TAB on Windows 10 RS3 causes issues.
  • Added Dishonored: Death of the Outsider link to Steam page on main menu
  • Fixed a bug where creating new user name with the special Russian ? character is giving "insufficient storage" message when starting a new game on Windows 10.
  • Fixed a bug where AMD Eyefinity and nVidia Surround causes difficulty navigating to some UI elements with mouse.
  • Fixed a bug where framerate sometimes drops heavily during a short time when switching equipment especially while moving
  • Fixed a bug where game can stay stuck on the loading screen before the main menu when plugging a screen on an integrated chipset instead of the video card.

GENERAL

  • Fixed a bug where keyhole Peek prompt produces inconsistent muffling of sound for the player
  • Fixed an audio bug where position and orientation were wrong in keyhole peeking

Saturday - October 07, 2017

Dishonored 2 - Review

by Silver, 12:54

Shamus Young has reviewed Dishonored 2 over on his blog.

I had a strange relationship with the original Dishonored. The game left me feeling empty and indifferent. There weren't any huge problems with it. Sure, I had a small list of nitpicks. (The intro was too perfunctory to set up the drama, the outsider was BORING, and powers were designed so that having fun was at odds with what the player wanted to be doing within the story.) But I don't think any of those problems were great sins. It was basically fine. I was never able to articulate why the game left me feeling cold, which is annoying since that's my job.

Technically, I should love this series. A 451 style game? That's my jam. Victorian steampunk with a splash of magic? I love that so much I wrote a novel in that style. Colorful art style that doesn't aim for phtorealism? I'd been harping about the need for more of that for almost a decade. Silent protagonist? I'm like, one of the last people on Earth that's still into those.

The voice acting was stellar[1], the environments looked great, and the gameplay was varied. It's like an entire development studio got together and spent a couple of years specifically tailoring a game to my particular tastes, and when it came out I said, "Meh. It's alright I guess." And then I went back to playing Borderlands 2 or Saints Row 3 or whatever. I felt like an asshole for not loving this game, and I couldn't even explain why I was so apathetic.

But here we are. The sequel is out. I love the gameplay, but I'm still not into the world or the story. I still don't love it the way my personal tastes might suggest I ought to. I'm going to take a crack at figuring out why that is, but first let's talk about...

[...]

Wednesday - June 21, 2017

Dishonored 2 - Female Protagonist

by Hiddenx, 19:22

Gamecrate reports that Dishonored 2 has a female protagonist because...

Feminist Frequency paved the way for a playable female protagonist in Dishonored 2

Unlike the original Dishonored, which featured two different male protagonists (one in the main game and another in the optional DLC campaign), Dishonored 2 allows players to control either returning protagonist Corvo Attano or his adult daughter, Empress Emily Kaldwin. According to developer Arkane Studios, the decision to make Emily a playable character in the sequel was based off of negative feedback it received for the first game.

More specifically, Arkane co-creative director Harvey Smith said that it was critic Anita Sarkeesian’s analysis of Dishonored, which she offered through her web series Feminist Frequency, which promoted the studio to re-evaluate how it portrayed women in the series. It was only after Dishonored was released that Smith and his team realized the game contained a very limiting portrayal of women as a whole:

“At first you take some criticism and you go, ‘Wait a minute,’ and then you go look and it’s like, ‘Wow, every woman in Dishonored is either a servant, a prostitute, a witch, a queen, a little girl, or a mistress. We had a mistress. That was not our intention.”

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Monday - June 12, 2017

Dishonored 2 - Expansion Coming

by Silver, 13:37

RockPaperShotgun reports on Dishonored 2s first expansion called 'Death of the Outsider'.

Dishonored's new expansion is about killing the Outsider

I haven't yet got round to playing Dishonored 2 despite loving the first, so it seems awfully rude of Bethesda and Arkane to announce Dishonored: Death of the Outsider [official site]. It's a standalone expansion about trying to assassinate The Outsider, the magical goth who gifts powers to the protagonists in Dishonored games and prattles in an irritating way. Watch a cinematic trailer and find details below.

loading...

[...]

 

Monday - April 03, 2017

Dishonored 2 - Three Mission Demo

by Hiddenx, 20:04

A three mission Dishonored 2 demo will be available next Thursday (April 6):

Dishonored 2 - Free Trial

We’re pleased to announce that we’re releasing a free trial for Dishonored 2 for Steam on April 6! The free trial will allow players to dive into the first three missions of the campaign as either Empress Emily Kaldwin or the Royal Protector, Corvo Attano.

The free trial can be downloaded from Dishonored 2’s store page on Steam. What’s more, players that decide to upgrade to the full game during or after the free trial will keep all of the saves made during the trial, and can continue enjoying Dishonored 2’s campaign from where they left off.

Take on the role of a supernatural assassin in Dishonored 2, the follow up to Arkane Studio's first-person action blockbuster that earned more than 100 'Game of the Year' honors. Dishonored 2 has been praised by IGN as “amazing” and “a superb sequel”, declared a “masterpiece” by Eurogamer, and hailed “a must-play revenge tale among the best in its class” by Game Informer. Named ‘Game of the Year’ by PC Gamer, ‘PlayStation 4 Game of the Year’ by IGN, and winner of ‘Best Action-Adventure Game’ at The Game Awards 2016, Dishonored 2 has garnered over 100 ‘Best of 2016 Awards.’

When the mad witch Delilah seizes the throne, the fate of your Empire is left hanging in the balance. As Emily or Corvo, travel beyond the legendary streets of Dunwall to Karnaca, the once-dazzling coastal city that holds the keys to restoring Emily to power. Armed with powerful supernatural abilities, weapons and gadgets, how far will you go to hunt down your enemies and take back what’s yours?

Saturday - March 25, 2017

Dishonored 2 - New Patch

by Hiddenx, 09:41

Dishonored 2 got a new patch:

Dishonored 2 - Game Update 3

Please find the patch notes below on what you can expect in this newest beta update.

