Dishonored in 2021 is a Different Kind of Grim 

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Don't forget the fact that the Outsider - the mysterious, all-seeing deity of this universe - gives you your supernatural powers not because he wants you to save Dunwall, but simply because he finds you 'interesting" and thinks it would be fun to watch how you use your powers, whether for good or evil.

I feel like no other game fills my soul as dishonored does. The only games series I keep replaying again and again.

The thing about Dishonored, though (and this comes from someone who's played the entire game about 6 times), is that there *is* hope at the end. If you get the nonlethal ending (spoilers), they find a cure. The Flooded District is drained. By the beginning of the second game, fifteen years later, the world is in a relative peace, and people are prospering. The first game becomes a tale in being the good despite the evil around you, and the benefits that come from that. Given current events, that is something we all need right now. Great video, friend. Keep up the great work.

"You wanna gather for whiskey and cigars for tonight?" "Yes, Indeed I believe so." EDIT: This comment thread turned into an NPC dialogue generator. Im so proud of this community

It's sad that games like dishonored, dishonored 2 and prey are all decreasing popularity and got poor sales. Immersive sims are highly underrated genre.

"Your friends poisoned you and dumped your body in the river. Did they do it to protect themselves, so no one would ever know what they'd done? Or was it because they were a single move away from controlling an empire, and they knew you'd never let them manipulate Emily? Maybe none of these. Perhaps that's just the nature of man." I love The Outsider, too bad they over explained his character later on.

"Attention, Dunwall citizens..."

Dishonored is a game I absolutely adore for its level and world design. What is truly horrible about it is how much of a reflection of today’s problems despite having a setting more akin to industrial revolution UK. The Boyles throwing a party next to crumbling ruins, the rat plague mirroring eugenic conspiracy that is still a problem today. It’s breathtaking in its horribleness.

I just realized something... A vignette of two corpses hugging is... cute in Fallout, it means two people who loved each other died together. The same vignette in dishonored... let's say it this way: there's only a very, VERY small chance that both of those people died at the same time, or within a shorter timespan than about half a day.

It's shocking how little this game is talked about, considering how great it is.

9:22 I've beat this game more than 20 times and I've never seen weepers interact with each other that way, this game is packed full of detail that I'm still finding new tiny details I've missed even after 8 years.

It's funny that you talk about callous profiteering as a bunch of millionaires are throwing a fit over losing a bet they rigged in their own favour

Hey now that is a bit too hopeless. The whole point of dishonored, in my honest opinion, was that little things you do matter. The game's ending vastly differs based on how much you stuck to practicing the little good things. Even if you were utterly ruthless with the targets. It is a reminder that morals aren't meaningless, as well.

I love how all the non-lethal options are worse than death. Branding the overseer as a heretic, sending the target to the coal mine etc.

Don't forget the fact that Corvo wears a mask when he's outside and removes it at home (that pub).

“I’ve learned that our choices always matter to someone. Somewhere. And sooner or later, in ways we can’t always fathom, the consequences come back to us.” And that’s how the Covid Pandemic came to be, with the choices of those in power, and the consequences coming back to us.

Dishonored is part of my personal top 10 and very underrated in the public's eyes

The Dishonored series is one the of the best, most brilliant things that gaming has ever had to offer.

Currently also replaying it and some of the non-lethal ways are just so dark. Although I had no problem letting Slackjaw deal with the twins

Dishonored is one of the best games that encompasses game mechanics, art style, level design and most importantly the flow of the game itself into a unit that is hard to overlook. It is jaw droppingly awesome to see it get a little bit of attention it deserves. It is just absolutely stunning to play through, turn off the HUD and marvel at the backdrop of a game that is over 8 years old and still holds up better than a lot of modern games in similar genres.

most western AAA games abandoned boundary pushing game design for graphics, visuals and tacked on features for marketing strength(in other words, it sounds and looks better than actually playing it) dishonored is a rare example where that isn't the case

I'm surprised you didn't reference the influence of Edinburgh on not only the architecture but also the design of Dunwall's inhabitants.

As a dishonored veteran I had a heart attack at 1:22

“Your footsteps sound a little loud. Have you gained a little weight, honey?”. That attention to detail from Bunting commenting on how heavy your footsteps sound is one of the reasons I still play this game at least once or twice a year.

Holy Shit! I never really expected a Dishonored video, but holy Shit, yeah with everything going on in this year and the previous makes everything in Dishonored's gameplay and color palet even more dark.

