Dishonored (video game)
Encyclopedia
Dishonored is a first-person stealth action video game being developed by Arkane Studios
and published by Bethesda Softworks
. It is scheduled to be released in the second quarter of 2012 for Microsoft Windows
, PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
. Harvey Smith, known for his past work on the Deus Ex franchise as well as Thief: Deadly Shadows
, and Raf Colantonio, who worked on Arx Fatalis
and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
, are the lead designers on the game.
format as the player can roam The Isles as well as the distant Pandyssian Continent, though the primary setting for the game is the steampunk
-esque city of Dunwall. The game is played in first-person, with an emphasis placed on stealth action and the utilization of gadgets as well as the environment to eliminate opposing forces. In the Game Informer
cover story, it was mentioned that every enemy in the game (even bosses) can be neutralized non-lethally, if the player so chooses. Lead designers Harvey Smith and Raf Colantonio have described the game world as a "simulation"; if the player encounters thugs harassing an innocent passerby, they can be fought off, but the thugs themselves exist within the game world prior to the event, rather than simply spawning in at a designated time or place. If the player encounters the thugs ahead of time, they can be defeated and the mugging will never take place at all.
Corvo has access to swords, daggers, and guns, including powerful but slow pistols and muskets. Some of his supernatural powers are the ability to freeze time for a certain period, and possess the bodies of small animals.
Also part of the game is an entity referred to as "The Outsider". The ambiguous being is described as part angel and part devil, and it is supposedly responsible for all magic in the world. Its motives and nature are shrouded in mystery, but the protagonist, Corvo, made some form of contact with the being, giving him mysterious powers. According to lead designers Raf Colantonio and Harvey Smith, the Outsider walks among the mortals of Dishonored's world.
Arkane Studios
Arkane Studios is a video game developer based in Lyon, France. It was founded in 1999, and released its first game, Arx Fatalis, in 2002. Arkane Studios opened an Austin, Texas-based office in July 2006....
and published by Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
. It is scheduled to be released in the second quarter of 2012 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. Harvey Smith, known for his past work on the Deus Ex franchise as well as Thief: Deadly Shadows
Thief: Deadly Shadows
Thief: Deadly Shadows is a stealth video game in which the player takes the role of Garrett, a master thief. It is set in a fantasy/steampunk world resembling a cross between the Late Middle Ages and the Victorian era, with more advanced technologies interspersed...
, and Raf Colantonio, who worked on Arx Fatalis
Arx Fatalis
Arx Fatalis is a partially open source first-person role-playing video game for the Xbox and PC, released on November 2002 by Arkane Studios, a video game developer based in Lyon, France....
and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, additionally subtitled Elements on Xbox 360, is a first-person action game developed by Arkane Studios and Floodgate Entertainment. Kuju Entertainment developed the multiplayer mode...
, are the lead designers on the game.
Setting
The game is set in an open world that blends both the past, future, and things in-between, of our reality. Nobles ride in carriages, masses of man-eating rats lurk in the dark gutters, the sound of automated factories can be heard in the distance, and towering war-machines prowl the cobbled streets. The economy of the world, which is going well into its industrial age, is booming with the success of a useful, multipurpose fuel; whale oil. Locations include the desolate Isles, the mighty Pandyssian Continent, and the city of Dunwall.Synopsis
The player controls Corvo, once a legendary guard for the Empress, who seeks vengeance against the Lord Regent who framed him for the assassination of the Empress. Corvo is not only a fine swordsman, master-at-arms, and cunning infiltrator, but also possesses great supernatural powers. The game is presented in open worldOpen world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
format as the player can roam The Isles as well as the distant Pandyssian Continent, though the primary setting for the game is the steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
-esque city of Dunwall. The game is played in first-person, with an emphasis placed on stealth action and the utilization of gadgets as well as the environment to eliminate opposing forces. In the Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
cover story, it was mentioned that every enemy in the game (even bosses) can be neutralized non-lethally, if the player so chooses. Lead designers Harvey Smith and Raf Colantonio have described the game world as a "simulation"; if the player encounters thugs harassing an innocent passerby, they can be fought off, but the thugs themselves exist within the game world prior to the event, rather than simply spawning in at a designated time or place. If the player encounters the thugs ahead of time, they can be defeated and the mugging will never take place at all.
Corvo has access to swords, daggers, and guns, including powerful but slow pistols and muskets. Some of his supernatural powers are the ability to freeze time for a certain period, and possess the bodies of small animals.
Also part of the game is an entity referred to as "The Outsider". The ambiguous being is described as part angel and part devil, and it is supposedly responsible for all magic in the world. Its motives and nature are shrouded in mystery, but the protagonist, Corvo, made some form of contact with the being, giving him mysterious powers. According to lead designers Raf Colantonio and Harvey Smith, the Outsider walks among the mortals of Dishonored's world.