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Dishonored: Death of The Outsider |OT| The Other Side of The Coin

Kazuhira

Member
That's my dilemma when it comes with stealth games,perfect playthoughts with 0 kills,ghosting etc are like the only way to play for me.
I have this sense of failure when i start killing,i kinda goes against the genre itself imo..i mean,what's the point of playing a stealth game if i'm going to expose myself and kill everyone? haha.
This is not exclusive to Dishonored but non-lethal approachs tend to be more boring and repetitive,It's always like "you fucked up then reload and try do it again",it's more like a test of memory than skill.
There's a huge sense of satisfaction when you finish a mission perfectly but in the end,it was more frustating than fun.
The chaos system didn't bother me one bit,it barely changes anything in the end..you dont't lose like a secret boss or something because you went full letal or viceversa.
These are self-imposed restrictions because of my need to do it perfectly,not by this moral system,i wasn't like "oh shoot..if i kill this guy,the story will change for worse".
I can't put my finger on it but the perfectionism i associate with the genre is kinda of a bitch sometimes haha.
 
I've got no problem with the Chaos system, but have to admit, knowing that its not there in this new release does feel liberating.

I've tried and tried and tried again to enjoy Dishonored by tackling it high chaos, or even panther style (kill everything with no detections), but it just loses so much of its challenge, and you don't have to pay as much attention to the environment so I miss a lot of the details that I'd pick up on from creeping in ghost runs.

Guess I'll try again here though. Will try panther to start out, since Billie seems like a badass that way.
 
I want to try to do a playthrough where I rely a TON on being disguised as other people. Robust face-stealing is something I've wanted in a videogame for eeeeeeever.
 

CHC

Member
By the way, a fun play style in Dishonored 2 (and this, so far) is non-lethal but not-very-stealthy.

It's aided a lot by the fact that you can do mid-combat drop attacks off of simple objects like tables, benches, and shelves. You basically just sneak up to your enemies then pounce like Batman and let loose a flurry of knockout drop attacks, sleep darts, stun mines, and whatever else you can find (chloroform bottles, etc). Couple it with powers like domino or time stop and it's a real hoot.
 
Somehow I find the *heavy-ass* restriction of never ever killing or knocking out enemies and never being detected way more fun than just regular stealth/nonlethal - you've got to be super careful with the way you make your way through each level in order to basically never even encounter an NPC. Stealth/lethal is also more fun. So is unstealthy/nonlethal.

Honestly I guess it's mainly that just running around choking people out and sleep darting them is easily the least fun way to play Dishonored, and pure high chaos is often just too easy.
 
I've always played the games multiple times.

First play through is typically a strong emphasis on stealth, passive, and trying to do "the good things," e.g., "low chaos" in Dishonored, but if I mess up, I mess up and I'm fine with that. Not so much to avoid having to deal with more guards or whatever, but just because that's what I naturally lean towards. I'm not against violence in games but if I have an option to avoid direct conflict that's what I'm taking. I also go for a lot of collectibles but don't over do it... If I miss something and Im at the end of a level, I'm not going to back track and get it. While I try to be good here, if I fuck up and need to kill someone or make a mistake, then I'll just do it, rather than save spam.

Second play through is usually insane high chaos just to see how fucked up the world gets. I'll also try and get some achievements and stuff in this run, or try things I haven't tried before. High kill, kill as many guards and people who deserve it as possible, and make the general public fear me. I had a blast doing this with Emily in Dishonored 2 and made the narrative for myself that watching her mother be killed and growing up in the midst of a plague made her have no empathy for human life, basically a benevolent sociopathic dictator.

And then my third play through is 100% ghost, 100% stealth, 100% good, save spamming whenever I fuck something up. I usually try to get the weird achievements here too like getting all of the paintings, cash, robbing the guy 3 times, etc. ANy weird environmental achievements I'll do in this play through... Like the achievement of falling from the highest spot in Addemire and surviving, and stuff.

Then I might play specific levels to make creative kills and just mess with the AI.

Somehow I find the *heavy-ass* restriction of never ever killing or knocking out enemies and never being detected way more fun than just regular stealth/nonlethal - you've got to be super careful with the way you make your way through each level in order to basically never even encounter an NPC. Stealth/lethal is also more fun. So is unstealthy/nonlethal.

Honestly I guess it's mainly that just running around choking people out and sleep darting them is easily the least fun way to play Dishonored, and pure high chaos is often just too easy.

Same pretty much, it turns every level, every encounter into such a puzzle for me that I love it. Also when you don't sleep dart enemies, you end up having to use other resources much more like mana in past Dishonored.
 