  • Fixed a bug where AMD 400 Series Crossfire enabled GPUs will have lower auto graphics presets than the single card GPU
  • Fixed a bug where the player can get control-locked in the Keybind menu if they use a mouse and gamepad.
  • Fixed a PC bug where the player will lose in-game sound/audio after alt-tabbing too quickly
  • Added option to hide the quick select dock
  • Fixed a bug where Quick Save / Quick Load is available in Iron Mode
  • UI optimization
  • Fixed a bug where the FPS drops when the player looks at a gravehound's smoke.
  • Fixed a bug where possessing a Gravehound causes their smoke effect to build up.
  • Fixed shadows missing on particles
  • Fixed a bug where normal maps were inverted with negative scaled objects
  • Fixed a bug where using Far Reach on a hanging speaker causes strange physics in subsequent Far Reaches
  • Fixed a bug where aiming Focused Strike or Spyglass at the sky results in poor depth of field masking
  • Fixed a bug where Jindosh still talks to player in lab after death or being rendered unconscious
  • Fixed a bug where the journal may become blurred
  • Fixed a bug in Long Day In Dunwall where screen turns dark a short time after speaking with Meagan
  • Fixed a bug where the player becomes control-locked when attempting to load corrupt mission saves
  • Fixed a bug where overwriting corrupt New Game + save with no free space can cause a crash during or after credits
  • Fixed a bug where Autosave Thumbnails persist after switching Profiles
  • Fixed a bug in "Long Day in Dunwall” where saving as the mission causes the Mission Save to not be created
  • Fixed a bug where canceling a mission selection on the main menu and then starting a New Game + prevents selecting a difficulty setting
  • Fixed a bug where mantling as the elevator hits the ground will cause game to crash
  • Fixed a bug where Doppelgänger doesn't replenish mana with Corvo
  • Fixed a bug where NPCs will rediscover bodies after a save/load and enter search mode a second time
  • Fixed reported issues with some localization text
  • Fixed a bug where Springrazor traps attached to Rats and Bloodflies will not go off if possessed
  • Fixed a crash when Far Reaching to an NPC while killing them with Shadow Kill
  • Fixed a bug where Rats were unable to consume severed limbs
  • Fixed a crash that could occur during a fight with a rewired Clockwork Soldier
  • Bloodthirst post-process is now brighter
  • Fixed a bug where one-handed thrown objects were misaligned to the right of the crosshair
  • Fixed a bug where the Springrazor won’t trigger when it is put on a bolt
  • Added a « Full » option for the « Mana Replenish » setting
  • Fixed a crash when player falls off of platform inside painting while in possession.

Thank you for the info, Farflame!

Wednesday - March 15, 2017

Dishonored 2 - Background Details

by Silver, 20:47

Eurogamer takes a look back at Dishonored 2 and likes the attention to details in the periphery.

In an age of complex 3D environments, though, it's now all about looking up. "Players new to our games are not used to being able to climb everywhere on everything," explains Carrier. "I think it has to do with some sort of unconscious conditioning. In the first [Dishonored], some players were not climbing at all because they assumed that, if it was climbable, there would have been a UI prompt, so we had to add a prompt every time the system was detecting a possible climb. But we didn't do it for Dishonored 2, probably because we assumed that, nowadays, climbing and verticality were more common, with the Deus Ex, Assassin's Creed or Batman series being very popular."

Still, one of my favourite secrets in Dishonored 2 has gone unnoticed by so many players. Even if you haven't played developer Arkane's immersive sim, you'll probably be familiar with the Clockwork Mansion level. Filled with switches and pulleys that transform the construction around you, it's home to unhinged inventor Kirin Jindosh. In thrall to his own brilliance, he refers to his mechanical mansion "a testament to engineering itself". It's ironic, then, that the mansion's real creator, Arkane, presents this shifting maze to its players with no hint of self-importance. If players just glance up as they enter, they will see a skylight - they only need to shoot out the glass and use spectral powers Blink or Far Reach to teleport up into the rafters. From there, they are free to creep through the mansion's inner workings, ignoring the splendour of much of this reshuffling residence, never pulling a single lever to make the clockwork gears whir.

Thursday - January 12, 2017

Dishonored 2 - Update to add new features

by Silver, 21:41

@PCGamer Dishonored 2 is to receive a free update which will add the following features. Custom difficulty, mission selection and an iron man mode with permadeath.

Bethesda has revealed details of the second free Dishonored 2 update, set to arrive on the PC in beta on January 18. The update will bring two major additions to the game: More custom difficulty settings, and a "Mission Restart/Select" option.

More than 20 new difficulty sliders will be available following the update, covering aspects of the game ranging from the speed of sleep dart effectiveness to the number of enemies who will attack you at a single time, and even how effectively you can lean out from behind barriers to get a look at what's going on around you. It will also add a new Iron Man option for new games that not only exposes you to the cruel whims of permadeath, but also disables manual saving and loading, ensuring that you will live-and die-with the consequences of your actions.

Tuesday - December 20, 2016

Dishonored 2 - New Game Plus Mode

by Hiddenx, 21:58

The new Dishonored 2 patch is live:

Dishonored 2 Update – New Game Plus Mode

If you’ve wondered what it would be like to combine Empress Emily Kaldwin’s all-new abilities with Royal Protector Corvo Attano’s signature powers, you’re in luck. Today Dishonored 2 got its first free Game Update, which – along with various improvements based on player feedback – includes New Game Plus. With this new mode, you’ll be able to combine Emily’s Mesmerize with Corvo’s Devouring Swarm – or create any other custom combo of multiple powers that you can you imagine.

Unlocked once you complete Dishonored 2 with either Emily or Corvo, New Game Plus lets you begin anew with either character, but this time you’ll have access to the full suite of abilities from both of the game’s heroes. You’ll also start your new playthrough with all the Runes and Bonecharm Traits you’ve collected from your previous game, but you’ll be able to re-assign those Runes so you can choose the powers you want.

[...]

GAME UPDATE 1 RELEASE NOTES

New Features

  • New Game Plus mode!
  • New Quick-Access Wheel option for hiding/unhiding items

Improved Features

  • Fixed Oraculum false-kill count in Royal Conservatory
  • AI detection tweaks to clarify when players are detected or not
  • AI locomotion improvement for running
  • Fixed various Bonecharm effects (Strong Arm, Spiritual Pool, etc)
  • Fixed a problem in slow-motion where some inputs were ignored
  • Blood Thirst: various enhancement and fixes
  • Killing an NPC with their own bullet is now more reliable
  • Tweak for mana potion refill speed, depending on difficulty
  • General performance and optimization improvements
  • Fixed various game logic issues
  • Fixed various User Interface issues

Thanks Farflame!

Saturday - December 17, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Game of the Year @ PC Gamer

by Hiddenx, 23:57

PC Gamer has chosen Dishonored 2 as their game of the year 2016:

Game of the Year 2016 — Dishonored 2

Arkane's revenge tale gave us a series of extraordinary stealth/murder sandboxes.

This is PC Gamer's overall 2016 Game of the Year, chosen by the staff through voting and debate, with commentary written by its biggest proponents. We'll be posting the rest of our awards and personal picks daily as we approach the end of the year.

Chris Thursten: Arkane are creating a design legacy worthy of Looking Glass or Ion Storm—appropriate, given that they're doing more than any other studio to carry the legacy of Thief and System Shock into the modern era. Yet for all that Dishonored 2 owes to the PC's long history of superlative stealth sims, it's also a true original. Its fantastic movement systems and dynamic violence can trace their lineage back to Arkane's underrated Errol Flynn-em-up Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, while its artistic direction ignores games entirely and looks to traditional art and real history. I suspect that I'd love this game for its sense of place even if I didn't also love it for the freedom it gives me to approach encounters in my own way.

