General Gaming Dishonored 2 is a masterpiece

[HardAct]

    This totally backfired on me! I gave Dishonored 2 a third try and got into it to get me to my most anticipated game this year Resident Evil 8 and damn it. I forgot just how long games take me to beat........lol

    I have RE8 obviously installed already but I'm 20 hours in on D2 and I vowed to beat it if I liked it. I love it, but I just got to the last part ( I frikking hope so, just got a ride back to the Dreadful Wale to "confer with my allies" )

 

    I take forever to play games like this, I hunt and read everything, try and just do everything, but I'm much slower at it. Didnt the OP say he just finished his second run in 10hrs?

 

    I'm gonna be here forever.....

[Brian]

 

[ShreddieMercury]

Just wanted to drop in and say that the term "masterpiece" is overused in video games to the point that it means basically nothing, so I'm sorry I used it here.  There are probably like, a couple of "masterpiece" games every generation, but if you read about video games online, nearly every major AAA game is a masterclass masterpiece that redefines the medium. 

 

That said, the term does apply to Dishonored 2, so the title of this topic is still correct.

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

2 hours ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

Just wanted to drop in and say that the term "masterpiece" is overused in video games to the point that it means basically nothing, so I'm sorry I used it here.

 

[Bloodporne]

Bumping this thread because I just got into Dishonored 2 over the weekend finally and this game is ridiculously good. At least from what I remember of the first game, this improves on every angle of it. I struggle to find any drawbacks here outside of the weird and sometimes bizarre sound mix which was an issue in Prey as well. You get used to it but it was especially jarring after playing Returnal for so long. The level design especially is legitimately impressive as hell and it keeps getting better with each new area. 

 

One thing that really sticks out to me about this game is just how much it does its own thing and commits to it at every turn. The architecture, art design, enemy designs, everything. The environmental storytelling is incredibly well done and it sells the fuck out of this gorgeous location that's been corrupted and turned to shit by inept government and corruption. I spend so much time in each level right now just reading lore, exploring every small apartment and room, it's a fascinating setting through and through. Just how much creativity went into this is crazy. 

 

I bounced off the demo when it came out, and I get why, but after sticking through the learning curve, this has been a consistently shockingly great game and even better sequel. What a gem, I can't wait to replay the first one and also Death of the Outsider after this and I'll probably keep coming back to this considering the levels are like huge playgrounds. 

 

Edit: Also, something like The Clockwork Mansion is what gets me excited as a 'next gen improvement'. 

 

 

[TheLeon]

6 hours ago, Bloodporne said:

One thing that really sticks out to me about this game is just how much it does its own thing and commits to it at every turn. The architecture, art design, enemy designs, everything. The environmental storytelling is incredibly well done and it sells the fuck out of this gorgeous location that's been corrupted and turned to shit by inept government and corruption. I spend so much time in each level right now just reading lore, exploring every small apartment and room, it's a fascinating setting through and through. Just how much creativity went into this is crazy. 

Yeah, it’s some top tier world-building. I never really mess with stuff like this, but I bought the book they put out after the first game, “The Dunwall Archives” just because I liked the whole vibe of the world. Now it looks like I might have made an accidental investment, because copies are going for around $150 on eBay. 

[Bloodporne]

5 minutes ago, TheLeon said:

Yeah, it’s some top tier world-building. I never really mess with stuff like this, but I bought the book they put out after the first game, “The Dunwall Archives” just because I liked the whole vibe of the world. Now it looks like I might have made an accidental investment, because copies are going for around $150 on eBay. 

I tend to ignore all the lore notes, in this case the books, and so on in most games but Control and now this hit the spot and I end up reading every single thing. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Now play Death of the Outsider which is BETTER than Dishonored 2 in some respects and brings the story of the Outsider to a fitting close.

[Mr.Vic20]

Can't say it enough! This series is horribly undepreciated! Pearls before swine! 

[Kal-El814]

There was a really rad series of someone going absolutely apeshit on Dishonored 2 levels with a lot of powers / high chaos. I wish I could find them, they were on a ridiculous level.

[Bloodporne]

4 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Now play Death of the Outsider which is BETTER than Dishonored 2 in some respects and brings the story of the Outsider to a fitting close.

I just got to the Royal Conservatory level last night so I'm a little ways off. It'll take me a while, I'll probably go for another playthrough right after this one now that I'm actually learning how to play more efficiently. But I'll definitely buy that and then Dishonored Remastered as well afterwards.

[Bloodporne]

Just now, Kal-El814 said:

There was a really rad series of someone going absolutely apeshit on Dishonored 2 levels with a lot of powers / high chaos. I wish I could find them, they were on a ridiculous level.

I'm also apparently at High Chaos. I go full serial killer at the drop of a hat sometimes just because the gore is so satisfying. I love those nasty parry animations. 

