Quick n Dirty: Dishonored

Well after the original release date, I decided to give Dishonored a try. I remember seeing a fair amount about it prior to its release. Plenty of comparisons were made to Bioshock, Tenchu, and especially  Deus Ex considering one of the people on the development team was involved in the design of the original Deus Ex (one of my favorite games of all time). I can safely say that the comparisons are fairly accurate, and while I don't think it measures up to my favorite games on that list of comparisons, it is still a rather satisfying and fun game. So, before I go full-blown into a lengthy Late Bird Review of the game, I'll do a quick and dirty look at it.

Pros

• Stylistic visuals provided a Bioshocky experience. While not always aesthetically pleasing with characters, the environments had some clear art direction worth viewing.
• Despite being first-person, the traversal of a 3D environment with the ability to climb up precarious areas was done really well and it was satisfying running along rooftops or crawling through small areas to achieve my goal.
• Multitude of tools, methods, and paths at your disposal. While the dialogue/choice options were rather limited, how you approached and carried out your mission was the linchpin of the experience; this was the best part of the game. Being able to strategically plan out your attack and then execute it made for one of the satisfying experiences Dishonored had to offer.

Cons

• Short game. The missions themselves would take a while if you played the stealth route, but even then it still felt like a short game. Even the side-missions tried to stretch it out with some tedium and back-tracking; didn't help.
• Story had potential but played it safe. Would have been better if it went a little more nuts by the end.
• Not much challenge. A majority of the enemies are pretty weak throughout the game, and you have the skills to escape most pretty easily. The only levels where enemies prove a challenge are during a certain section late in the game and these enemies do not return afterwards.
• Sound effects can be repetitive. Sounds for your abilities or what enemies say, etc, happen ad nauseum. It's repetitive and distracting.

Additional Notes

• I played through with a relatively passive methodology by sneaking around and not killing where I could. While playing stealthy was satisfying, staying passive was more difficult with little payoff. As a result when I decided to go back and play again with a more aggressive attitude and less passive, it wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped, even though the developers had obviously placed more emphasis on the violent side of the game. Not really too much a dock against the game, just my experience.

Overall Impression

Worth Playing? Yes
Worth Buying at Full Price? No