Dishonored Critic Reviews

Dishonored gives you a beautiful, fascinating, new world to explore, and then makes it your playground for grand misdeeds. Its story of political intrigue and betrayal is told at exactly the right pace, balancing information with action in a way that keeps you interested, but not overloaded.

Dishonored, like Thief, or Deus Ex, is one of those timeless games you'll play a dozen times. The game world is gorgeous - a steampunk City 17, the story is spectacularly written and almost depressingly dark and the gameplay is wonderful - either as a stealthy game, or an action fighter... or anywhere in between. Dishonored is all about giving - it gives you the weapon, it gives you the name, and then it gives you the choice - vengeance is entirely up to you.

This a game without the bloat of the modern blockbuster – no co-op mode to allow two friends to assassinate hand-in-hand; no lip-service multiplayer to distract the development team and divert their budget; no upgradable hub to grow or furnish; no open world to impress and weary. Rather you're given a series of handcrafted missions, each with its own optional twists and turns, each with a start, a middle and an end, the plot written by a designer, the script penned by a scriptwriter and the narrative transcribed by you.

However you choose to approach Dishonored, it's a game that asks you to think, plan, be smart. It's a wonderfully empowering game because of this, as you lurk in the shadows knowing the powers you possess and the options you have. It's elegantly designed to make the most of those tools, but isn't afraid of changing the rules in order to keep its (admittedly quite predictable) story bubbling along.

Dishonored is put together so well and executes its ideas in such an expert way that it would be difficult to not recommend the game to the highest degree possible.

A rare kind of game that waltzes into a field of debonaire company yet wows the room regardless. You may not know much of his past or even what his intentions are, but you'll be damned if you don't let him take you for a spin around the room. And at the end of your dance, he'll leave you dizzy and giddy, wanting only for more...One of this generation's best efforts.

Dishonored is a sublime, unforgettable experience that any gamer absolutely needs to try.

So does Dishonored stand up on its own two feet? It most certainly does! On the surface it is easy to compare previous games we have loved, and it is easy to see similarities in style and gameplay, but these are elements that have clearly been learned, honed and enhanced to make Dishonored a title that lives high up in the rooftops of being one of my favorite games of 2012 so far.

We love Corvo Attano, we adore how Arkane did it. Dishonored is one of the best experiences of stealth coupled with a sense of completely open and free superpower, in a beautiful world that is a masterpiece. Essential.

A dark and amazing game: Its atmosphere, gameplay and artistic work come together perfectly. Dishonored is just a masterpiece, and no action-fan should miss out on it.

Brilliant. It's perfect for its proposal, and creates a universe that leaves us hoping that this is just the beginning of a great series. It won't give you something really new, but it's different from what we're used to playing in this generation, which is worth appreciating. A game to remember.

A really surprising game, characterized by the great freedom given to the player and the high tension it can induce when crawling in the shadows. We would have liked a lengthier story, but it nevertheless remains a must-buy.

Dishonored is this year's must-have new IP, with fresh ideas, plenty of charm and inventiveness, and tying them together in a stylish fashion. Who said creativity in the games industry was dead, huh? Dishonored says hello. Your free time says goodbye.

It's also one of the prettiest games of recent years. The art direction is nothing short of incredible, and it's matched with a visual aesthetic that makes the world look like an oil painting in motion.

Dishonored is an essential purchase for the self-respecting lover of videogames. The game offers an intelligent and exciting experience which makes this one of the best games of the year. Dunwall is just as impressive in Dishonored as Rapture was in BioShock, and the magic powers are incredibly awesome to use. Eventually there is nothing to criticize this game for. A true must have.

Dishonored succeeds as an ambitious game not content to take one thing and do it well. It demands more than most games ever will of its player, and gives more to players than most other games will ever manage.

The open-style missions--combined with the weapons and abilities--make a thrilling playground to explore, tough enemies present a significant challenge, and the multiple outcomes, characters, and setting create an exhilarating world to discover. Dishonored is a game that you won't want to miss.

Arkane Studios has crafted what's likely the year's best new IP, and by tapping into elements of so many of this generation's greatest games, this adventure sneaks up, grabs you, and won't let go.

What makes Dishonored great are the mechanics made possible by the universe in which it exists. There is a level of replayability and creativity available here that isn't seen in most stealth action games. You aren't just figuring out how you need to get from point A to point B, but how you want to get there.

It's the big intellectual property that comes to retail and shows up the competition by being bold, original, and -- more importantly -- brilliant. Easily deserving of its place among the BioShocks and the Borderlandses, Arkane's aggressive, non-aggressive, unsubtle, sneaky, thoroughly versatile tale of intrigue makes for the kind of game that reminds us this generation isn't all straightforward shooters and "me too" trend-seekers.