Dishonored & Prey: The Arkane Collection

This compilation includes:

  • Dishonored: The Definitive Edition
  • Dishonored 2
  • Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
  • Prey

Dishonored is a first-person stealth and action game with elements of role-playing. It is set in the fictional industrial city of Dunwall in 1666, modeled after the London of the Victorian era, but mixed with a futuristic vision with magical and steampunk elements. Players take the role of Corvo Attano, Royal Protector of the Empress Jessamine Kaldwin, who is framed for murder and the abduction of Emily, the daughter of the empress. This leads him to seek revenge and assassinate those who conspired against him. The game consists of a series of assassination missions that can be completed through pure violence, pure stealth, or a mix of both. Corvo has access to various weapons, supplemented with magical abilities by the being The Outsider. Each mission offers various non-linear approaches and many of these are found by exploring the environment. With special attention to stealth, it is possible to complete the game in a non-lethal manner.

Large parts of the game are spent exploring with a focus on verticality, so Corvo can jump, slide, sneak, sprint, lean, mantle and swim. Melee attacks are performed through the right hand, with various weapons used to stab, slash, block and parry. Staying undetected with stealth kills fills up an adrenaline gauge that makes combat more effective. On the other hand, brutal and open attacks trigger a chaos system that causes more patrols to appear, rats swarm the environment and NPCs can even start attacking each other, disrupting all serenity in the game and the characters’ actions. This also affects conversations and quests. Certain side missions can lower the chaos setting, but it can be avoided altogether by hiding bodies or preventing alarms from being activated. Stealth skills include aerial attacks, slitting throats, sleeper holds and tranquilizer darts for rendering a character unconscious. The stealth system is based on occlusion; hiding behind objects and staying out of the field of vision. The lighting is of lesser importance. Stealth can also be used to eavesdrop on conversations and gain information about characters and their motives before planning a route of attack. Corvo can be revealed through sound, but he can also use it to his advantage to lure away others. Guards have various stages of awareness that influence their responses.

Ranged weapons and magic are used through the left hand. There are pistols and crossbows with various types of ammunition, as well as gadgets such as razor mines, smoke bombs and grenades. Coins can be collected to upgrade weapons and gadgets. Players also discover blueprints that provide access to advancement equip upgrades, forged at Piero’s workshop. Magic is provided through six active and four passive abilities. The active ones include blink to teleport short distances, dark vision to improve vision, devouring swarm to summon rats, healing, possession (both humans and animals), time bend to stop time, and windblast to create a gust of wind. Runes need to be discovered and collected to unlock and enhance these powers. The passive ones are vitality for additional health, blood thirsty to build up adrenaline by blocking attacks for a much stronger counter, agility for more speed and longer jumps, and shadow kill that turns enemies to dust when they are killed. Magic drains mana and it takes a certain amount of time to have it regenerate. There are also about 40 bone charms to be discovered that provide additional perks, but only three can be active at a single moment and they cannot all be unlocked in a single playthrough.

Between missions, Corvo returns to The Hound Pits, a drinking establishment that acts as a hub between missions. Dunwall is the capital city of the Empire of Isles, a collection of our nations. There is much water in the surroundings and to the east of the sea is Pandyssian Continent, a giant land mass. The background story describes Dunwall as a hub for fishing and whaling, as whale oil has become a major power source. At the same time the city is burdened by a plague, spread through dogs and rats, that divides the rich from the poor in districts through energy beams known as Walls of Light. These evaporate anyone passing through, except for the city watch, but can be deactivated by removing the energy source or through other means. Other elements and items include arc pylons that disintegrate anyone close, elixirs to refill health and mana, food, and single-use rewire tools to hack city devices. Infected are known as Weepers. They cry blood and exhibit a lot of violence. The city watch consists of Tallboys, mechanized officers of long legs. Corvo initially gets to escape through the Loyalists, a group of activists that plans to overthrow the government. The player’s approach, especially in regard to killing, determines the game’s ending.