[Kal-El814]

Here’s one of them. Spoilers if you haven’t beaten that level.

 

Also I have no idea what these powers are lol I’ve only finished Dishonored games with Mostly Flesh and Steel / Flesh and Steel, and without being seen.

 

[ShreddieMercury]

7 hours ago, Bloodporne said:

Bumping this thread because I just got into Dishonored 2 over the weekend finally and this game is ridiculously good. At least from what I remember of the first game, this improves on every angle of it. I struggle to find any drawbacks here outside of the weird and sometimes bizarre sound mix which was an issue in Prey as well. You get used to it but it was especially jarring after playing Returnal for so long. The level design especially is legitimately impressive as hell and it keeps getting better with each new area. 

 

One thing that really sticks out to me about this game is just how much it does its own thing and commits to it at every turn. The architecture, art design, enemy designs, everything. The environmental storytelling is incredibly well done and it sells the fuck out of this gorgeous location that's been corrupted and turned to shit by inept government and corruption. I spend so much time in each level right now just reading lore, exploring every small apartment and room, it's a fascinating setting through and through. Just how much creativity went into this is crazy. 

 

I bounced off the demo when it came out, and I get why, but after sticking through the learning curve, this has been a consistently shockingly great game and even better sequel. What a gem, I can't wait to replay the first one and also Death of the Outsider after this and I'll probably keep coming back to this considering the levels are like huge playgrounds. 

 

Edit: Also, something like The Clockwork Mansion is what gets me excited as a 'next gen improvement'. 

 

 

 

Since you're soaking up the world, make sure to also use the heart to listen to snippets of people's lives.  It's wild how much they included, and it helps to immerse you in the game even more.

[Firewithin]

On 5/2/2021 at 8:52 AM, Firewithin said:

give us more Dishonored Arkane you cowards!

 

[TheLeon]

 

12 minutes ago, Firewithin said:

 

They've been trapped in a DeathLoop for years now.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

2 hours ago, Firewithin said:

 

 

But don't set it in Gristol/Dunwall or Serkonos/Karnaca.

Let's go to Tyvia, Morley, or the  Pandyssian Continent.

 

 

[Bloodporne]

17 hours ago, ShreddieMercuryRising said:

 

Since you're soaking up the world, make sure to also use the heart to listen to snippets of people's lives.  It's wild how much they included, and it helps to immerse you in the game even more.

Oh I've actually been doing that rather frequently.

 

By the way, random question but is there a way to remove the HUD display constantly saying "A rune is nearby, equip the heart" to paraphrase? It's constantly on my damn screen and I've tried to disable several HUD options and it always remains.

[Bloodporne]

17 hours ago, Kal-El814 said:

Here’s one of them. Spoilers if you haven’t beaten that level.

 

Also I have no idea what these powers are lol I’ve only finished Dishonored games with Mostly Flesh and Steel / Flesh and Steel, and without being seen.

 

Jesus christ this is awesome playing. Check this out:

 

 

At this point he links the civilian that is going to be killed by the guard to other guards, what a cool little idea. Never even thought of that. 

[TheLeon]

8 hours ago, Bloodporne said:

Oh I've actually been doing that rather frequently.

 

By the way, random question but is there a way to remove the HUD display constantly saying "A rune is nearby, equip the heart" to paraphrase? It's constantly on my damn screen and I've tried to disable several HUD options and it always remains.

This was like my one complaint about the entire game. I don't remember there ever being an option to fix that. 

[Bloodporne]

13 hours ago, TheLeon said:

This was like my one complaint about the entire game. I don't remember there ever being an option to fix that. 

I don't think so either, bafflingly enough. There are a million HUD options and seemingly none of them disable that dumb prompt. Especially for a game that lets you play in these open sandboxes basically, it's weird that you can't disable that heart throbbing sound when collectibles are near and that prompt. Not a big deal but I keep thinking that heart throb sound means danger/about to be detected.

 

Did the Royal Conservatory level last night and it was so damn good once again. Those dogs and the witches are fucking scary, the whole level had a Suspiria vibe. 

[Xbob42]

Alright, it's years later but I can FINALLY get around to this one! The 3080 handled this game much better than the 1080 I replied to this thread with long ago, but it still wasn't quite there. But the 4080 runs this shit at a locked 120 at max settings like it's absolutely nothing. Which is why I was disappointed with 2 to begin with; Dishonored 1 was an easy breezy 120 FPS game on my system when it launched, so 2 being a much more demanding (and stuttery) mess just made it less appealing. Especially since even once I could get over 60 FPS (with the 3080) it still never felt properly smooth.

 

Now my patience has paid off and my first playthrough can be ultrasmooth and ultrawide to boot! Game still looks nice too, thanks to the art style. Can't wait to see some of the blurry gifs I've seen with transforming environments at full resolution and high frame rates!