There’s nothing that drives a person like vengeance! Clearing one’s name that has been slandered and dishonored is at the core of game plot in this multi platform stealth based game. Dishonored follows the exploits of Corvo Attano, the protagonist of the game who once served as the high protector of queen of Dunwall. Falsely accused of her murder and destined to die for it, Corvo has a lot to live for! Proving his innocence, catching the culprits behind the assassination and resorting order to the plague infested seaside industrial town of Dunwall.
Corvo is rescued from imminent and a very public death by a band of loyalists who believe that he is innocent of the murder and taken to a remote island which serves as the base of their operations. On the way there Corvo comes into contact with an unearthly being called the “outsider” which bestow upon him supernatural powers to assist him in his quest. The powers combined with some nifty steam punk-ish arsenal and gadgetry give dishonored its signature look. The game is action and consequence based. At every important game plot juncture players will be presented with a key decision to make such as “kill an opponent or have mercy and let them live” etc. Based on the decision NPC (non playable characters) in the game react differently to Corvo and the ending cutscenes in the game also vary.
Stealth based or go in guns blazing
Primarily Dishonored is a stealth based but players who don’t like to skulk in the shadows or waiting for just the right moment to sneak past the enemies undetected can opt to go in guns blazing and annihilate anyone and everyone that stands in their path. The latter is an easy solution to stealth based gaming but will result in high chaos reading which will render a dark ending! Stealth based gaming is time consuming, requires patience, strategizing but will result in a favorable and positive ending. The paths are there for the gamers to choose from depending on their playing styles.
Game Ingredients
The game is played in first person view where players only get to see Corvo’s hands in action. There’s the standard life bar represented by a red bolt sign which can be replenished by picking up red elixir also called Sokolov’s health elixir after the inventor. Mana is also represented by a bolt sign but in blue color and can be replenished by picking up blue elixir also called Piero’s mana elixir after the inventor.
Corvo’s powers
In addition to the aforementioned nifty steam punk-ish arsenal, Corvo has supernatural powers which are also upgradeable. The currency required to upgrade the powers are called Runes. Runes are artifacts carved from whale bones (yes you read that right! Dunwall relies on the sea for its survival and used whale oil as fuel so it only makes sense that the runes also reflect this dependency). Runes can be found littered around the world of dishonored and require seeking out. Once collected they can be spent to enhance the powers but careful consideration is required here are runes are a rare commodity! So choose wisely which powers you want to enhance.
Protip: enhance the powers which closely align with your gaming style. If you are the kind of gamer that prefers stealth over brawn invest in powers like dark vision, possession, blink (though the last one is required for both the gaming styles) etc. If you are the kind which prefers putting metal to the peddle then invest in windblast, devouring swarm etc. Read on to get a clear idea of what each power does and then draw a conclusion.
Agility
As obvious from the name this powers when enhanced helps Corvo to move with enhanced agility. Agility is comprised of two levels:
Upgrades:
Agility level one: Corvo jumps higher
Upgrade cost: 2 runes
Agility level two: Corvo swims faster and runs faster
Upgrade cost: 3 runes
Mana requirement: None
Whether you are a stealth based gamer or guns blazing sort it pays to invest in agility enhancing.
Bend Time
This ability allows Corvo to slow down time and it affects everybody around Corvo but leaves him unaffected. This is however limited to a duration. Bend time can be used to get out of tight spots, in combat to gain the upper hand on opponents and during puzzle solving to slow motion of certain machinery down to gain access to an area beyond it. This is all for level one bend time! At level two Corvo can literally make time stand still and move about freely as everyone else foes and enemies alike are frozen. God I wish I had this power during my SAT’s
Upgrades:
Bend time level one: slows time down for a brief duration
Upgrade cost: 2 runes
Bend time level two: completely stops time for a brief duration
Upgrade cost: 8 runes (expensive one but totally worth it for stealth gamers)
Mana requirement: Very high for both levels
Using bend time at any level will almost deplete the blue mana bolt sign. This power although can be a life saver in pressure spots must be used wisely.
