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Dishonored GOTY rated in Australia
Dishonored is conjuring up a "game of the year" edition, according the Australian Classification Board. Gleaned by Gamespot, it doesn't take mystical powers bestowed by The Outsider to divine the bundle will likely include the core game, along with downloadable content Dunwall City Trials, The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches. The GOTY edition has not been officially announced and the rating also mentions it has been "modified," which we've followed up with publisher Bethesda to get more clarification about. You know, if the publisher acknowledges a Dishonored game of they year edition is actually happening.%Gallery-168654%
Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches DLC ends Daud's story with gang warfare
Arkane Studios will wrap up downloadable content plans for its stealth-action thriller, Dishonored, with the upcoming release of "The Brigmore Witches," a narrative-rich expansion that follows up on April's DLC "The Knife of Dunwall." Despite being a direct continuation of the previous DLC's storyline, The Brigmore Witches forges its own identify, introducing a new set of features for Dishonored's final chapter. In the final chapter [campaign spoilers ahead], players will once again take on the role of Daud, leader of the Whalers responsible for the assassination of Empress Jessamine. The Brigmore Witches begins with Dishonored's iconic showdown between Daud and Corvo, only this time players are in direct control of Daud's fate. The outcome may play out differently from how players saw the confrontation through Corvo's viewpoint. The Brigmore Witches then returns players to Coldridge Prison, where Daud needs to mastermind a breakout in order to further his quest for revenge. There are a variety options players have to infiltrate Coldridge as an outsider, as opposed to the captive role Corvo played in Dishonored's main storyline. The stealth route involves sneaking in through the sewer, discovering your quarry's location, and releasing their lock remotely using gathered intel. At the mission's outset, players are also given the option of disguising Daud as a visiting Overseer, which grants access to the prison's less secure entrance areas. Wander into a restricted area, however, and a battalion of armed guards will surround Daud, forcing players to use his teleportation-like Blink abilities to scale the multi-story fortress in order to escape. Players may also opt to free other prisoners in order to create diversions, as rescuing your target soon proves more difficult than expected.%Gallery-193909%
Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches casts August launch date
Dishonored's "The Brigmore Witches" will conclude the game's downloadable content plans on August 13 (August 14 for PS3 in Europe). This DLC picks up where the previous add-on pack, "The Knife of Dunwall," left off. The assassin Daud has found Delilah and will come to terms with betrayal, feuding factions and the Brigmore Witches via liberal application of an edged weapon. Skirting spoiler territory, Daud's two DLC packs take place parallel to the events of Dishonored, leading to a confrontation with the main game's protagonist Corvo Attano. Powers, weapons, upgrades and Chaos level from The Knife of Dunwall will carry over to Brigmore. The DLC is priced at $10 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. %Gallery-193909%
Dishonored slashed to $20 on Xbox Live, DLC on sale too
If you missed out on Dishonored, one of our favorite games of 2012, Xbox Live Gold members can currently grab the Xbox version for $20. DLC has been discounted too, with "Knife of Dunwall" down to $5, "Dunwall City Trials" at $2.50 and "Void Walker's Arsenal" at $2. These deals run until July 15.
Rumor: Prey 2 in hands of Dishonored developer
Bethesda's Prey 2 is rumored to be under development at Arkane Austin, the studio behind last year's excellent Dishonored. Kotaku has been tracking the winding road of Prey 2's development, along with fan site Alien Noire, who have both heard of Arkane taking over. "We don't have any new info to share on Prey 2. We don't comment on rumors," said Bethesda VP of marketing and PR Pete Hines. Bethesda stopped acknowledging the existence of Prey 2 late last year when it pulled the game from its company site. A few months prior to that the company stated Prey 2 had "not been canceled" after it removed developer Human Head over "quality standards."
