Dishonored 2

Corvo and emily enjoy their moment in the sun

- James Nouch

It may have been a witch’s sorcery that snatched the throne from you, but it was complacency that cost you the Empire of the Isles. 15 years have passed since the bloody events of the original Dishonored, so while you might be able to forgive empress Emily Kaldwin and her father-cum-bodyguard Corvo Attano their momentary lapse in vigilance, the consequences are dire. The Empire of the Isles now sits in the hands of Delilah Kaldwin, a sinister spellslinger claiming to be the rightful heir. A bloody coup has erupted. And only one half of our father-daughter duo has escaped Dunwall Tower...

Which character remains in the conspirators’ clutches is up to you—you choose to play as either Emily or Corvo at the game’s outset, dooming the other to magical petrification. Once you’ve chosen, escape becomes your top priority, and your first test is a perilous gauntlet through the streets of the imperial capital, now overrun with mutinous guardsmen. If you played the first Dishonored, this is an opportunity to ogle familiar thoroughfares rendered in Arkane’s brand new engine, but for newcomers, this section will serve as an introduction to the game’s open-ended stealth mechanics.

You can duck and weave your way past disloyal thugs, crouching behind cover, leaning around corners, and clambering onto low rooftops in your bid to escape detection. You can also stab your way to safety, striking from the shadows in a flash of steel. Or you could ditch discretion, announcing your presence with a volley of pistol fire before jumping into a gutter brawl. Throughout the game, the choice between clandestine assassination, non-lethal stealth and all-out vicious assault is yours to make.