Dishonored
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The blubber-based world of Dishonored
In a video diary posted on CVG (along with a few new screens), Arkane co-creative director Raphael Colantonio introduced the setting behind Dishonored -- a "retro-futuristic" world based on London of 1666. And as such, all the futuristic and offensive technology found in the game world is powered by ... whale oil. On top of that, you have "spells" and abilities that allow you to possess people and animals and warp from place to place. Colantonio outlined an emergent gameplay mechanic discovered by testers, in which the player uses a "stop time" spell right when an enemy fires, then possesses that enemy, and walks him in front of his own bullet before exiting the body and restarting time. We think we saw something like that on an episode of Out of this World.
First screenshot from Dishonored shows off swordplay
Game Informer has posted the first screenshot from Dishonored, the new stealth/action IP from Arkane Studios. As you can see by the gun, sword and garb, the title takes place in an early industrial world -- one with some fantasy twists. Players will be cast Corvo, a talented (and somewhat supernatural) former bodyguard who's wrongly imprisoned for the murder of an Empress he was supposed to be protecting. Like Thief and Deus Ex, also games made by Dishonored co-creative director Harvey Smith, the title will be built around a series of open-ended tasks involving stealth and combat. Game Informer mentions using "mobility, powers and gadgets, environment, and AI" to affect the gameplay, and letting the player do things like stop time to distract guards, or summon a rat swarm, and then "possessing" one of the rats to sneak away. Our interest is piqued, but don't let the excitement get the best of you, just yet -- the game isn't due out until sometime next year.
Dishonored is Arkane's next title, with Deus Ex and Half-Life 2 veterans
Bethesda announced its acquisition of Arkane Studios at last year's QuakeCon in August, and Arkane CEO Raphael Colantonio promised to reveal the game in the future, "including at QuakeCon." While we may have been incorrect in thinking Colantonio meant last year's QuakeCon, we're pretty sure this year's event will have more info. You see, it's the cover of Game Informer's August issue. Meet Dishonored, the latest project from the studio that delivered Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, and the never-released The Crossing. With a creative team that includes Colantonio, Harvey Smith, of Deus Ex fame, and Viktor Antonov, the artist behind Half-Life 2's celebrated City 17, it's going to be tough to remain journalistically impartial. Want to know what it's all about? We'll let Game Informer do the talking here since, well ... they've actually seen it: Dishonored is the antithesis of a edge-of-your-seat roller-coaster ride. It's a game about assassination where you don't have to kill anyone. It's a game about infiltration where you can set up traps and slaughter the entire garrison of an aristocrat's mansion rather than sneak in. It's a game about brutal violence where you can slip in and out of a fortified barracks with nobody ever knowing you were there. It's a game about morality and player choice where the world you create is based on your actions, not navigating conversation trees. Okay, that's hitting all our spots, but years of chronic disappointment have taught us to temper our expectations. Deus Ex designer coupled with Half-Life 2 artist backed by Bethesda's deep pockets? Nope, we're not going to budge. [Update: The press release just hit the wires, and has a few more details. Dishonored is being developed for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Like many of Bethesda's other games, the PC release will support Games for Windows. Finally, it's scheduled for release sometime in 2012. Full presser can be found after the break.]
Zenimax trademark 'Dishonored' points to potential new game
Bethesda Softworks parent company Zenimax has filed for an extension of a trademark for a potential new game called Dishonored. System Link just found the trademark, which extends to a few domain registrations -- all signs point to this being an unannounced game right now. Everything else at this point is speculation, though we're fairly certain that Bethesda and id aren't involved -- both have Skyrim and Rage to worry about at present. Zenimax does own several other studios, however, including Machinegames Sweden AB, Tango Gameworks, Arkane Studios and Vir2L Studios, any of whom could be tapped for this project. Finally, let's not forget Zenimax Online Studios, the parent company's MMO developer formed in 2007 ... right around when the trademark was first filed. Coincidence?
Arkane Studios acquired by Zenimax; new project to be announced soon
Even Bethesda can't resist releasing some (tangentially) BioShock-related news today. During QuakeCon, Bethesda's Pete Hines announced that parent company Zenimax has acquired Arkane Studios, who most recently worked on level design for BioShock 2. The developer is also responsible for Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. At the keynote, Arkane CEO Raphael Colantonio expressed his delight at being in the same company as id Software and Bethesda Softworks, and teased an unannounced game to be shown in the future, "including at QuakeCon." Which is, in fact, right now. So we'll find out about the product of this union really soon.