Dishonored pre-order DLC gets bundled and sold May 14
Downloadable content for Dishonored, previously only made available as pre-order exclusives, are being gathered and sold in a DLC pack set to arrive later this month. 'The Void Walker's Aresenal' downloadable content bundle will arrive on May 14 for $4 (320 MS Points). The Void Walker's Arsenal includes four different bone charm bonus configurations, each designed to support a certain style of play: the Acrobatic Killer pack is for nimble assassins, with boosts to drop-down kills and increased dodging ability; the Shadow Rat pack is more for stealth, with a bonus that dampens noise when you break glass; the Backstreet Butcher pack aids in more direct conflict, providing greater whiskey bottle explosions and advantages when sword-fighting; and the Arcade Assassin pack is for mystical murderers, with increased power damage and duration. The Void Walker's Arsenal will be available on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. European PS3 players will have to wait until the following day, May 15. The full list of included content in the bundle pack is listed after the break.%Gallery-156746%
Dishonored with some The Knife of Dunwall gameplay
Dishonored's "The Knife of Dunwall" downloadable content pack is the type of meaty addition we're looking for from an expanded universe experience. If you've yet to play Dishonored and are sensitive about spoilers, we'd actually recommend not watching the above trailer, as it revolves around the the opening moments of the game. However, it's the central idea of why the assassin Daud, who you'll play in this expansion, is having a bad couple months.Daud's quest for "Delilah" will begin on April 16. It'll cost $9.99 in whale oil or its equivalent to play the add-on pack for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.%Gallery-183713%
April Fools: Dishonored creators lie about everything in their own game
Every year on April 1, the barrage of joke videos and announcements roll in, and every year, there's a clear winner in the "Oh, man, that's good" category. This year's frontrunner is a subtle, hilarious walkthrough video from Dishonored co-creators Raf Colantonio and Harvey Smith. Watch in wonderment as the pair spout off inaccuracies about their own game, all delivered in calm, professional tones.Listen for a few of our favorite lines, such as, "The thickness of the air is simulated," "This is the player's love interest," "The plants grow at real-time in the game," "For the rest of his life he has no legs," and the conversation about Fabrice's door-lighting expertise.
Dishonored's 'The Knife of Dunwall' DLC comes down in April
Dishonored will fill in one of the curiouser elements of the game's story with "The Knife of Dunwall" downloadable content pack. The add-on has players taking on the role of Daud, whose assassination of a key figure in Dunwall sets the core story of Dishonored into motion. After the murder, Daud seeks redemption and is visited by The Outsider, a morally ambiguous and ethically flexible supernatural figure.Daud will explore "never-before-seen districts" of Dunwall and search for Delilah, a new name we hadn't heard of before. He will also have access to new weapons and powers not available to the wronged Corvo Attano, the protagonist of Dishonored. The DLC will swarm Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on April 16 for $9.99 (800 MSP).%Gallery-181416%
Dishonored 'Other Side of the Coin' DLC trophies emerge
Trophies for unannounced Dishonored DLC, titled 'The Other Side of the Coin,' were tossed up onto PS3Trophies today. There are ten trophies in total, the same as for the game's first DLC, 'Dunwall City Trials,' suggesting a similar $5/400 MSP price tag for the new content.While Dunwall City Trials is a collection of challenge maps, this new DLC apparently offers a story-based campaign, with rewards for completing it in various ways. When approached about the trophy listing, a spokesperson for publisher Bethesda told us, "No comment."
This homemade Dishonored whalebone rune is cool, a little creepy
Let's say you find yourself in possession of a whale bone. What should you do with it? If you're Reddit user Ragebarf, the choice is obvious: You painstakingly create a real-world version of a whalebone rune from Dishonored.The rune design was carved with a Dremel, and the bone itself is affixed to the wooden board with leather straps. The board has been appropriately aged, as has the name plate and, if we do say so, the whole thing is very impressive. Kind of creepy, but impressive nonetheless. Check out pictures of the rune's creation from from start to finish right here.
Dishonored sneaks onto Games on Demand next week
Well, we say "sneaks" in the headline, but Dishonored could just as easily stab and/or blunderbuss its way onto Xbox Live Games on Demand – it's all a matter of personal preference, really. At any rate, Arkane Studios' whale-punk powerhouse will be available through Microsoft's digital distribution platform on Tuesday, January 29, for an indeterminate price.Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 will also be available on Games on Demand next Tuesday, accompanied by Catherine's European, Middle Eastern and Asian releases on the service. Meanwhile, Just Dance 4's "Dance Pack 4" DLC boogies onto XBLA for 240 MS Points, while various Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption DLC packs are marked down by 50 percent until January 28.So! If you've been dishonored by a dangerous hunt, or are feeling max-payne over Catherine, or were told to "just dance for redemption" at gunpoint during a bank heist, Tuesday might be an emotional trigger day for you. Otherwise, enjoy your digitally distributed whatever.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2012: Dishonored
Dishonored is a convoluted work, and key in reclaiming the word "convoluted" for the purposes of praise. Simplicity has a place in the finest games, but sometimes you just want to get wrapped up in things. A scarf metaphor might have gone here, had it not come from the paranoia induced by Dishonored's deadly contempt for unshielded necks. There's dignity and integrity to Dishonored's vision, projected from creators who have pursued their ideals with conviction. "This is what we think video games are about," says Arkane Studios. They're about being a rogue catalyst with power(s) and agency, wedged inside a tightly wound coil of combat mechanisms, traversal techniques and environments that communicate an alternate world, history and life without using words. They're about finding paths and learning how to exploit your abilities. They're about blocking a painter's view of his subject, just to be a dick. They're about emptying a safe before you sell the combination to an ignorant buyer. And yes, they're about stabbing necks and piling the attached bodies beneath the mansion's stairwell. Maids hate their lives while a vengeful assassin is on the loose.