Dishonored: Definitive Edition is a remastered version of Dishonored for PS4 and Xbox One. The game was previously not available for those platforms.

This version has had a graphical update, running on a resolution of 1080p. The game has had a few improvements including a more stable frame-rate, although it still only has 30fps.

This version includes most DLC from the original release, including:

  • Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall
  • Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches
  • Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials
  • Dishonored: Void Walker’s Arsenal

Dishonored 2 is the sequel to Dishonored and it is set about fifteen years after the events of the first game. It had different endings and this game picks up the story for the one with the best outcome for the characters. Corvo Attano, once framed for the murder of empress Jessamine Kaldwin and the kidnapping of her daughter Emily, has his name cleared and is now Royal Protector of Emily, the new empress of the fictional Empire of the Isles. She has to deal with the Crown Killer, someone who is against her will killing all her enemies and opposition, making it look like she rules with an iron fist and undermining her power. At the same time early on in the story she is deposed by the Delilah Copperspoon, known especially from the first game’s story DLC, who claims the throne and says to be the older sister of Jessamine. She violently seizes power with the help of Luca Abele, Duke of Serkonos.

The change of regime is hostile and immediately the player has to choose between two protagonists, either Corvo or Emily, as the main character for the entire game. In the first game only Corvo was available and now there are two, each with their own supernatural abilities. Those can also be discarded entirely by rejecting the Outsider’s help and just like the first title it can also be approached as a pure action game with melee and ranged combat, as a pure stealth game or as a mix of everything. Unlike the first game there is no silent protagonist as they both are voiced and speak throughout the game. The game is no longer set in Dunwall except for a short part early on, but in the coastal city Karnaca in the southern part of the Empire of the Isles. Architecture, fashion and technology now draw from 19th century European countries like Greece, Italy and Spain. Where the first game linked together environments as hubs with loading times, Karnaca has a more of an open world-style approach as a single environment, but the game still uses hubs as large sandbox environments for missions. There is a main quest to pursue, but the character can also freely explore and discover many side quests or optional activities in a random order. Overall there are nine, large missions that usually each have a distinct environment such as the Addermire Institute, the Clockwork Mansion or the Royal Consevatory. Next to the overall design many of these locations have very different mechanics. A ship called the Dreadful Whale often transports the character between missions.

Just like Corvo, Emily has access to the Outsider’s Mark and can choose to use supernatural abilities or reject them entirely. Emily’s abilities often focus on distraction and they are Domino to link the fate and actions of two or more characters, Doppelganger to create a clone, Far Reach as a grappling hook, Mesmerize to turn enemies into a dream state and Shadow Walk to turn into smoke for stealth or to move through vents. Corvo’s familiar abilities are Bend Time, Blink, Dark Vision, Devouring Swarm and Possession. Abilities can be upgraded, for instance for Corvo’s Blink to pass through glass without breaking it or Emily’s Far Reach to snatch items harpoon-style. For stealth it is possible to knock out, drag and throw enemies, it is possible to distract using sound and alarms, and guards have an awareness meter based on sound, discoveries and alerting each other, and vision. The rat plague from the original game is replaced by blood flies. They can attack the character, but can also be turned into a distraction. When more enemies are killed, more flies appear.

Runes need to be discovered or bought at black markets to upgrade the abilities. The bone charm system of the original title returns, but in a new form. Players can now craft custom bone charms after unlocking that power, as equippable items that provide new powers. Bonecharms can add invisibility or invulnerability to specific actions or improve actions such as sprinting or swimming, or the regeneration of health or mana. Next to coins as the main currency, blueprints need to be located to upgrade the arsenal and there are paintings as optional collectibles. Based on the character’s aggressiveness and assassinations, a chaos level is determined which influences the outcome.