[...]

Thanks henriquejr!

Thursday - December 15, 2016

Dishonored 2 - New Game Plus

by Silver, 02:13

Arkane announced that Dishonored 2 will be getting a New Game Plus mode this coming Monday with the new patch.

If you've wondered what it would be like to combine Empress Emily Kaldwin's all-new abilities with Royal Protector Corvo Attano's signature powers, you'll soon have the opportunity to do just that. Next week Dishonored 2 will get its first free Game Update, which - along with various improvements based on player feedback - includes New Game Plus. With this new mode, you'll be able to combine Emily's Mesmerize with Corvo's Devouring Swarm - or create any other custom combo of multiple powers that you can you imagine.

Unlocked once you complete Dishonored 2 with either Emily or Corvo, New Game Plus lets you begin anew with either character, but this time you'll have access to the full suite of abilities from both of the game's heroes. You'll also start your new playthrough with all the Runes and Bonecharm Traits you've collected from your previous game, but you'll be able to re-assign those Runes so you can choose the powers you want.

Sunday - November 27, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Review @ MMORPG

by Hiddenx, 09:48

MMORPG has reviewed Dishonored 2:

Not So MMO: A No Spoilers Dishonored 2 Review

We’ve been playing Arkane Studios' Dishonored 2, and today we offer our thoughts on the game in our Not So MMO review of the sequel. Does it continue the tradition of open exploration and stealth with a healthy dose of RPG progression and choice?

[]

Dishonored 2's beautifully bleak world, incredibly level design, and top notch AI make for an altogether grand experience that will have fans of the classic Thief series truly enthralled. Its story is not the best narrative you’ve ever seen, and the voice acting (even of Vincent D’Onofrio and Rosario Dawson) is rough. Not Peter Dinklebot of Destiny Infamy bad, but it’s not great. That said, there’s little in Dishonored 2 that would keep me from recommending it for all fans of stealth action games. Simply put, it succeeds and surpasses where the sequel laid the groundwork.

OVERALL SCORE – 9/10 – Highly Recommended

Saturday - November 26, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Game Guide @GamePressure

by Silver, 20:32

Game Pressure has a game guide up for Dishonored 2 if you feel the need for tips and 100% completion. It contains a walkthrough, exploration and combat tips, and locations of all available collectibles.

Dishonored 2 game guide contains:

  • Description of game mechanics;
  • Description of skills of protagonists;
  • Detailed walkthrough along with useful tips;
  • Description of targets and ways of eliminating them;
  • List of all collectibles;
  • Technical details, along with PC system requirements.

Sunday - November 20, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Review @ PC Gamer

by Hiddenx, 03:39

PC Gamer likes Dishonored 2:

The most dismissive thing I can say about Dishonored 2 is that it's a lot like Dishonored—one of my favourite games of all time. At its worst, it offers a similar experience to its predecessor, which is to say, it offers tens of hours of extraordinary first-person stealth and action. Frequently, Dishonored 2 does more than that. While the moment-to-moment experience is broadly the same, the whole thing is elevated by both small, crucial details and big set-piece missions. Put simply: it's brilliant.

[...]

Score: 93/100

Thanks henriquejr!

 

Saturday - November 19, 2016

Dishonored 2 - New Features

by Hiddenx, 11:09

Attack of the Fanboy reports that Dishonored 2 gets a free update:

Dishonored 2 Getting New Game Plus And Custom Difficulty In Free Update

loading...

Arkane Studios and Bethesda have announced that Dishonored 2 will be getting a free update next month, and it will pack some great new features for fans of the game to check out. This update will include a new game plus mode that will allow you to carry over progression from your first playthrough to subsequent playthroughs, and custom difficulty settings.

[...]

Friday - November 18, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Beta Patch Released

by Silver, 19:39

The beta patch for Dishonored 2 has been released and is said to fix some of the performance issues.

When Dishonored 2 was launched, the game experienced PC performance problems on machines with specific configurations. We're working to address some of these with our updates over time, and some will be addressed by driver updates released by our partners.

Today we're beginning the process with new NVIDIA PC drivers (375.95) and our first post-release title update (Update 1.1).

PC users on NVIDIA cards should grab this driver [nvidia.custhelp.com] update before playing.
NVIDIA driver 375.95 Link [nvidia.custhelp.com]

For users with AMD cards, the recommended driver is still 16.10.2. Look for more information from AMD on CrossFire support in the near future. As we have new information on drivers for both card types, we will update our forums.

Additionally, a new title update for Dishonored 2 (v 1.1) is now available via Steam as a Beta update - see below for instructions. Update 1.1 includes a small number of fixes including:

  • Mouse improvements, including a fix for sensitivity being framerate dependent
  • Fixes an AMD cloth physics issue, which impacts framerates at various points in the game
  • Fixes an issue affecting CPU task priority - the game no longer switches CPU task priority

Wednesday - November 16, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Reviews

by Hiddenx, 22:48

Here are some reviews for Dishonored 2:

Ars Technica:

The good

  • Absolutely nails stealth mechanics
  • Wide range of powers and weapons that play off one another
  • Smart level design
  • Gorgeous visuals
  • Loads of replay value

The bad

  • Tired story
  • PC version suffers performance problems

The ugly

  • Having to go back to the beginning of a level because you forgot to save

Verdict: Dishonored 2 is one of the smartest, most well-designed games released this year. If you fancy a challenge, this one is a no-brainer.

Eurogamer:

Arkane manages to better the already exceptional Dishonored in nearly every way, creating a masterpiece of open-ended design.

PC Invasion:

So: Dishonored 2 is a fantastic game. It may, in fact, be the best game you really shouldn’t risk buying right now, because right now it’s a technical mess. Yes, I hope a patch comes out soon which fixes a lot of these issues – but yes, I’m also worried that a lot of this is baked into the new Void Engine, and if that’s the case… well, this might be something to look into in a year or two. I’ll keep you updated, but for now, a definite “buyer beware” on an otherwise phenomenal game.

Friday - November 11, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Petty Grievances @RPS

by Silver, 22:29

RockPaperShotgun has gone debby downer and written their issues with Dishonored 2.

Additionally, sometimes the dialogue seems slightly at odds with the image, as though lines were recorded before events and scripts were fully set, and the actors (or writers, or both) didn't know quite what was going to be seen on-screen. I feel a certain dissonance sometimes - distracting rather than destructive, though. Not quite on this level...

...but we're in that ballpark alright.

I'm told that, though some big clunkers are still to come, by and large dialogue gets more naturalistic later on, once there's more freedom of movement and less of a plot-funnel. I can believe it - but given how expensive a game this clearly is, it's a shame that the voicework and, perhaps, the editing throughout isn't the equal of the visual presentation values. I'm also left feeling that its villain is too cartoonish by far, but we shall see.

