Arkane Dishonored 2 - Emily and Corvo's Serkonan Vacation

[HansDampf]

The game is on GOG sale now for 10 Deutschmarks. Should I buy? I played D1 in 2012, and it was ... okay. Is D2 significantly better? Playable without quest compass?

 

[DalekFlay]

The game is on GOG sale now for 10 Deutschmarks. Should I buy? I played D1 in 2012, and it was ... okay. Is D2 significantly better? Playable without quest compass?

They're both playable without a quest compass 99% of the time. Dishonored 2 has better stealth due to greater enemy awareness, and it has gorgeous graphics other than the blur AA, with a slightly more realistic look. Maybe slightly larger levels, and more walking around a town type stuff. One level has a super cool time mechanic, and the "no powers" run is built into the story if you want it. Other than that it's pretty much the same game.

 

[Terenty]

Maybe slightly larger levels, and more walking around a town type stuff.

Man, you are majorly downplaying the strengths of this game compared to the original. The maps are MUCH larger and more elaborate than D1 its not even close really. Every map is unique with some kind of twist and the difficulty on the hardest is quite enjoyable. If you play Rambo style its still easy, but stealth is vastly improved.

I dunno, the game just caught me by surprise after D1. I was ready to shit on it, but it turned out to be one of the best games i played in years

 

[JarlFrank]

Dishonored 2 levels are about twice as big as the first game's and with only half as many loading screens. Every level is a masterpiece, each with its own theme and mood, and some of them have cool gimmicks (Clockwork Manor, Stilton's Manor) that are impressive from a technical perspective, and also loads of fun to play.

 

[Ghulgothas]

Dishonored 2 (And most of Arkane's Catalogue, tbh) still has one of the most striking and well-realized Art Styles to come from the modern Games Industry.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Yeah, Dishonored 2 was a modern masterpiece. Probably the best level design seen in any game since Thief, or at least Deus Ex. The plot remains equally shit as the first game, and if you're the sort of Codexian who spergs out about having to self-impose difficulty options you might not love it as much as some, but the level design is unimpeachable. Shame that Death of the Outsider was such a bland overall package.

 

[A horse of course]

The game is on GOG sale now for 10 Deutschmarks. Should I buy? I played D1 in 2012, and it was ... okay. Is D2 significantly better? Playable without quest compass?

Why would you ask in the containment thread for Arkanecucks?

 

[Maggot]

The game is on GOG sale now for 10 Deutschmarks. Should I buy? I played D1 in 2012, and it was ... okay. Is D2 significantly better? Playable without quest compass?

In Dishonored 2 the enemies can see you when you lean and expose yourself completely around corners or if you're above them so it's already a big step up. I didn't really care for the main story in either game but the environments and general world are very nice.

 

[JarlFrank]

Who even gives a shit about the story, these games are about exploring big levels, doing either stealth or action approaches, trying out different things, toying with the AI, finding all the secrets etc.

I cared more about the little story pieces in the individual levels than the overall plot, and was never bothered by the main plot being meh.

 

[DalekFlay]

Man, you are majorly downplaying the strengths of this game compared to the original. The maps are MUCH larger and more elaborate than D1 its not even close really. Every map is unique with some kind of twist and the difficulty on the hardest is quite enjoyable. If you play Rambo style its still easy, but stealth is vastly improved.

Levels are probably larger than I implied, especially if you don't ignore the loading transition doors in the original, but I think most of what I said is fine. The stealth is improved thanks to enemy awareness but "vastly" improved? Eh. There's a couple very innovative levels but overall it still plays like Dishonored. It's not transformative in other words, in my opinion. Just a good, refined sequel. If he thought the original was "meh" then he should temper his expectations IMO.

 

[Nano]

Who even gives a shit about the story

...Those who want a plausible motivation for doing things?

these games are about exploring big levels, doing either stealth or action approaches, trying out different things, toying with the AI, finding all the secrets etc.

It's hard not to compare when Looking Glass's and Ion Storm's immersive sims had much better writing.

 

[Maggot]

Who even gives a shit about the story

...Those who want a plausible motivation for doing things?

these games are about exploring big levels, doing either stealth or action approaches, trying out different things, toying with the AI, finding all the secrets etc.

It's hard not to compare when Looking Glass's and Ion Storm's immersive sims had much better writing.

Dishonored's writing is not worse than System Shock 1, 2, or Invisible War.

 

[Raghar]

Full ghost never-get-spotted with zero kills is more challenging than Thief.

Why 0 kills? It's game about assassin. In fact they should allow ending that would do nice ending even with horde of kills. Bit hard and requiring brain, but plausible.

Something like:

And after Corvo spend massive money to send granny rags and rats to theirs homeland, people were bitching about rats being treated better than them for 7 years. Then people stopped to be jaded how nicely he treated mere animals, and lived in boon created by Corvo and empress. Thought only foreign visitors who seen difference from before and after talked about accomplishment, people living in the country thought it was normal.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Indeed. Good writing is most easy for brain of intelligent person in writing hat profession.

 

[HansDampf]

The game is on GOG sale now for 10 Deutschmarks. Should I buy? I played D1 in 2012, and it was ... okay. Is D2 significantly better? Playable without quest compass?

Why would you ask in the containment thread for Arkanecucks?

You gonna tell me why I shouldn't buy D2?

Spoiler

It's too late.

 

[DalekFlay]

Dishonored's writing is not worse than System Shock 1, 2, or Invisible War.

People have rose colored memories of game writing a lot of the time.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

I wouldn't hold up either System Shock as a particularly grand example of games writing, but if you can't concede that they have a far more memorable antagonist than either Dishonored game you're out of your mind. Delilah is among the most one-dimensional characters in the whole series, and I honestly can't even remember who the ultimate big bad is in 1? Havelocke? Meh.

 

[Butter]

It's pretty serious decline to get stuck on writing when talking about immersive sims.

 

[DalekFlay]

I wouldn't hold up either System Shock as a particularly grand example of games writing, but if you can't concede that they have a far more memorable antagonist than either Dishonored game you're out of your mind. Delilah is among the most one-dimensional characters in the whole series, and I honestly can't even remember who the ultimate big bad is in 1? Havelocke? Meh.

Shodan is an especially memorable and well done antagonist, sure. Garrett is an especially memorable and well done protagonist too. You can always cherry-pick stuff like that from all kinds of games. Do I think overall though, in a general sense, the old games were better written? Nah, not really. I will say though they were written in a very different social time, by nerdy dudes aiming to appeal to other nerdy dudes, which quality of the actual writing aside makes it perhaps more appealing.

 

[HansDampf]

I'm finding it hard to get into this game. It's often not easy to make out (and also hear) the guards with all the visual junk and post-processing effects.

 

[JarlFrank]

I'm finding it hard to get into this game. It's often not easy to make out (and also hear) the guards with all the visual junk and post-processing effects.

Make sure to deactivate all those shitty interface elements like quest markers and guard reaction flashes.

 

[HansDampf]

Of course, I'm playing without quest markers.

Spoiler

And I'm not old!

 

[Wunderbar]

I'm finding it hard to get into this game. It's often not easy to make out (and also hear) the guards with all the visual junk and post-processing effects.

i had the same problem, but got used to busy image during the second mission.

 

[HansDampf]

Yeah, it's better now in the Addermire Institute.
And thanks for the link, Schlock! That annoyed me in Prey too.

 

[LESS T_T]

Looks like they're working on some update: https://steamdb.info/app/403640/history/?changeid=8647113