I’d have to disagree with your analysis that the actions of the player’s character are meaningless. If Corvo’s actions were as meaningless as you claim, then they would have no effect on the world. Corvo’s actions do have effects on the world around him, as this is one of the core features of the gameplay: your actions have consequences. Thus, it appears evident that your actions as Corvo are not meaningless. It might be argued that even though there are consequences to Corvo’s actions, no real change happens through those choices. This too is suspect. While playing as a merciful Corvo, you can not only effect how fast the plague spreads, but also the moral course of the country with more equitable distribution of medical care and a more stable court. From this, we can see that Corvo’s actions not only had consequences but also meaningful impacts on the state of Dunwall.

Amazing video, as always! I must say, you helped articulate one of the reasons why I think Daud is the most compelling character in this game; his perspective, unlike Corvo’s, is one of someone who exists, and thrives, in the dirt of this setting, someone who leads a group of opportunists who have to survive (and employ themselves as assassins) under this corrupt ruling class. I found his anger and his exhaustion both extremely fulfilling as the perspective of someone who isn’t serving/living in a monarchist conspiracy, but someone who has had to scrape to survive his entire life.

I absolutely love this game, just finished 100% yesterday. The second mission in Knife of Dunwall seems especially grim given the current circumstances.

Dishonored is one of the best games I ever played. I just love how involving its world can feel.

This video couldn't come at a better time, I literally JUST finished a dishonored replay the other day and had a lot of the same thoughts about it

For clarification, while the mass graves in New York have gotten worse since the plague, they were dumping grounds for New York's homeless population prior, since the 1800's in fact. Roughly 800 people were buried on that island the year prior to the outbreak, alone. It's not just New York either, every state does this.

I still think dishonored 2 is one of the most slept on games out there.

Fun thing I used to do was sit on top of roofs sometimes and look out at the city, and genuinely Hamish is right. You just feel like you can get away from the noise and just breathe.

It’s nice to see Dishonored get some love and coverage, there are so many things about it that are great. The world building is so interesting and it has to be one of the most replay-able games I’ve had. Really hope they don’t leave it where they did and continue at some point.

Oh wow, this is the kind of thing I follow you for. This is a completely hot take on a 2012 game. Wow.

I hope they continue this series. So much lore on the table now, they'd be foolish to make it a two-hitter quitter.

I'm replaying this game for probably the tenth time and I just noticed there is a book entry you can pick up from the Overseers which says "we all need to work together" to stop the plague, which I thought was incredibly bizarre as it almost mirrors the "we're all in this together" line I saw everywhere when the Covid pandemic began.

Great video! It's so weird to stumble upon your video today. I had this exact conversation with a friend of mine recently about this game and another game I picked up recently "The Division". I stopped playing the division to finish dishonored, which I did last month. It's a great game so wonderful but it also made me sad at how much in it mirrors what's happening in the world today. The beginning of the division is so eerily similar I was happy to set it aside and both of these games are years old!!

Please, continue making videos man. I love your content, it’s very much appreciated.

This video’s commentary is incredible. So many real world parallels in dishonored

didn't think i'd see a gaming critic so open and honest about the pandemic and the hideous politics underlying it. thanks for doing that

Glad this game is getting the discussion it deserves again! The fact that it was made so many years before it became contemporarily relevant only strengthens how timeless it's story is. Still hoping we'll get to explore Pandyssia in number 3 one day!

Another great video! Your deeply personal style and view on games are the reasons I keep coming back! Cheers!

This game filled the void Deus Ex Mankind Divided left after I played it to death. We need more of these "immersive sim" type games.

I've been meaning to replay Dishonored 2 but can't bring myself to do it. Much like Deus Ex. They feel like games I really have to commit to

one of the texts that stays with me till this day from this game is located in an apartment in the harbor area of Dunwall. next to the shop and by the entrance to the distillery if you head up the building, there's a journal written by a mother. she watches her family dies until there are no more entries. you look behind you to see the family, lying next to one another. that moment is one that I think describes the world of dunwall so well, and feels grimly familiar

Even now when I play Dishonored I sometimes still see things I haven't seen on previous playthroughs. Last night I was playing the Sokolov mission, and instead of choking him out as soon as I got into the greenhouse as I usually would, I decided to sneak up behind him and listen to what he was saying to the woman in the cage, but she interrupted and him and said "What's going here?" then Sokolov turned and spoke to me, and concluded that if I wanted him dead he'd already be dead. Very astute of him. It's a small thing which came from me doing things a bit differently, but there's so many little things like that. For the last couple of playthroughs I've had every hud element apart from mission objectives turned off which really helps with immersion and with going through the missions in alternative ways to some extent. Without any quest markers you have to actually know the map instead of just following a pointer on the screen. I find myself appreciating the level design even more when I actually have to pay attention to it. Also not having the constant reminder of how much health or mana I have at any given time is a big plus for me. Not that there's any need to worry them, I just find myself not using powers as freely when I can see the gauge going down.