Dance Inferno

Unconfirmed Member
Yes! Has the same sort of design principles as Dishonored with a cool sci-fi aesthetic. I thought it was great. Still my GotY right now.

Prey is one of the best games of the last five years.

Umm, to each their own I guess. I thought the first 5-10 hours of Prey were phenomenal, but then the terrible combat system reared its ugly head, and combined with the endless backtracking I spent most of the final 10-15 hours simply sprinting through areas to avoid having to engage in clunky combat against mundane enemies.

I've always played the games multiple times.

First play through is typically a strong emphasis on stealth, passive, and trying to do "the good things," e.g., "low chaos" in Dishonored, but if I mess up, I mess up and I'm fine with that. Not so much to avoid having to deal with more guards or whatever, but just because that's what I naturally lean towards. I'm not against violence in games but if I have an option to avoid direct conflict that's what I'm taking. I also go for a lot of collectibles but don't over do it... If I miss something and Im at the end of a level, I'm not going to back track and get it. While I try to be good here, if I fuck up and need to kill someone or make a mistake, then I'll just do it, rather than save spam.

Second play through is usually insane high chaos just to see how fucked up the world gets. I'll also try and get some achievements and stuff in this run, or try things I haven't tried before. High kill, kill as many guards and people who deserve it as possible, and make the general public fear me. I had a blast doing this with Emily in Dishonored 2 and made the narrative for myself that watching her mother be killed and growing up in the midst of a plague made her have no empathy for human life, basically a benevolent sociopathic dictator.

And then my third play through is 100% ghost, 100% stealth, 100% good, save spamming whenever I fuck something up. I usually try to get the weird achievements here too like getting all of the paintings, cash, robbing the guy 3 times, etc. ANy weird environmental achievements I'll do in this play through... Like the achievement of falling from the highest spot in Addemire and surviving, and stuff.

Then I might play specific levels to make creative kills and just mess with the AI.

I'm like you except I don't do your first run. My first playthrough is high chaos, explore the maps fully and if anyone sees me I have no qualms going loud and murdering everyone within earshot. This way I can get a lay of the land, explore the levels and the lore, without worrying about screwing up my stealth run. Then my second run is usually 100% ghost / clean hands / all collectibles, since I already have a good sense for the maps and the missions. Plus, the first run usually makes me interested in seeing what a non-lethal elimination would look like for specific characters. After that I just do whatever I'm in the mood for at the time.
 
Same pretty much, it turns every level, every encounter into such a puzzle for me that I love it. Also when you don't sleep dart enemies, you end up having to use other resources much more like mana in past Dishonored.

I think DotU's constant mana/void energy regen (instead of keeping mana as a finite resource) is a GREAT move for the basic mechanics of the franchise, and I'm glad they're getting really experimental with some of the weapons and devices in Billie's arsenal too. I feel like this game's really helping to lay the experimental groundwork for an even more polished and varied/interactive Dishonored 3 someday. I'd love to see Dishonored get a dense hub overworld like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided someday.

At this point, I feel like the only Dishonored mechanics that feel uninteresting/unpolished are the bone charms - most of them just don't feel interesting or consequential enough.
 

Stoze

Member
That's my dilemma when it comes with stealth games,perfect playthoughts with 0 kills,ghosting etc are like the only way to play for me.
I have this sense of failure when i start killing,i kinda goes against the genre itself imo..i mean,what's the point of playing a stealth game if i'm going to expose myself and kill everyone? haha.
This is not exclusive to Dishonored but non-lethal approachs tend to be more boring and repetitive,It's always like "you fucked up then reload and try do it again",it's more like a test of memory than skill.
There's a huge sense of satisfaction when you finish a mission perfectly but in the end,it was more frustating than fun.
The chaos system didn't bother me one bit,it barely changes anything in the end..you dont't lose like a secret boss or something because you went full letal or viceversa.
These are self-imposed restrictions because of my need to do it perfectly,not by this moral system,i wasn't like "oh shoot..if i kill this guy,the story will change for worse".
I can't put my finger on it but the perfectionism i associate with the genre is kinda of a bitch sometimes haha.
Just let go man, embrace the improvisation of getting caught. Forget about achievements and ghost runs. You should try making yourself play Ironman where you never reload, or limit yourself to 1 load per mission or something.

I've definitely come to realize how much savescumming has sapped experiences from me in previous years, being more adamant about playing things out has greatly improved games like this and XCOM for me.
By the way, a fun play style in Dishonored 2 (and this, so far) is non-lethal but not-very-stealthy.