PSA: Dishonored 'Dunwall City Trials' blinks to PC, 360 and PS3 today
Dishonored's first DLC pack, "Dunwall City Trials," is available right now on Steam and Xbox 360. It will be available later today on the PlayStation Network following the weekly update. Dunwall City Trials is priced at $5 (400 MSP) and includes "10 challenge maps" that test your supernatural assassination skills.More Dishonored DLC is expected in 2013 in the form of two story-driven add-ons. What we do know about the upcoming expansions is that supernatural assassin Daud is the second pack's focus. Bethesda has determined with the the assistance of The Outsider that the DLC will be available in "spring 2013."%Gallery-171943%
Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials trailer gets street
Having run out of creepy little girls to sing Dishonored songs in trailers, Bethesda has apparently gone down a different route. We leave it up to you if this is an improvement. Be prepared, it sets off at the :38 mark.
Dishonored sales exceed Bethesda's expectations
The sales of Dishonored thus far have been high enough for Bethesda to consider it the beginning of a new franchise, the company has told Destructoid. Bethesda VP of marketing Pete Hines said that Dishonored is "far exceeding our sales expectations." He added that the game did "terrific numbers again" over Thanksgiving weekend, both at retail and also via Steam, where it was the best selling game over the weekend. Overseas sales have been strong as well. "Clearly we have a new franchise," said Hines.Bethesda didn't disclose specific sales numbers, though we do know that it moved 460,200 boxed copies of Dishonored in North America during its launch month of October, an impressive number for a new IP launching at the beginning of the crowded holiday shopping season. Factor in overseas sales, Black Friday and digital sales, and Dishonored looks to be a hit.
'Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials' DLC dated for Dec. 11
Dishonored invites players to participate in the "Dunwall City Trials" on December 11. The first add-on pack for the game includes "10 challenge maps," that publisher Bethesda notes will have players battle waves of various enemies, test their supernatural assassination skills and "take out targets in a non-stop run of drop assassinations."Dunwall City Trials will cost $5 (400 MSP) and will be available worldwide in two weeks for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.Bethesda previously stated Dishonored would add a second and third DLC pack in 2013, with the future content focusing on story-driven elements. Supernatural assassin Daud will be the focus of the second pack, which the publisher mentioned would be available in "spring 2013."%Gallery-171943%
NPD: Dishonored sold 460K in October, XCOM hit 114K
October had two scrappy underdogs in Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The meticulous murder-em-up sold 460,200 units, according to the NPD, while the XCOM revamp from Firaxis sold 114,000 units.Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown launched on October 9 for Xbox 360, PS3, PC and through digital distribution, and later shared shelf space with big hitters like Assassin's Creed 3, NBA 2K13, Forza Horizon and NBA Baller Beats (kidding).The NPD only chronicles boxed retail sales in North America, so we don't have a full picture of the sales performance of either Dishonored or XCOM: Enemy Unknown. We already followed up with 2K for XCOM specifics, but the publisher told us it does not "comment on sales figures."
Meeting Atypical Aliens and Assassins
You're reading Reaction Time, a weekly column that claims to examine recent events, games and trends in the industry, but is really just looking for an excuse to use the word "zeitgeist." It debuts on Fridays in Engadget's digital magazine, Distro. This holiday's unceasing glut of games is a go, with store shelves making room for the onslaught of snarling aliens, sneering assassins, and slow-mo soldiers walking away from large explosions – or sometimes partially melted helicopters. These are the usual, commercially sexy suspects.It's best not to judge a game by its cover, though, and this week's front-facing embellishments are exceptionally deceptive. At a shallow glance, XCOM: Enemy Unknown may seem like another case of meathead military dudes mowing down extraterrestrials. Dishonored, meanwhile, conveys a stylish stab-a-thon with its masked, supernaturally talented anti-hero out for revenge. Look longer and you'll find that both have roots in classic PC gaming, and both sell something console owners might not even know they want.
Dishonored devs sneaking off to Austin tonight to sign game copies
If you're going to pick up a copy of Dishonored tonight, and if your want that copy signed by the developers behind it, and if you live anywhere near Austin, then boy are you in the right post. That's because Arkane Studios staff, including co-creative directors Harvey Smith and Raphael Colantonio, are signing copies of the game tonight in the Texan team's hometown.