Beautiful video. Thank you for creating.

Always nice to see dishonored content. Good video.

this is the first video of yours i’ve watched, and dishonored is actually one of my favourite series of all time. the fact that something quite similar (i didn’t realise how similar until this video) is happening in real life makes this game that more sinister, dark and i think more immersive into that environment. i think every fps fan should play dishonored/d2 and if you sir haven’t played the sequel i STRONGLY recommend you do and make a video on it. got my sub. love from england. ✌🏼

This video came in perfect time, I finished Dishonored today and my god... what a perfect masterpiece, I can stop searching about and enjoying the whole experience of the game. It's almost 9 years of its release and this is one of the best of the last decade, no doubts. Thank you for your work and inspiring me with this video, stay safe mate.

I’ve been waiting for you to get to these games for so long! One of my favourite games series ever.

I just replayed Dishonored this past month and the whole game hit me differently now that our whole world in this time is facing its own plague. I felt an especially surreal chill when at one point I randomly talked to Cecelia(the most normal/mundane/forgettable/unnoticed character in the game), shared her worries to Corvo about how the plague might just go on and on until it kills off everyone. I paused for a good minute when she said all that because of how real and relatable those worries are to me and to everyone in this world we live in right now.

One of your absolute best mate. Stunning video.

This is so astute and well said. You brought a very clear voice to so many thoughts I've had about this series. Despite being a different genre than I usually play, Dishonored is the first game I ever achievement hunted for. I shot for the Platinum in Dishonored 2 as well as the Death of the Outsider expansion this past year. It's a warmer game, both story-wise and visually, but still prescient in some ways. Highly Recommend. Great video!

My favorite thing about this game is I've beaten it like ten times and I am still discovering alternate pathways and darker endings.

With the Lord regent I think that it was unceremonious if you kill him, if you don't he's exposed to the people as the one who'd brought the plague here and he's dragged off to coldridge prison. Also in dishonored 2 there's a group which call themselves 'the regenters' and support everything he did

Potentially the most well written video I've ever seen on this game that I love, subbed

Wow what a well written video! I've never seen this game in these lens. Blew my mind! Thank you!

Go off lad. This is brilliant. Shelved this game for a few months after doing a chaotic ending. Only got the ghost run to do, time to start again I guess.

The world building in this game is truly next level. Not only is Dunwall completely convincing and timelessly portrayed, the deeper lore it hints at are absolutely wonderful and evocative. Everyone needs to play this game.

Bought dishonored remastered on steam not too long ago, i was in such a depressed spot in life, and couldn't find anything that made me smile, and dishonored made me smile, i found enjoyment in brutally stabbing and cutting apart anyone in my way, in a world that is only a sliiiiightly exaggerated form of the world im suffering in currently

I cannot express how much I love Dishonoured series. Today I finally completed Death of the outsider, now I’m thinking to replay all back to back.

I loved this game when it first came out, you revisiting it has really expanded how I will think about this game going forward.

A few days ago I finished Dishonored 1 for the fifth time (and its DLCs for the first time) with low chaos. And also Dishonored 2 for the first time as Emily with low chaos. Amazing both. Also started playing Death of the Outsider but I was too burnt out, playing more than 20 hours each in max difficulty full stealth consumes pretty much all of my energy. So I dropped it after the first and a half mission, but damn now that I'm recharging energies I'm almost ready to keep playing, I just have to wait a little more. I long for a third entry, only one more to finish it as a trilogy, a goddamn awesome trilogy

I replayed this a few months ago, and felt the same way. Fantastic video!