It's aided a lot by the fact that you can do mid-combat drop attacks off of simple objects like tables, benches, and shelves. You basically just sneak up to your enemies then pounce like Batman and let loose a flurry of knockout drop attacks, sleep darts, stun mines, and whatever else you can find (chloroform bottles, etc). Couple it with powers like domino or time stop and it's a real hoot.
Yep, I've seen a lot of peeps project Dishonored 1's lack of choice when it comes to non-lethal onto the sequel when that's not even remotely the case. Dishonored 2 is such a major upgrade in terms of tools you have at your disposal regardless of play style. Also people don't seem to realize non-lethal and stealth aren't one in the same, "non-lethal chaos" is a blast.
 
Yep, I've seen a lot of peeps project Dishonored 1's lack of choice when it comes to non-lethal onto the sequel when that's not even remotely the case. Dishonored 2 is such a major upgrade in terms of tools you have at your disposal regardless of play style. Also people don't seem to realize non-lethal and stealth aren't one in the same, "non-lethal chaos" is a blast.

The only thing I can think of is being able to non leathal attack from jumping on to a guy and the kick-to-choke while in combat.

Not downplaying these though, they are incredibly useful and were desperately needed for proper non-lethal playthroughs in D1 IMO.
 

Stoze

Member
The only thing I can think of is being able to non leathal attack from jumping on to a guy and the kick-to-choke while in combat.

Not downplaying these though, they are incredibly useful and were desperately needed for proper non-lethal playthroughs in D1 IMO.
You forgot the slide knockout/kill which is probably the best move in the game, along with some other stuff. Here's a decent list from the D2 OT:
Here's a list of some stuff you can do for non lethal (cross posting a post of mine):
-Domino knockouts
-far reach pulling people + knockout
-strength buff allows knocking people out by throwing objects at them
-ether bottles putting people and bloodflies asleep
-Sliding moves
-parry and/or throat jabs and grabs
-aerial non-lethal takedowns
-kicking their face when down
-grabbing others and launching them at others
-Doppelganger + other power trickery
-Shooting limbs to slow down or make people trip
-Howler darts
-stun mines
-Mesmerize power panic inducing/memory loss
-shadow crawl knockouts
-possessions
-and more
 
Do we know *which* Dishonored 2 skills are available in Original Game+ yet? I know they've said it won't be all of them.

Domino and Blink better be there though. And I'm hoping you can upgrade the Void Power meter/regeneration enough that OG+ lets you go completely hog wild with powers and basically never run out of mana.
 
Mission 2 is perfect so far. I've been exploring it for 2 hours and still have only 1 contract complete. I'll probably get another hour out of it.

If just one more mission is as good as this, then I'll have gotten my money out of DotO. So I'm far I'm very pleased.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the lack of runes and leveling powers. If someone has spoilers about this feel free to let me know.


Edit: more specifically I'm wondering about when I can begin
bone charm crafting.
 

CHC

Member
Gah! sooo if anyone is impatient and wants to open that first safe go here. Lot's of good stuff in there:

https://youtu.be/YY051V2m3Wc

Without spoiling it explicitly I'll just say that seasoned immersive sim players should be able to guess the code before finding it. It's a bit of an "iconic" sequence of numbers.

Do we know *which* Dishonored 2 skills are available in Original Game+ yet? I know they've said it won't be all of them.

Domino and Blink better be there though. And I'm hoping you can upgrade the Void Power meter/regeneration enough that OG+ lets you go completely hog wild with powers and basically never run out of mana.

I have no idea but to me, domino, blink, bend time, and possession are Dishonored's most fun and utilitarian abilities.
 
Mission 2 is perfect so far. I've been exploring it for 2 hours and still have only 1 contract complete. I'll probably get another hour out of it.

If just one more mission is as good as this, then I'll have gotten my money out of DotO. So I'm far I'm very pleased.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the lack of runes and leveling powers. If someone has spoilers about this feel free to let me know.

You don't level up your powers? Or, like, your jumping abilities?

Huh. Interesting.
 
Do we know *which* Dishonored 2 skills are available in Original Game+ yet? I know they've said it won't be all of them.

Domino and Blink better be there though. And I'm hoping you can upgrade the Void Power meter/regeneration enough that OG+ lets you go completely hog wild with powers and basically never run out of mana.

From what I read:
Billie's powers are replaced with Blink, Dark Vision and Domino.

You don't level up your powers? Or, like, your jumping abilities?

Huh. Interesting.

Edit: Not as of yet for me. I did get lucky and find an agility bone charm that lets me jump similar to upgraded agility. I'm glad too because that is always the first thing I upgrade in every playthrough.
 
