When I played the first Dishonored more than a decade ago, it didn't took me long to realize that it was the single greatest Videogame I had played up to that point. I had also written a detailed review of the game emphasizing why it was a Masterpiece in terms of all the metrics of Videogame designs, and still continues to be. Which means if you play the first one even in 2024, it'll blow you away all the same.
And while I couldn't get my hands on Dishonored 2 when it came out back in 2016, I finally got around several weeks ago and after playing through the game in it's entirety for multiple playthroughs (with both playable characters), it was abundantly clear to me that it managed to evolve and improve on it's predecessor in every single gameplay aspect...just as a great sequel should. In fact, looking at the sheer number of ways developer Arkane has managed to expand on the gameplay of the first one, Dishonored 2 can be rightfully said as one of the most finely crafted sequels in gaming history.
But even with all it's gameplay richness and re-playability, along with all the added technological and Level design flourishes (especially with marvels such as The Clockwork Mansion and the time-bending Stilton Manor), one of the most puzzling aspects of Dishonored 2 is that despite being a better game in most ways, it had failed to reach the heights of it's predecessor financially. In fact, Dishonored 2's sales figures, while still reasonably great for any AAA title, just doesn't do justice for the dizzying heights it achieved as a Videogame and the myriads of awards it received. As a game that's frequently (and rightfully) listed among the 'greatest-games-of-all-time', Dishonored 2's sales (around 2.4 million) leave much to be desired.
So is it that somehow the game went much unappreciated, unlike it's predecessor which managed to sell a whole lot more? (over 5.8 million copies Worldwide). Not exactly so, and that's what this article will be all about.
While it's true that the awful performance problems that Dishonored 2 had at launch did indeed put a dent in it's sales and in public perception of the game, but ultimately the game could've easily bounced back from those issues with patches (and time) so external problems aren't solely to blame for it's lackluster sales. And from my time with the game, it seems that there are some specific choices in game design that Dishonored 2 had made which is more likely the cause for it's rather poor sales than anything else.
The first Dishonored (and it's amazing DLC's) had put far more emphasis on the game being a true power fantasy experience which D2 completely (and rather stubbornly) did away with, making sure in every turn that the whole experience remains far more grounded than it's predecessor. I remember in the original Dishonored I could go for insane stunts combining several of the game's supernatural abilities together to jaw-dropping effects that no other game could ever come close. And the game actually encouraged you to experiment and go wild with your creativity with all the Powers it provided, which made the first Dishonored more of a gallery of gameplay fantasies that you'd love to show off and perform over and over again.
And much of that is missing in Dishonored 2 where the devs clearly went to lengths to make sure it's not nearly the kind of Power trip that it's predecessor was, even though it features plenty of supernatural abilities. The gameplay, especially the mana system which regenerates like a slog, has also been made a bit slower than the first Dishonored, which forces the player to be a lot more tactical rather than encouraging them to indulge in bursts of spectacular gameplay showpieces that Dishonored 1 did.
Also, Dishonored 2 makes the player rely on the core stealth mechanics of leaning, sneaking and carefully observing the movement patterns of enemies a lot more, which makes the game inherently harder and stricter. The devs really wanted the players to be a lot more stealthy while playing the game, and the fact that at two different missions Dishonored 2 basically forces you to go without using any of it's Powers make it awfully clear. And coupled with the much improved detection system of it's AI, Dishonored 2 presents a significantly harder experience than it's predecessor, with a lot more grounded approach towards gameplay.
And this is what I suspect had turned away many gamers who were expecting a similar power-fantasy experience akin to the first Dishonored. While the powers are still there and works the exact same ways as they did in the first game, Dishonored 2 requires you to rely more on it's core Stealth mechanics than it's Superpowers and it's designed in ways where the powers are best used only in short bursts and with thoughtfully planned executions. And this might be why the game gave the impression that it's a much more tightly crafted experience that doesn't play as fast and loose like it's predecessor did, which would be right in more ways than one.
So that could be the reason why despite being a greater game in lots of ways, Dishonored 2 failed to garner the commercial success of it's predecessor. Which is a shame, cause the amount of work and passion that went onto creating this game is monumental, and clearly deserving of a whole lot more revenue than they've had.
But none of that makes any difference to the fact that Dishonored 2 is still one of the greatest games ever made (mostly from a gameplay perspective) and completely worth your time, maybe more so in 2024 than the year it came out cause of all the bugs and performance issues that plagued it's release. So if you can pick this one up (with the Death of the Outsider DLC which improves on some of the gameplay elements and makes it a tad faster experience) for a good deal, don't hesitate.
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