Far more minor, but I desperately crave a Hitman-style option to neatly and perfectly conceal a body inside a bin or chest or whatever with a single button press. Dishonored 2 doesn't have this, which leads to a certain amount of uncertainty about whether you've actually managed to hide Sleeping Brutey or not.

Thursday - November 10, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Performance Issues

by Silver, 23:38

@DSOGaming Dishonored 2 has been getting some flak for some performance issues. Arkane is in the process of identifying the issue.

According to Harvey Smith, co-creative director at Arkane Studios, the development team is currently investigating the PC performance issues that have been reported by those who have already played the game.

Regarding the Day-1 patch for Dishonored 2 that has been reported, Harvey Smith claimed that most of the stuff that will be featured in the Day-1 patch for consoles is already present in the PC version.

According to some users, the game is plagued with performance issues - even on Low settings - due to TXAA. TXAA is a really demanding AA solution and as some gamers discovered, this AA option is enabled even on the game's Low preset setting.

Wednesday - November 09, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Release Trailer

by Silver, 22:26

Dishonored 2 will be released on Steam tomorrow.

loading...

To celebrate tomorrow's Early Access* launch for Dishonored 2, we've just released the official launch trailer. Visit the official website to learn about the world of Dishonored 2 at https://goo.gl/mxFGOJ

Wednesday - November 02, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Book of Karnaca Narrative Video

by Silver, 21:55

A new promotional video for Dishonored 2 titled 'Book of Karnaca'.

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Tuesday - November 01, 2016

Dishonored 2 - System Requirements

by Silver, 20:31

The Dishonored 2 system requirements have been released. Steam preloading begins Tuesday, November 8.

PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum:

Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit versions); Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 or better
8 GB RAM; 60 GB free HDD space; NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB or better
Contains a single disc. Download of additional files from Steam is required to run the game.
Requires Steam activation.

Recommended:

Windows 10 (64-bit versions); Intel Core i7-4770/AMD FX-8350 or better
16 GB RAM; 60 GB free HDD space; NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB/AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB or better
Contains a single disc. Download of additional files from Steam is required to run the game.
Requires Steam activation.
PC Drivers

NVIDIA: 375.70
AMD: 16.10.2

[...]

PC ADVANCED SETTINGS

The PC version of Dishonored 2 will include a broad range of options that will allow players to tune their experience based on personal preference or hardware capabilities.

Below you will find a list of expected advanced PC settings. A few noteworthy features include: uncapped framerate, support for multiple monitors, adjustable FOV, Ansel support for awesome 360 screenshots and, of course, rat and bloodfly shadows.

Visual Settings

Adaptive Resolution
Gamma
Window Mode / Borderless / Fullscreen
V-Synch
Texture Details
Models Details
Environmental Details
Antialiasing
Rat Shadows
Bloodfly Shadows
Water Quality
Shadow Quality
View Distance
Video Card Selection
Resolution
Monitor Selection
Field of Vision
Hardware NVidia Specifics

HBAO+
TXAA
Surround technology
Ansel

Monday - October 31, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Customization Guide

by Aubrielle, 21:52

New power upgrade trees, bonecharm crafting, and masterwork upgrades for weapons and tools are discussed in the newest blog entry for Dishonored 2.

“We did a lot of brainstorming about how we would upgrade the powers, how we wanted to see them change and evolve,” Smith says. “Take a power like Possession, which was a fan favorite from Dishonored 1. It allows the player to get into a lot of trouble and approach situations in a lot of interesting ways.” In Dishonored 2, Corvo can now upgrade this ability so he can possess sleeping people, or possess corpses, or chain from possession to possession. “We’ve gone deeper on the upgrade tree,” Smith continues. “So players who like that power from Dishonored 1 are really going to love it in Dishonored 2.”

Same goes for Emily, who also has full upgrade trees for her powers. “It’s not only about expanding the powers, but expanding them in ways that are fun – that allow for creative play,” Bakaba says. One example that Bakaba shared: He’s seen playtesters upgrade Domino – which links together the fates of two characters – so they can connect multiple characters, then summon a Doppelganger, link their own double to several enemies, and kill their Doppelganger to take out their foes. “It’s mind-blowing what our playtesters have already done with her powers,” Bakaba laughs.

Also noteworthy: While some powers roughly correlate to each other (Emily’s Far Reach and Corvo’s Blink are both mobility powers, though they have some significant differences), most are unique to each character. Emily’s Domino, for example, is unlike anything in Corvo’s arsenal. She also has Mesmerize, which will put characters into a temporary stupor. While this one might seem similar to Corvo’s Bend Time (which slows and even stops time), the differences are substantial. “Whenever a character is out of the effect of Mesmerize, he loses his short-term memory,” Bakaba explains. “So he basically doesn’t even remember that he was in combat with you one second before. That’s not the case with Bend Time. You cannot erase people’s memory.”

Source: Bethesda Softworks

Monday - October 24, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Live Action Trailer

by Silver, 22:27

Wonder what Dishonored 2 would be like as a movie? Wonder no more...

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Friday - October 14, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Epic Themed Missions

by Silver, 11:16

This Dishonored 2 video shows us epic themed missions and how they are all distinct from one another.

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Dishonored 2 brings back classic Dishonored missions - but with a twist. Along with a highly defended location and a high-value target, every mission now has its own epic theme. Whether it's multiple targets, time travel, a mansion with moving parts, or a location that shows off the game's alt-Victorian setting, Dishonored 2 levels up the missions, while offering even more options to play your way in the game's new setting.

Monday - October 10, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Podcast Interview

by Aubrielle, 16:16

VICE Gaming has released a podcast interview with Harvey Smith that mainly revolves around the upcoming Dishonored 2.

During the interview, Smith touches on some of the process of making the game and how the developers come up with the central vision through collaboration, the feedback they received both concerning gameplay and the story, how the idea of having Emily as one of the protagonists came to be, the structure of the setting's Empire, the desire of the developers to avoid a more tropical locale, and more.

Source: GameBanshee

Friday - October 07, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Daring Escapes Video

by Silver, 04:48

This Dishonored 2 gameplay video focuses on daring escapes.

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When sticking around to fight isn’t the right response to a situation, sometimes you need to have a quick (and stylish) exit strategy. Daring Escapes video highlights some new elements of Dishonored 2’s robust powers system. Choose your path for Emily and Corvo or watch them all.

Watch as Emily and Corvo escape the witches in the Royal Conservatory using all of the abilities at their disposal. Sometimes a rapid retreat demands that a little blood be spilled.

Tuesday - October 04, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Focused on Level Design

by Silver, 22:32

@Eurogamer they examine how Dishonored 2's levels enable all play styles.

