Dishonored: Pretty Damn Fun

     I believe Dishonored has sort of made Steampunk and Sorcery great, and that's coming from a fellow that generally dislikes most steampunk related stuff.  Dishonored seems to me like a fairly great introduction to a new franchise.  This game takes place in a strange Victorianesque time period where a plague has infected a bunch of people in a place called Dunwall.  The game starts with you, Corvo Attano, returning early from a mission to visit the Empress of Dunwall.  Shortly after you are framed for murdering her and stealing her daughter.

Corvo Attano

     You eventually escape captivity thanks to some "friends" and are granted supernatural abilities to enact either vengeance for your wrongful accusations or to prove your innocence.  Along the way there are plenty of betrayals and helpers met.  The supernatural being known as the Outsider has a cult that you frequently run into after you have personally been marked by the Outsider himself.

Corvo's mask- looks cool, but strange a design for lens efficacy

     Overall I'd say this game is a wonderful combination of Metal Gear stealth and Bioshock's steampunk tech all touched up with some Bethesda flavor.  It's definitely worth a play through both the more difficult stealth route, then the more fun, free-for-all dark assassin route.  With an assortment of deadly tools like a crossbow and dark arts magic like Blink (teleportation) you can do away with all enemies in a many, MANY ways.
     I personally like using "Bend Time" to slow time down and planting a razorwire mine on the target.  When time picks back up the mine detects the person moving then slices them to bits with razorwire.  So many possibilities...
     It bears mentioning that some of the equipment seems cool to look at design-wise but might be tough to pull off in life.  Like Corvo's mask above with it's various gears and lenses to enhance vision distance- could all that fit into a small mask?  Or his trademark sword blade that folds up(usually)/slides out(when another assassin was holding it)- how would that work in real life?  Would it be strong enough for sword fighting the way the blade is anchored to the handle?  I don't know, and suppose it doesn't really matter anyway. 

Corvo's sword, with a blade that magically shrinks into a small handle

     Anyway- the game is not without it's downsides though.  Often, when trying to be stealthy, things go horribly wrong.  One time I was peeking around a corner holding a body over my exposed shoulder 2 feet from a guard looking right at me, and... nothing.  BUT- not more than 10 minutes later I was in a room with NO windows, and closed doors, a guard spotted me.  How the hell!?!?  It seems to be sort of random in that manner.  Seriously, there were plenty of times I was sleep holding soldiers mere feet in front of other people, and got no reaction, while other times I would stealthily eliminate someone and a dude in a building 4 blocks away would hear it and sound an alarm.

     Still despite the small problems this game is worth playing and hopefully with the good sales, the game will spawn some sequels, of course they'd have to take place between the end of the game and the end of the end credits story.  It's nothing life changing, but fun regardless.  They have just enough story to keep you going, but not so much to beat you over the head with it.  I'll be eagerly awaiting what comes next for this game.