‘Dishonored 2’ is a multiplatform first-person action game with RPG elements. The developer of ‘Dishonored 2’ is the French studio ‘Arkane Studios’, and the publisher is ‘Bethesda Softworks’. The game was released worldwide on November 11, 2016, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. On September 15, 2017, a standalone add-on to the original game named ‘Dishonored: Death of the Outsider’ was released for the same platforms.
The events of ‘Dishonored 2’ take place 15 years after the overthrow of the Lord Regent and the end of the rat plague, that is, in 1852 by local reckoning. For a decade and a half, Emily Kaldwin ruled the Island Empire, spending her free time honing her combat skills through training. But one day, an old enemy and envious rival of the ruling dynasty staged a coup and seized the throne from the young empress. The future of the country is again under threat, but the rightful ruler and the royal bodyguard Corvo Attano are not willing to give up. On the contrary, they are ready to fight to the end and reclaim what was taken from them. One of them will set off from Dunwall to the south, to Karnaca, from where the usurper and his allies began their journey.
Players can choose between two protagonists: the hero of the first game, Corvo Attano, or the young empress, Emily Kaldwin. Like the Lord Protector, the girl receives the Mark of the Outsider and acquires magical superpowers. Each possible protagonist has their own set of skills to neutralize or eliminate enemies, and successfully complete missions. As in the original game, the choices made will affect the current level of chaos and the subsequent state of the world. Whatever steps Emily and Corvo take, their decisions will forever change the fate of the Empire.
The main character and our protagonist in the add-on ‘Dishonored: Death of the Outsider’ is Billie Lurk, who was once the right hand of Daud, the assassin of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin. Its events unfold a few months after the end of the original game's storyline. At the request of her former patron, Billie will first set out to find a ritual dagger capable of killing the Outsider, and then into the very heart of the Void to put an end to the ‘black-eyed bastard who sowed all this chaos’ once and for all. The setting includes Karnaca, an abandoned mine in its surroundings, and the Void itself.
Gameplay-wise, the add-on is somewhat different from ‘Dishonored 2’. Firstly, Billie has far fewer magical superpowers than the heroes of previous projects – only three. Additionally, she does not possess the Mark of the Outsider but draws power directly from the Void. To replenish her spent mana, she does not need to take special balms or potions – her supply automatically regenerates after a short time.
Secondly, Billie cannot develop her existing abilities or upgrade them. Accordingly, the add-on lacks any hero leveling, and thus, there are no runes. We can only enhance the protagonist with the help of charms, of which there are almost more in ‘Dishonored: Death of the Outsider’ than in the original game. There are no blueprints either – all upgrades for equipment and ammunition are purchased directly from merchants. Fun with collecting paintings and cracking safes is present, however, most codes for the latter turn out to be permanent rather than randomly generated.
Thirdly, the add-on lacks a system of chaos level changes depending on the player’s actions. Whether Billie is a stealthy ghost or a bloody killer, the state of the world will not change. And nothing will change from that. Accordingly, it no longer matters how you neutralize intermediate bosses. Whether they remain alive or die – this will have no impact on the ending you receive, which entirely depends on achieving additional objectives in the last chapter and the decision made at the very end.
Fourthly, the add-on introduces so-called contracts – a special type of side quest, for the successful completion of which the heroine receives monetary rewards. However, contracts can also be failed. The introduction of such gameplay mechanics was explained by the developers with Billie’s ‘profession’ as a hired assassin. Contracts are not related to and do not affect the main story progression, but in certain chapters, the conditions necessary for their completion limit the player's tactical freedom.