The clockwork level itself is quite impressive. It also seems like a real statement, emphasising that the opulent, Victorian inspired visuals that so characterise Dishonored are more than just set dressing; as you go about the house, you pull levers to reconfigure the environment around you with a satisfying series of clicks, clanks and whirs. Reconfiguring the house, of course, opens up different pathways to your target - in this instance, the renowned inventor Kirin Jindosh. It's a strong reminder that while Dishonored 2 (and the original Dishonored) may not be a puzzle game, it's sure as hell built like one.

I spoke to lead level designer Christophe Carrier at EGX to explore the design ethos behind Dishonored 2 and, indeed, the clockwork mansion. Before we dive into that though, you might want to watch the video first in order to get a good sense for what the level actually is.

As you may have gleaned from our wildly differing approaches to the same level, Dishonored 2 is all about supporting player choice. Players can confront everything head on or sneak around the sides, and then there's also the question of powers to consider; Dishonored 2 allows you to refuse the Outsider's offer of occult magic powers for the first time, allowing you to play the entire game as an ordinary, squishy human.

I asked Christophe how one goes about designing a level with those different approaches in mind - does he start with those people who aren't going to use any powers at all and then layer it up for the people who will? How does one go about building something like that? "Well that's the challenge of course," he began, shifting in one of the NEC's most comfortable plastic chairs, "but to answer your question we don't work with layers. When we make the level, we build the basics first; the main buildings, the balconies and the apartments and then on top of that - well it's kind of a layer [laughs]. While I'm talking I'm realising that it's a layer but we are digging deeper into it and we add or remove things. Entrances, new paths, and of course we had to deal with the no power players to that they have an experience that is as fun as all the other people.

Friday - September 30, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Clockwork Mansion Gameplay

by Silver, 05:54

Dishonored 2 has a new gameplay trailer featuring a Clockwork Mansion and possible ways to make your way through it.

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One highly complex location, two objectives. How will you make your way through the Clockwork Mansion when Dishonored 2 launches on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on November 11?

In this developer playthrough, you’ll be able to see Emily Kaldwin’s lethal skills on full display as she artfully slices her way through everything in her path, before putting an end to Delilah’s Grand Inventor, Kirin Jindosh.

For news and details on Dishonored 2, visit www.Dishonored.com or Follow Dishonored on social media.

Thursday - September 22, 2016

Dishonored 2 - New Gameplay Video

by Hiddenx, 19:25

A new gameplay video for Dishonored 2:

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From the gritty streets of Dunwall to the shimmering opulence of Karnaca, every level in Dishonored 2 is a puzzle waiting for you to solve. Watch as both Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attano showcase a few of the seemingly limitless creative combinations of their supernatural abilities, weapons and gadgets to dispatch their enemies. If you plan on facing your foes head-on, you may find some inspiration here.

Tuesday - September 13, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Corvo Gameplay Trailer

by Hiddenx, 23:05

A new trailer for Dishonored 2 has been released:

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“One more time, old friend.”

Fifteen years after the events of the first game, the Royal Protector Corvo Attano is back in action, and it looks like he’s just gotten better (and stronger) with age. He still has his familiar powers, but they’ve all gotten quite the upgrade since the original Dishonored launched in 2012. Corvo’s Blink ability now allows you to pause time as you choose your destination. Possession can be chained from host to host, allowing Corvo to slip through an area unnoticed in a completely new way. Bend Time lets you completely control the flow of time, slowing and advancing it as you need. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. See more of Corvo’s abilities in a new action-packed trailer – and get a peek at what’s behind the conflict that draws Corvo back into the fray.

Will you continue Corvo’s journey in Dishonored 2, or will you step into a new pair of polished boots as the regal yet lethal Empress Emily Kaldwin? The choice is yours when Dishonored 2 launches on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on November 11.

Monday - July 11, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Assassin's Guide to City

by Aubrielle, 05:11

RPS takes us to Dishonored 2 and gives us a look at the intricate planning and research that went into the city, as well as how that city's architecture will affect your mission.

During one decade in the late eighteenth century, one gang was reportedly responsible for around 80% of bank robberies in America. That gang was led by George Leonidas Leslie, an architect and a criminal genius. He utilised his knowledge of buildings and their secret ways to break them down piece by piece, building scale models of targets, and replicas of their safes and vaults, planning for years. Like many master burglars, he could look at an exterior and understand the interior it hid.

Designing a game like Dishonored 2 [official site] requires some of those same skills.

...

If Arkane can show the scars and trophies of that history in the quiet moments of observation as well as the extravagance of big setpieces (not to mention the actual time travel), Dishonored 2 will be the studio’s strongest achievement to date. In a recent interview, lead designer Dinga Bakaba said the team hadn’t been sure how Dishonored would be received. With its success behind them, they seem much more confident that people want to see not just kinetic stealth powers and assassinations, but fictional places that are much more than a backdrop to action.

Read more.

Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Wednesday - July 06, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Preview @ PC Gamer

by Hiddenx, 23:55

Henriquejr spotted this Dishonored 2 preview:

Dishonored 2: creative killing in Karnaca

[...]

The success of the first game means that Arkane has the freedom, with Dishonored 2, to double-down on its strengths. There’s no pressure to make a simpler or more traditionally marketable offering, as has happened with games like this in the past. “When we made Dishonored we weren’t really sure how it’d be received,” Bakaba says. “It’s weird when you say it now, but I can tell you that until the very end, when the first reviews came, we were thinking ‘maybe this industry doesn’t want this type of game’. That is now in the past, that fear. This time we approached it like ‘OK, they like what we’re doing, what we’re passionate about, how can we improve.’” 

The team are also guided by their success, particularly when it came in forms that they didn’t expect. “For whatever reason, we have a wider range of demographics who like our game than is traditionally true and I love that,” Harvey Smith says. Dishonored 2’s two protagonists represent one way that the sequel celebrates this diversity, and the cast of principal characters is another. “I love writers like Ta-Nehisi Coates who talk about how important it is to have a representational avatar for a comic or a game,” Smith says. “Not just a grizzled white dude. That’s an easy trap to fall into. We found that the more we include other types of people in the world, the more it resonates with a wider range of people and it doesn’t hurt the core audience at all. It doesn’t hurt the core fantasy at all.”

[...]

Saturday - June 18, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Large Levels, Few Loads

by Aubrielle, 08:41

Harvey Smith took to Twitter to answer fan questions about Dishonored 2. There will be "large levels with few loads", says Smith, who wanted to get the closest he could to an open-world style layout (though the game will not be open-world).

Co-Creative Director Harvey Smith was kind enough to reveal several gameplay details to fans who asked questions via Twitter. Firstly, he stated that Dishonored 2 will have large levels with only a few loads between them; while the game is not an open world, they want to make the world as seamless as possible.

@TheLukedog they're large, and we try to avoid loads, but yes they are – we are not open world

— Harvey Smith (@Harvey1966) June 16, 2016

@TheLukedog we prefer it for this game to open world; but we like it better with fewer loads

— Harvey Smith (@Harvey1966) June 16, 2016

Earlier, Smith had disclosed the estimated length for the campaign mode of Dishonored 2. According to him, the game will be considerably longer than the previous installment; depending on the side content, it could take from 12 up 20 hours.

