Dishonored is a
game. Most of us who play computer games regularly (and even those that don't)
are most likely aware of this. It's a game which gives the player control of a
character with the ability to knife people, teleport, possess living beings and
peek at a bathing lady - amongst other things. It has also been widely praised for its breadth
of player freedom; not so much in terms of critical narrative choices (though
there are a few of those too) but within the gameplay itself. Much like it's spiritual
forefathers Deus Ex and Thief, Dishonored lets the player make gameplay decisions for themselves.
Questions such as: "How shall I infiltrate this building?" and:
"Do I want to kill all these people?" are important and actually
answerable by the player. In this respect Dishonored
recalls the playgrounds of late nineties, early 2000s PC gaming; it is a toy
box in which the player can use the toys any way they wish. So there is Dishonored: very much a game. And
then there is Dunwall.
