Dishonored Special Edition

Dishonored Special Edition is a comprehensive package of the acclaimed 2012 action-adventure stealth game set in the plague-ridden industrial city of Dunwall, where players control Corvo Attano, a framed bodyguard turned assassin seeking revenge against conspirators who murdered the Empress. Empowered by supernatural abilities from the mysterious Outsider, Corvo navigates immersive levels with freedom to choose stealth, combat, or non-lethal approaches, with the edition including the base game, Arcane Assassin Pack DLC, and exclusive tarot cards for the in-game Nancy card game.

Dishonored Special Edition: Review

Introduction

Imagine a plague-ravaged city where whale oil powers towering mechanical monstrosities, supernatural forces whisper through the shadows, and every choice—from a merciful chokehold to a brutal sword thrust—ripples across a crumbling empire. Dishonored Special Edition, released in 2012 by Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks, bundles the groundbreaking base game with the Arcane Assassin Pack DLC and a physical deck of tarot cards for the in-game game of Nancy, offering an enhanced entry into one of gaming’s most inventive worlds. As a cornerstone of the immersive sim genre, it revives the spirit of Deus Ex and Thief in a steampunk dystopia, emphasizing unparalleled player agency. My thesis: This Special Edition not only cements Dishonored‘s legacy as a masterpiece of emergent gameplay and reactive storytelling but also stands as a timeless testament to how video games can empower players to author their own narratives of revenge, mercy, and chaos.

Development History & Context

Arkane Studios, founded by Raphaël Colantonio and bolstered by Deus Ex veteran Harvey Smith as co-creative director, crafted Dishonored amid a 2012 gaming landscape dominated by linear blockbusters like Call of Duty and open-world sprawls like Skyrim. Acquired by ZeniMax (Bethesda’s parent) in 2010, Arkane’s Lyon and Austin teams spent over two years in pre-production, iterating on a fresh IP after Bethesda requested something original. Viktor Antonov (Half-Life 2‘s City 17 designer) and art director Sébastien Mitton shaped Dunwall’s retro-futuristic aesthetic, drawing from 19th-century London and Edinburgh’s fog-shrouded alleys, while ditching early concepts like medieval Japan and 1666 plague-era London for a fictional industrial nightmare fueled by whale oil.

Technological constraints of Unreal Engine 3 demanded clever level design: self-contained, vertically layered missions that supported “analog AI” and player exploits rather than railroading them. Test players broke powers like Blink (teleportation) by chaining them with jumps; Arkane embraced this, redesigning levels to reward creativity over restriction. The era’s stealth renaissance—post-Thief hiatus—positioned Dishonored as a rebel against QTE-heavy action games, prioritizing simulationist depth. The Special Edition, launching October 12, 2012, on Windows (followed by consoles), added the Arcane Assassin Pack’s cosmetic assassin gear and runes, plus tarot cards, sweetening the deal for collectors amid a market craving replayable, choice-driven experiences.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot Overview

Dishonored unfolds in Dunwall, capital of the Empire of the Isles, where rat-borne plague and whale oil-fueled tech breed corruption. Protagonist Corvo Attano (silent, player-projected) returns from a diplomatic voyage to witness Empress Jessamine Kaldwin’s assassination by whale-masked assassins led by Daud (Michael Madsen). Framed by spymaster Hiram Burrows (now Lord Regent), Corvo endures six months in Coldridge Prison before Loyalists—led by Admiral Havelock (John Slattery), inventor Piero (Brad Dourif), MP Treavor Pendleton, boatman Samuel (Ryan Cutrona), Overseer Martin, and maid Callista (Lena Headey)—free him. The Outsider (Billy Lush), a god-devil figure, brands Corvo with powers via a talking Heart artifact, tasking him (ambiguously) with vengeance.

Missions target the conspiracy: poison High Overseer Campbell, rescue Emily Kaldwin (Chloë Grace Moretz) from the Golden Cat brothel while neutralizing the Pendleton Twins, abduct genius Sokolov, unmask Lady Boyle at her masked ball, confront Burrows in Dunwall Tower, evade Daud in the Flooded District, and storm Kingsparrow Reservoir. Twists reveal Loyalist betrayal—Havelock poisons Corvo (Samuel spares him)—culminating in a chaotic or orderly finale where Emily’s fate hinges on player chaos.

Characters and Dialogue

Corvo’s mute canvas lets players embody avenger or ghost. The Outsider’s amoral whispers probe free will; Granny Rags (Susan Sarandon), a deranged ex-aristocrat, embodies fallen nobility in side-quests pitting her against gangster Slackjaw. Star voices—Susan Sarandon, Carrie Fisher (propaganda loudspeakers), Lena Headey—elevate terse, interruptible dialogue. Ambient chatter humanizes guards (“Did you hear? The Empress is dead!”), while books and audiographs unpack lore like Burrows importing plague to cull the poor.