@FieryPhoenix7 If Dis1 was 8-12 hours for most people, Dis2 is probably 12-20.

— Harvey Smith (@Harvey1966) June 13, 2016

By collecting coins, players will be able to purchase various upgrades and ammo via a “network of black markets”.

@DeadFairy the new game has a network of black markets – ammo, upgrades, etc

— Harvey Smith (@Harvey1966) June 16, 2016

More details.

Wednesday - June 15, 2016

Dishonored 2 - E3 Screenshots: Stealth, Combat

by Aubrielle, 08:23

New screenshots from E3 highlight stealth and combat in Dishonored 2.

Our June cover offered a deep dive on Dishonored 2, but now E3 fans are getting their own chance to check the game out, including a new trailer and an extensive look at gameplay. In addition, Dishonored fans can now explore several new screenshots from Bethesda showing off NPCs, environments, and some supernatural stealth take-downs.

You can check out the trailer and screenshots below, and go here for an entire recap of the Bethesda E3 conference that features some more Dishonored 2 gameplay at approximately 1:48:00. We got to see protagonist Emily's "shadow walk" in action, as well as her maneuvering around environments while stealthily taking out guards.

Source: Game Informer

Friday - June 03, 2016

Dishonored 2 - On Combining Powers

by Silver, 07:17

@gamesradar Dishonored 2 testers are combining powers in interesting ways.

The new game introduces Emily Kaldwin, the previous game's child emperor who's now a playable grown up character, with her own abilities. One of those is Domino, which lets her link enemies so she can kill them with one blow. Another is Doppelganger which creates a copy to act as a lure or distraction.

According to director Harvey Smith these are already being used in ways the team haven't predicted. "We love it when our powers have flexible utility," he says in the latest OXM. "We already have some startling ways that people have combined them that have shocked us. This is the emergent gameplay thing that we all love".

One example he gives is a player using Domnino to link a Doppelganger to some enemies and then killing it. "She just assassinates it. And all three of the other guys drop," explains Smith. "We had no idea this was possible, we never planned this. It's just one of those systemic game mechanic interactions that clever creative players figure out as they start to experiment".

Monday - May 30, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Harvey Smith Q&A

by Aubrielle, 00:19

Harvey Smith opens up and answers fan questions in a Game Informer Q&A about Dishonored 2.

For the last month, we've been rolling out features in our hub to go along with our recent cover story on Arkane Studios' Dishonored 2. For the final entry in that hub, we Skyped in Dishonored 2's co-creative director Harvey Smith and asked him dozens of the community's burning questions. Check out the interview below to learn more about the existence (or lack there-of) of dinosaurs in Dishonored's world, the role of sexuality in the game, and what sort of games Smith might like to create in the future.

You can watch the video below, subscribe and listen to the audio on iTunes, or listen to the full episode on SoundCloud.

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Source: Game Informer

Friday - May 27, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Comics and Novels Coming

by Aubrielle, 01:44

If the dark Steampunk world of Dishonored is your thing, you're in luck. Comics and novels centered around both Emily and Corvo are on their way.

A lot of time has passed between the end of Dishonored and the beginning of Dishonored 2. You can tell, because Emily Kaldwin, the young Empress you saved from schemers in the first game, is now all grown up, and a supernatural assassin in her own right. Some of what took place in those intervening years will be revealed in a four-part comic series from Titan Comics, as well as through a trilogy of novels. 

Titan explained on its blog that the comics will feature Corvo, “now a little older and perhaps a little wiser," seeking an apprentice to continue his legacy. "But when confronted by an impossible face from his past, the supernaturally-gifted assassin finds himself drawn once again into an otherworldly conspiracy, one that threatens to shake the very foundations of his ancient city.” 

The comics are being written by Gordon Rennie, who has previously worked on titles including 2000 AD mainstays Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper, and illustrated by Andrea Olimpieri and Marcelo Maiolo. The first issue is set to come out on August 3, followed by releases on September 7, September 29, and October 19, just ahead of the launch of Dishonored 2 on November 11. All four issues will be collected into a graphic novel set to come out just after, on November 29. 

The Dishonored novels, meanwhile, will debut in September with Adam Christopher's The Corroded Man, which will “bridge the gap” between the first game and the second. The second and third books, which will continue the stories of both Emily and Corvo, are slated for release sometime in 2017.

Source.

Source: PC Gamer

Tuesday - May 24, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Exaggerated Art Direction

by Silver, 06:38

GameInformer has an exclusive interview with Sébastien Mitton in a video interview about Dishonored 2's art direction.

...we wanted to share the direct thoughts from Dishonored 2's art director Sébastien Mitton in this video interview. Mitton was also the art director on the first game, and he's proud of his team for their effort bringing what he sees as the pillars of the Dishonored universe to the new frontier of a city called Karnaca. While visiting Arkane Studios in Lyon, France, for our cover story on Dishonored 2, we spoke with Mitton about what makes Karnaca so special, whether or not designer Viktor Antonov is involved with this game, and why he doesn't want the game's art to just be labeled as "steampunk."

Sunday - May 22, 2016

Dishonored 2 - No dumbing down

by Hiddenx, 17:56

Couch spotted this Gameinformer interview with the creative director of Arkane Studios - Harvey Smith. Fortunately he likes challenging games:

Why Harvey Smith Refuses To 'Dumb Down' Dishonored 2

It's a nebulous genre, but Arkane Studios and Dishonored 2's creative director Harvey Smith have an undying passion for "immersive first-person" games. With our June cover story detailing Dishonored 2, we break down what's exciting about the sequel's gameplay, and while visiting the studio we spoke to Smith about the game's place within the evolving genre.

[...]

Video interview:

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Saturday - May 21, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Inside the Development

by Aubrielle, 06:47

GameInformer has a video interview with Dishonored co-creator Harvey Smith focusing on the development of Dishonored II and the culture at the studio.

Arkane Studios has been around for 17 years, releasing successful games and plugging away on secret projects, but it was the release of 2012's Dishonored that introduced the talented studio to a wide, new audience. With our June cover story on Dishonored 2, we've been rolling out information on the gameplay and art of the new game but wanted to also focus on the team behind the sequel. There's been a little bit of confusion about the current state of Arkane Studios, with Dishonored's co-creative director Harvey Smith moving to France to lead development on Dishonored 2, so we spoke with Smith about the reasons behind the move and how this project has evolved.

Watch the video below to learn more about the development history of Dishonored 2 and how the team compares to the first game's lead developers.

Video available here.

Source: Game Informer

Wednesday - May 18, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Deeper, Stranger Stealth Sim

by Silver, 03:03

PC Gamer has a preview up for Dishonored 2. Its a good read and outlines some of what you can expect from the sequel.