It has such brilliant Art Direction , I reccommend watching The developers talk about setting The stage for these games, how The art style is inspired by Norman Rockwell and How theyve designed this fictional dystopia :)

im still playing dishonored, yesterday i've finished the game and DLC's in low caos. I'm always amazed by the beauty of this game, the lore, the combat system, the powers, and how Free you can be, but especially how the world and people change if you do something Bad or something good. This game is my favourite game, and still i can't find a game as fun as dishonored is. (also Dishonored 2 is pretty good, and Death of the outsider too But the first is a masterpiece). 1 minute of silence for those who didn't played it yet

I finished Dishonored when it came out and I had bunch of free time as a bored teenager, but as an adult I haven't been able to enjoy it. And it's disappointing because it seems to make a lot of top ten lists out there, and the powers all seem really cool. I just can't seem to get over myself enough to stop "optimizing" my experience by restarting checkpoints when I get caught and only using Blink and Dark Vision so I don't waste any Mana, etc. I'm mostly just writing this because comments are supposed to be helpful for the algorithm, but I enjoyed the video! You're doing great work, Hamish! See you in the next one!

This deserves more views, Well said mate

It's so good to see people exalting Dishonored, I simply love the both games.

This is the first video I’ve ever watched on this channel. The second you pronounced About as Aboot I was like “yep he’s Canadian”

Thank you for writing about one my favorite games.

DIshonored was one of the first videogames I actually finished. I kind of forgot about it by now, I'm glad you reminded me of it

How timely, just finished Dishonored for the first time a few days ago. Really appreciate your take on it. While I loved the gameplay, i didnt pay much attetion to story, nor did i draw a parallel to the times we live in. Great video!

Thank you Hamish, a great perspective on my favourite game of all time!

Bizarrely, I'd just replayed 'Dishonoured' on a whim and completed the main game the other day. And here this is on my front page. Nice! Also if you haven't played the DLC (I only just started this video), I thoroughly recommend you continue onto that. From what I recall (I'm just replaying them now) these add-ons (and the sequel) fleshes out the wider world of the game really effectively without diminishing the appeal of all that peripheral detail - which I find quite a rare feat.

Hadn't considered any of this but it's made me want to go back and play it again. Excellent video.

Great video mate.

Really good video U make me wanna finish my play trough

Glad to see a RU-vidr talking about dishonored in 2021 fills me with Joy

I play this game and beat it every few months, probably because it's the only game like it, happens to be itself and its sequel. The level of unique-ness in the Dishonored series is amazing.

I'm having similar feelings replaying Thief right now. Been back in lockdown since Christmas and projected to remain until March. It's such an oof to see these themes in game when they were once so detached

Yo, now this is not a game I expected to hear talked about in 2021. I loved this game and franchise, I’ve played (and tentatively attempted to speed run) the first game at least a couple dozen times; I wasn’t as big a fan of the sequel in the long term, but it’s still a fantastic game. It makes me incredibly happy to know that other people are still playing and appreciating this game even to this day. Let us all hope for another sequel!

Dishonoured is one of the greats; he’ll it probably one of the best superhero games made. Hope Arkane can nail DEATHLOOP, been missing bioskock like experiences something fierce.

The first time I heard the country was in lockdown I immediately started hearing that one overseer in the Campbell mission speaking over the intercom saying "lockdown is now in effect. Report to your stations and execute any intruders on sight"

God. That thing you said about looking around every corner for people, trying to stay away, just the anxiety. God, we live in horrible times.

I feel like I need to say this, if you go through the game completely non lethal it actually impacts how many infected appear, the more you kill the more rats appear and therefore the more the plague spreads, the less you kill the less rats and therefore less infected, it's something you wouldn't notice unless you played both lethally and non lethally, there is a non lethal option for every target even in the dlc where you play as daud, which is fantastic.

One of the most underrated games of the decade in my opinion

Recently got back into Dishonoured so glad i found this video!

For those who love Dishonored as well as TTRPGs, I HIGHLY recommend “Blades in the Dark”. For those not in the know, it’s like if Dishonored and Peaky Blinders had a baby and told you to take care of it in any way you choose.

The video definitely strikes a chord. Thank you for the amazing video.

Yes keep talking about my favorite series like that I love it

The fps boost on Xbox Series S has elevated this into my top 5 games. Hard to describe what frame rate does for gameplay.

"Practical collective action can matter, atomized individual responses do not."- Christopher Mott

Literally 2 days ago I just said fuck it and started both the dishonored games, and now my favorite game commentary channels are making content for it I love it.

my speech 2 secs before watching Writing on Games: shit fuck and fuck shit my speech 2 secs after: *a literal epitome of eloquence*

Lol im glad you made this vid i remember when i played it again in mid 2020 and quarantine just started in my place, i played it at night during lockdown and it felt disturbingly real especially when id see guards wear face masks or hear intercom say to stay in Doors and avoid contact, not to menton i drank a lot of whiskey irl which is very popular in this game lol

Hey just remember, as grim as Dunwall was in Dishonored, the city did recover in time.