Blink
This power lets Corvo instantaneously appear at a spot visibly far away from his original position. It comes in very handy as its not detectable by enemies and is a core stealth skill which guns blazing type also simply cant do without. At second level the distance at which Corvo can “blink” is increased. However there are exceptions to blinking. Its restricted to a specific distance range which must be visible to Corvo, it cant take Corvo through walls, enemies or security measures like arch pylons and wall of light. Try to blink through the security measures will get Corvo instantly killed. However it greatly increases his mobility as he can blink while climbing or hauling a corpse or an enemy rendered unconscious.
Upgrades:
Blink level one: Teleport to a short distance
Upgrade cost: none (blink is one of the first powers bestowed on Corvo and doesn’t require a rune for activation)
Blink level two: Teleport to a longer distance
Upgrade cost: 3 runes
Mana requirement: Very low for both the levels
Blink even works when the mana bar is at its lowest which makes it an absolutely essential life saver. Be sure to upgrade it as soon as possible because its one power that would be used almost constantly throughout the game irrespective of levels.
Blood Thirsty
Now here’s a power that guns blazing, mowing down enemy types would really appreciate! Availing this power would have Corvo build up adrenaline which can be unleashed upon his enemies. The adrenaline builds up when Corvo is blocking enemy melee attacks, killing or simply kicking enemy ass! Once sufficiently built up it lets Corvo lash out with unblock able deadly blow which instantly kills an enemy. At level two adrenaline is built up faster and deadly blow can be unleashed on a horde of enemies. This skill upgraded can come in really handy against most commonly encountered enemies. However there are exceptions like the Tall Boys which players will encounter in later levels.
Upgrades:
Blood thirsty level one: Corvo can only kill a single enemy and adrenaline builds up slow
Upgrade cost: 2 runes
Blood thirsty level two: Corvo can kill multiple enemies and adrenaline builds up faster
Upgrade cost: 3 runes
Mana Requirement: None for both levels.
Dark Vision
An absolutely must have skill for stealth based gamers which also comes in handy for brawn based gamers. This power bestows upon Corvo sort of X-ray like vision which allows him to see enemies through walls and also how far is the enemy’s line of sight. This comes in very handy to avoid detection and learning the petrol patterns of guards. At level two dark visions lets Corvo see security system vulnerabilities and objects in the environment Corvo can interact with. Dark vision can remain active and doesn’t restrict Corvo’s usage of other powers. Dark vision if left active for a long time deactivates by itself.
Upgrades:
Dark vision level one: Enemies can be seen through wall and solid objects.
Upgrade cost: 1 rune
Dark Vision level two: enemies can be seen through solid matter and also shows objects of interest like runes and bone charms.
Upgrade cost: 2 runes
Mana requirement: Very low for both the levels.
Devouring Swarm
This power enables Corvo to call to his aid a horde of plague infested and ravenous rats! They will instantly consume the remains of Corvo’s victims and attack the living ones. At level two Corvo will summon an even larger horde which is even more vicious. This power is good to have in case you run out of ammo but comes at a high mana price, frankly I completed the entire game without using or activating this power.
Upgrades:
Devouring swarm level one: summon a horde of rats
Upgrade cost: 3 runes (even the activation cost is high for this one)
Devouring swarm level two: summons an even larger and more vicious pack of rats.
Upgrade cost: 4 runes
Mana Requirements: high for both the levels.
Possession
As the name suggests this power lets Corvo take control of a creature’s body for a short while. Fishes and rats are most likely to be at the receiving of this power as they can be used to forge ahead through a terrain infested by enemies or through spaces Corvo cant fit. When used this power allows Corvo to completely physically merge with the possessed creature and he vanishes instantly. Beware not to phase out of the possession when you have possessed a rat and are inside a tunnel too small! I will leave the results to readers imagination. At level two Corvo can possess human beings! During possession of human beings however the actions are limited to opening gates and sneaking pass security.
Upgrades:
Possession level one: physically take over animals
Upgrade cost: 3 runes
Possession level two: physically take over humans
Upgrade cost: 5 runes
Mana requirement: Very high for both levels
Due to restriction of space and time I am going to cut this guide short but stay tuned for more!