Dishonored 2 - Deeper, Stranger Stealth Sim

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.