From the award-winning developers at Arkane® Studios comes Dishonored®: Death of the Outsider, the next standalone adventure in the critically-acclaimed Dishonored® series. Be a badass supernatural assassin and take on the role of notorious Billie Lurk as she reunites with her mentor Daud in order to pull off the greatest assassination ever conceived. Building upon Dishonored® 2’s signature gameplay and art style, Death of the Outsider features all the series hallmarks, including brutal combat systems, unique level design, and immersive storytelling that responds to your every choice. With compelling characters and exhilarating action, Death of the Outsider is the perfect entry point for those new to the Dishonored series, while delivering a significant expansion of the gameplay and world for longtime fans.

STORY:

Take on the role of Billie Lurk (aka Megan Foster), once one of Dunwall’s most notorious killers-for-hire. Reunited with your old mentor, the legendary assassin Daud, you undertake the greatest assassination ever conceived: killing the Outsider, a god-like figure whom Billie and Daud see as instrumental to some of the Empire’s most dishonorable moments. As you venture deep into the grimiest corners of Karnaca to uncover the mystery of the Outsider and his origins, you will face deadly opposition, ancient powers, and difficult decisions that will forever change the world around you.

KEY FEATURES:

  • The Ultimate Supernatural AssassinStay in the shadows or step into the daylight to take on all foes – the choice is yours. Equipped with a unique set of supernatural abilities, gadgets, and weapons, you can approach each situation in your own way. Use your abilities and skills to sneak through environments unseen or brutally eliminate all opposition in your way.
  • The Greatest AssassinationKilling the Outsider won’t be easy. You’ll have to journey deep into the seedy underbelly of Karnaca, where you’ll unravel some the city’s lost secrets. Along the way you’ll infiltrate underground fight clubs and black magic cults, and retrieve ancient artifacts in a thrilling bank heist mission that sets the table for your greatest mission ever.
  • The Definitive TargetsAs you hunt down The Outsider, face off against a new cast of enemies along the way. Armed with your weapons, gadgets and abilities, take down deadly foes such as the immortal Envisioned, the relentless Sisters of the Oracular Order and the new Clockwork Soldiers. Up the ante by accepting Contracts to find and eliminate optional targets throughout your mission.
  • Replay Your WayUnleash further potential for creative chaos by replaying with some of the signature powers from Dishonored 2 in the Original Game Plus (OG+) mode.

In Prey, you awaken aboard Talos I, a space station orbiting the moon in the year 2032. You are the key subject of an experiment meant to alter humanity forever – but things have gone terribly wrong. The space station has been overrun by hostile aliens and you are now being hunted. As you dig into the dark secrets of Talos I and your own past, you must survive using the tools found on the station — your wits, weapons, and mind-bending abilities. The fate of the Talos I and everyone aboard is in your hands.

Features

  • Sci-fi ThrillerNothing is as it seems aboard Talos I. As Morgan Yu, set out to unravel the clues you’ve left behind for yourself, and discover the truth about your past. What role will you play in TranStar’s plans, and the mysterious threat ravaging the station?
  • Singular SettingOrbiting the Moon, the Talos I space station symbolizes the height of private space enterprise. Explore a lavish craft designed to reflect corporate luxury of the 1960s, and navigate interconnected, non-linear pathways built to hide countless secrets.
  • Unimaginable ThreatThe shadowy extraterrestrial presence infesting Talos I is a living ecology bent on annihilating its prey. It’s up to you, one of the last remaining survivors aboard the station, to end the deadly attack of these haunting predators.
  • ChallengeCustomize your gameplay options and difficulty settings for an even more tailored adventure. You can make the experience more challenging (or easier) by changing a myriad of parameters related to stealth, movement and combat.
  • Play Your WayGain alien abilities to develop a distinct combination of powers and upgrade your unique skills. Craft increasingly useful items with the blueprints, gadgets and tools on board the station to overcome dangerous obstacles in your way. Survive unprecedented threats with your wits and ability to improvise.

Cover Art:
Screenshots:

Year: 2021

Themes: Metroidvania, RPG elements, Stealth

Genere: Action

Platform: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One

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