Themes: Chaos, Choice, and Power

No good-evil binary: the Chaos system tracks kills, alarms, and civilian deaths, birthing high-chaos horrors (rat swarms, weepers) or low-chaos hope. Themes interrogate revenge’s cycle—violence begets betrayal (Samuel flares you in high chaos)—and power’s corruption (Burrows’ eugenics, Havelock’s regicide). Non-lethal paths (branding Campbell, enslaving Pendletons) yield poetic justice, questioning mercy’s efficacy in dystopia. Endings vary: low-chaos Emily’s golden age buries Corvo beside Jessamine; high-chaos tyranny or exile. The Special Edition’s DLC teases Daud’s redemption arc, deepening moral ambiguity.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loops and Combat

First-person stealth-action shines in 13 missions’ sandboxes: verticality (rooftops, sewers) invites Blink-chaining, Possession (inhabit rats/fish), Devouring Swarm, Bend Time (slow/freeze), Windblast, Dark Vision, and Shadow Kill. Sword (right hand), crossbow/grenades/pistols (left) enable lethal/non-lethal takedowns. Upgrades via runes (powers), coins (gadgets like springrazors), and bone charms (perks) demand exploration—impossible to max in one playthrough.

Chaos alters patrols, dialogue, and endings without punishing styles: violence burns mana/potions faster, stealth conserves. UI is minimalist—wolf mask overlays stats—prioritizing immersion. Flaws: finicky combat (staggering foes), uneven AI (peripheral blindness), but innovations like randomized Boyle targets force adaptation.

Progression and UI

Hound Pits hub evolves: upgrade Piero’s gadgets, eavesdrop Loyalists. Four difficulties tweak potion efficacy/AI; easy adds regen. Special Edition’s Arcane Pack grants early runes/gear (assassin suits, bone charm slots), easing progression without trivializing.

Mechanic	Strengths	Weaknesses
Powers	Combinatorial emergence (Blink + rats)	Mana limits high-cost uses
Stealth	Leaning, keyholes, distractions	Inconsistent detection cones
Chaos	Reactive world (rats, betrayals)	Subtle in low chaos
Progression	Runes/charms scattered organically	Replay needed for full tree

World-Building, Art & Sound

Dunwall’s “retro-futuristic industrial” marvel—spires, Walls of Light, Tallboys (stilted enforcers)—evokes Grimshaw’s nocturnal London paintings, Doré’s urban grit. Mitton’s hand-drawn art (rich/poor morphologies: guards’ ape-like postures) and Antonov’s Lovecraftian containment (Edinburgh alleys from rat’s-eye view) birth a lived-in canvas: graffiti-scarred bricks, overturned carts, weeper hovels. Verticality rewards exploration—hidden paths reveal audiographs on whale oil’s rise, Overseer zealotry.

Daniel Licht’s violin-drenched, reversed-sound score evokes “evil fog,” unsettling without cueing danger. Ambient barks (“The Drunken Whaler” shanty) and propaganda (Fisher/Berger) immerse; high-chaos storms amplify dread. Special Edition preserves this fidelity, with DLC assets blending seamlessly.

Reception & Legacy

Critically adored (Metacritic: 91 PC, 89 PS3, 88 Xbox 360), Dishonored swept 2012 awards: Spike VGA Best Action-Adventure, BAFTA Best Game, Edge/PC Gamer GOTY nods. Sales topped 460k US October units, #1 Steam Thanksgiving, spawning franchise (GOTY/Definitive Editions, Dishonored 2, Death of the Outsider, Deathloop). MobyGames notes 5/5 player score (sparse reviews). Praised for freedom (“Deus Ex + BioShock”—Kotaku), critiqued for abrupt finale/AI hiccups.

Influence: Revived immersive sims (Prey 2017), inspired choice-driven reactivity (Hitman). Special Edition’s tarot adds collector appeal; Definitive Edition (2015) modernized graphics. Legacy: Greatest games lists (IGN #97 all-time, RPS decade best), tabletop RPG (2020).

Conclusion

Dishonored Special Edition transcends its era, delivering a sandbox of moral alchemy where players forge Dunwall’s fate. Exhaustive yet elegant, its systems interlock like whalebone runes, birthing emergent tales from stealth ghosts to chaos lords. Flaws—clunky fights, lore-dense books—pale against triumphs in agency and atmosphere. As gaming history’s pinnacle of player sovereignty, it earns a definitive 10/10: essential, replayable, revolutionary—a plague on mediocrity, curing interactive fiction’s ills. Play it, possess it, bend its time forever.