It's easy to be cynical about the sequel cycle, about replicating a formula that works. But Dishonored warrants it: the first game was excellent but it wasn't perfect. It suggested how much more could be done with these mechanics, powers, and places. I felt the same way about Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, as it happens, another cult Arkane game-and one that never saw a follow-up.

Last month, I visited Arkane's studio in Lyon to see what it looks like when you stick a '2' on the end of Dishonored. The game they're making is very much a sequel to the original: don't expect an overhaul. Instead, I'm excited to have been given a sense of what happens when a talented group of people get a second go at a great idea.

[...]

Emily is Empress herself, now, and has had fifteen years to get used to the idea that somebody might try to assassinate her at any time-and fifteen years of training from her father, Corvo, who's just as aware of that grim possibility as she is. When everything goes to hell in the game's opening act, you'll pick which of these two characters you'll control for the rest of the game.

[...]

Controlling chaos

Dishonored's chaos system altered the world based on the player's approach. The more people you killed, the darker and more rat-infested Dunwall became. Plot points were made darker and more violent as a reflection of 'your' Corvo. This drew some criticism, as it seemed to punish players for using many of the game's most entertaining powers and gadgets. There are few non-lethal applications for a man-eating rat swarm, after all, or for a spring trap packed with razor blades.

It may be surprising, therefore, to learn that the chaos system is back-and that its reach has been extended. Different levels of chaos will affect the events of the game and the attitude expressed by Corvo and Emily. Arkane's approach to fixing the problem with chaos hasn't been to alter the system itself. Instead, they're offering a better balance of lethal and non-lethal ways to play.

Sunday - May 15, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Emily Kaldwin Profile

by Hiddenx, 10:03

Emily Kaldwin is a playable character in Dishonored 2. Gameinformer has collected some info about her:

Get Reacquainted With Emily Kaldwin From Dishonored 2

Sequels are usually the place for studios to refine the backstories of their main heroes. While Dishonored’s original assassin is returning for the sequel, Arkane took the opportunity to turn Empress Emily Kaldwin into a playable protagonist as well. Last time we saw Emily she was a young princess in need of rescue. In Dishonored 2, she’s grown into a capable assassin who can stand toe-to-toe with even the toughest of the royal guard. Here’s how she grew from feeble princess to fearless empress.

Quick Stats

  • Full name: Emily Drexel Lela Kaldwin
  • Height: 5’10” 
  • Eye color: dark brown
  • Birthdate: 2nd Day, Month of Rain, 1827
  • Birthplace: Dunwall, Gristol
  • Voice actor: Erica Luttrell (Keesha Franklin in The Magic School Bus, Darla in Fallout 4)

Powers

  • Far Reach – Similar to Blink in that it lets Emily travel short distances relatively quickly. Far Reach isn’t actually a teleport skill, so enemies can see Emily when she moves. Emily can also use Far Reach to grab objects and enemies and bring them closer to her.
  • Dark Vision – Allows Emily to see enemy movement through walls.
    Mesmerize – Emily conjures a strange tear in the universe that consumes the attention of nearby guards.
  • Domino – Using a psionic tether, Emily joins up to four enemies together. Whatever happens to one afflicts the others.
  • Shadow Walk – Emily transforms into a small, etherial shadow creature, which can move relatively unseen through environments and rat holes, or be used to perform perfect assassinations.
  • Doppelganger – This clone of Emily is perfect for distracting guards or setting up terrible chain reactions in conjunction with Domino.

[...]

Thursday - May 12, 2016

Dishonored 2 - New Details

by Aubrielle, 14:05

New details about Dishonored 2 have come to light, in the form of a new video interview and written statements from Arkane Studios.

Countless YouTube videos showcase the beautiful ballet of destruction possible for those who master the supernatural abilities, but players who preferred stealth felt limited in their approach. With Dishonored 2, Arkane wants to make sure you feel powerful regardless of your strategy.

“Last time, the non-lethal play was something that came through development, and we embraced it,” says lead designer Dinga Bakaba. “This time we knew from the start, so there is a lot of non-lethal options. I think it’s really cool because it makes you feel like some kind of Batman.”

Players also have more agency over how their powers evolve over the course of the game thanks to a new system that offers more than one upgrade to each of the abilities.

“After talking to thousands of Dishonored players over the past few years, one of the things we really wanted to do was branch out all of the powers into a tree so if you are a non-lethal player you can take the power and express in the direction of non-lethal or stealth,” Smith says. “Every tree is different. Some go in a straight line and then branch. Some fan out wide.”

...

When Arkane started Dishonored 2, it didn’t begin with the idea of making a unique navigational alternative to Corvo’s Blink skill. But as it tinkered with Far Reach, it realized the supernatural grappling hook bestowed to Emily could double as a creative movement mechanic.

This ability is a bit more versatile, but not as instantly powerful as Blink. The skill is not a teleportation power; you must physically grab something to pull Emily toward it. Emily zips across the screen quickly when moving, but enemies can still spot her during transit so you need to time your movements carefully. “For people who played the first Dishonored, there is an adaptation time,” Bakaba says. Smart players will survey their surroundings to find exit strategies should their cover get blown; since you can’t Blink out of sight, you may have to use Far Reach three or four times to lose your pursuers.

Far Reach isn’t just a movement mechanic. Players can upgrade the power to grab items and pull them to Emily, making scouring a room for items a much faster experience. Emily can also turn this power on its head and move out of the way when the grabbed item is hurling toward her to target an enemy instead. We saw this move during the demo when Emily flung an explosive canister of whale oil at a guard. Upgrade the power enough, and you can eventually pull enemies toward you to either use as a human shield or for a quick assassination.

More.

Source: Game Informer

Saturday - May 07, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Impressions

by Silver, 02:42

GameInformer has exclusive first impressions of Dishonored 2 gameplay.

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In this clip from The Game Informer Show, Ben Hanson, Ben Reeves, Andrew Reiner, and Matt Bertz talk about visiting Arkane Studios in Lyon, France to see Dishonored 2 in action. They share new details on the game's structure, abilities, and much more.

Tuesday - May 03, 2016

Dishonored 2 - Worldwide Release 11/11

by Aubrielle, 17:13

Bethesda has just announced that Dishonored 2 will launch worldwide on November 11.  They'll show off the gameplay premiere on June 12 at Bethesda's E3 showcase.

May 3, 2016 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced Dishonored 2 will release worldwide on Friday, November 11, 2016 for the Xbox One, PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system and PC. Dishonored 2 is the highly-anticipated first-person action game under development at Arkane Studios, and the follow-up to the 2012 ‘Game of the Year’, Dishonored.

More.

Source: Bethesda Softworks

Thursday - October 08, 2015

Dishonored 2 - Interview @ Examiner

by Myrthos, 14:32

Examiner interviewed Pete Hines about Dishonered 2.

The team was able to get cranking on what would eventually be the next iteration in the Dishonored franchise. For developer Arkane Studios, they didn't have to waste any time on foundational concepts for Dishonored 2 because they already knew what the series was. That's usually not true when it comes to creating a brand-new IP.

"The process of what’s going to be new, what’s going to be different and what will change, that process took a bit because they spent a lot of time looking at the feedback on Dishonored from fans. They compared that to their own internal ideas. One of the things you have to appreciate is when you are doing new IP, you often spend a ton of time, as Arkane did, just figuring out the rules of the world. What is Dishonored? What is the DNA of this franchise? Even as you’re a fair ways down the road, you’re still figuring it out," Hines said.

Development will be different for Arkane Studios, though the fact that they haven't yet worked with the PS4 and Xbox One will certainly make development a bit more challenging than if it was a game coming to last-gen. Studios have to learn how to best utilize consoles and when it comes to a new-generation, that process takes time.

Thanks Eye.

Friday - September 18, 2015

Dishonored 2 - Welcome to Karnaca

by Hiddenx, 00:33

Arkane’s Co-Creative Director Harvey Smith takes us on a tour to Karnaca - the jewel of the south:

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Dishonored 2 – Welcome to Karnaca

As anyone who’s played Dishonored can attest, the game’s setting is as much of a character as the characters themselves. Dunwall isn’t just a backdrop for Corvo Attano’s quest for redemption (or justice, depending on how you play the game); it’s a dynamic metropolis that tells a story all its own. Dishonored 2 is no different – and in the move to the southernmost city in the Empire of the Isles, the upcoming sequel delivers a completely different look and feel. Brighter and warmer, with beautiful beaches and lush flora, Karnaca is a sharp contrast to the chilly, industrial Dunwall.

“Karnaca is called the jewel of the south,” says Arkane’s Co-Creative Director Harvey Smith. But don’t think it’s all just fun in the sun. Gone are Dunwall’s rats, replaced by swarms of icky blood flies, which nest in corpses and create a whole new set of challenges for either Emily Kaldwin or Corvo Attano. We’ve got even more info on Dishonored 2’s new setting in our latest video.

Dishonored 2 will be available in 2016 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

The Eye spotted this!

Tuesday - September 15, 2015

Dishonored 2 - Corvo and Emily will both be voiced @ PC GamesN

by Hiddenx, 13:27

Short info for Dishonored 2 spotted by Eye:

Dishonored is a game all about the silent approach, both in your stealthy methods of killing, and your interaction with other people. Protagonist Corvo was completely mute, silently taking in the observations of others, and offering no input of his own. 

That’s all going to change in Dishonored 2, which will feature voice acting for both of the game’s main protagonists. 

 

Our very own Kirk asked Dishonored 2’s co-creative director Harvey Smith if Corvo and Emily will be voiced in Dishonored 2, to which Smith simply replied: “yes, both.”

[...]

Thursday - September 03, 2015

Dishonored 2 - Secrets from the Announce Trailer

by Hiddenx, 13:57

Couch spotted this Dishonored 2 video:

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You don’t have to travel to the Empire of the Isles to uncover some new secrets about Dishonored 2. The game’s announce trailer is packed with insights – if you know where to spot them. Arkane’s Co-Creative Director Harvey Smith unravels some of the mysteries of his upcoming game.

Saturday - July 11, 2015

Dishonored 2 - Harvey Smith on the idea of player choice @ TheGuardian

by Hiddenx, 07:56

The co-creator of the stealth adventure Dishonored 2 - Harvey Smith - discusses systems, freedom and followers. Some snippets:

There is a central question at the heart of narrative game development – it has always been there and it probably always will be: how do you give a player the freedom to explore and express themselves, while also providing a cogent story for them to experience?

There are hundreds of possible solutions. While highly systemised role-playing adventures, such as Mass Effect, allow player individuality through complex character progression systems, open-world titles (Grand Theft Auto V, Far Cry, etc) accompany their backbone narrative missions with dozens of discoverable side-quests and emergent encounters. Whatever the approach, it’s always a tussle between guiding the player and just letting them go. [...]

At this year’s E3, publisher Bethesda announced that a sequel is on the way, giving players the choice between two characters: original protagonist Corvo and Emily Kaldwin, the daughter of the empress assassinated at the beginning of the first game. Set 15 years later, and after a fragile peace, Kaldwin has been deposed from her rightful throne, plunging the Empire of Isles into chaos once again – now the two leads have to regain power, taking the action away from the industrial city of Dunwall and toward the more prosperous coastal town of Karnaca. [...]

On top of that we were thinking, well, our swordfighting could have been a little deeper, our stealth could have been more reliable with better feedback, and our UI was slapped together at the last minute. Just at every level there was something to deepen or extend or think about longer.”

Smith was also interested in developing the character of Emily as a central, playable entity. In the first game she acts as a reflection of your actions – if you avoid violence, she’s seen painting happy pictures, if you murder everything and everyone, it’s all black crayon monsters.

“So it felt like, what happened to that little girl?” says Smith. “She was born into privilege, she was marred by this terrible tragedy, and then after that she was raised by Corvo. What would she be like as a 25-year-old adult – as an empress and then an outlaw? It was effortless to find that part.

“If you play as Emily it’s all new – she has her own set of powers, her own assassinations and animations, so she feels different, she feels like a finesse character. In the video, we show a power called Far Reach [a teleportation abaility] which can be upgraded in different ways, and it changes your flow through the world and your mobility. Just on a video game level, moving through the world feels different. But if you play Corvo, it’s all this classic stuff, it’s the rat swarms, it’s possession, it’s stopping time – he feels more heavy and brutal, he’s an older guy.”[...]

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Sunday - June 14, 2015

Dishonored 2 - E3 Livestream Slip

by Gorath, 05:14

Straight from the rumor mill: Bethesda just accidentally confirmed Dishonored 2. More should be coming at their E3 presentation in a few hours.

VG24/7 writes:

Dishonored 2 is something we’ve been hoping to see at E3 2015, but not counting on.

Our hopes have just been ratcheted up a few notches by reports that Bethesda has accidentally confirmed the sequel will be revealed during its livestreamed presentation tomorrow.

According to a number of sources, most notably YouTuber Matty Schroeder on Twitter, Bethesda left its Twitch running while staff were discussing tomorrow’s conference, and let slip that Dishonored 2 would be part of the presentations.

 Update: PC Gamer on the other hand believes it's not 100% confirmed. Just wait a couple of hours and we'll know.

Information about

Dishonored 2

Developer: Arkane Studios

SP/MP: Single-player
Setting: Steampunk
Genre: Adventure-RPG
Combat: Real-time
Play-time: Unknown
Voice-acting: Unknown

Regions & platforms
World
· Platform: PC
· Released: 2016-11-11
· Publisher: Bethesda Softworks