From what I read:
Billie's powers are replaced with Blink, Dark Vision and Domino.

Replaced, eh? Interesting, and kinda too bad. But I'll have to play the game to see what it's like. I totally want to use Domino and those magnet mines to yank an entire room of guards into pieces.
 

valeu

Member
oh man, this game is cool. i really like billie as a character - rosario dawson does a great job with her voice acting - and her motivation and main objective are super exciting. i'm playing non-lethal. i made a decision recently not to kill people or animals in games anymore (robots and zombies are ok) so this game is perfect. i get to be a badass in a videogame and not kill anyone. (although i released some dogs that killed people; the game says i played mission one without killing, but i know i'm responsible).
 

Turnstyle

Member
So, if you're playing a no kill run, can you NOT complete all the
contracts
? Because a lot of them are
hits.

I was pleased that
killing the dog
in the contract for level 1 didn't count at least...
 
Game is feeling more like Deus Ex/ Thief exploration rather than Dishonored's pure stealth design. Feeling kind of limited so far though. The game doesn't give many hints and I keep coming up on chokepoints or otherwise areas that seem impassable without Displace.

Royal Conservatory again
!? (level spoiler)

C'mon guys!

Knife of Dunwall and Brigmore Witches both did, so I guess it's just TRADITION at this point.
 

CHC

Member
Game is feeling more like Deus Ex/ Thief exploration rather than Dishonored's pure stealth design. Feeling kind of limited so far though. The game doesn't give many hints and I keep coming up on chokepoints or otherwise areas that seem impassable without Displace.

Yeah definitely agree. It feels like there are a lot more places with only one entrance / problems with one or maybe two solutions, and the first major level (Mission 2) feels more "wide" than "deep." It wasn't bad, just wasn't the usual level of intricacy that Dishonored offers.

The
bank
level is amazing, though.

Knife of Dunwall and Brigmore Witches both did, so I guess it's just TRADITION at this point.

Yeah it just feels kind of disappointing given that Mission 1
is super tiny
, Mission 2
doesn't really have a major "setpiece"
and Mission 3
reuses a lot of Mission 2 for its early parts
. The
bank
proper is outrageously good, though.
 

Bad7667

Member
Finally beat mission 2. Took me around 2 hours. But thats mostly me messing with the new powers and trying random things. Still, I am really enjoying this game. The contracts are a neat addition to the dishonored mission objectives. They kinda feel like the contracts mode in Hitman.

Mission 2 spoliers
I really liked the Nonlethal way you can eliminate one of the targets by exposing him of murder using the journalist. Very cool.
 

usp84

Member
I had to stop playing in the middle of mission 2.

I love it.The new powers are very interesting and as always the levels are fun to explore.
 

CHC

Member
Can't wait to start this tonight.

Just thought: given the set-up, is a no powers run possible...?

Well, you get the powers automatically, like Dishonored 1. I can't think of any time you MUST use the powers, but believe me when I say that the last level is probably one of the hardest in the whole series. The enemy density is out of control and the layout is.... unconvential.
 

Necron

Member
By the way, a fun play style in Dishonored 2 (and this, so far) is non-lethal but not-very-stealthy.

It's aided a lot by the fact that you can do mid-combat drop attacks off of simple objects like tables, benches, and shelves. You basically just sneak up to your enemies then pounce like Batman and let loose a flurry of knockout drop attacks, sleep darts, stun mines, and whatever else you can find (chloroform bottles, etc). Couple it with powers like domino or time stop and it's a real hoot.

Played Dishonored 2 this way and it was really fun. Emily was basically Batman in my play through. Got a trophy for not killing anyone as well.
 
I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm only barely through a bit of mission 2. Loving the verticality of that level already right at the start.

They also knock the lore out of the park right away. Makes Dishonored 2 feel consequential.

It is kinda weird how damn spot on the writing is in notes and letters, but then then character spoken writing is still that campy cheesy Dishonored 1 writing we've all known (which I've never minded but it's a little lame)
 
Anybody here already finish the game? I am wondering how long it is. I am still really enjoying it even though I spent a really long time in the second mission. Lots to explore.
 
So, if you're playing a no kill run, can you NOT complete all the contracts?
I'm going to assume this isn't a spoiler, since it's been featured heavily in the game's promotional material.

I want to know this, too.

Mission 2's contract wording is explicit. I've been trying to do a no kill run, but I'm still trying to figure out a few of the contract's puzzles. I managed to complete one, but it was inherently a no-kill contract.

I've got 4 hours in and I'm not finished with Mission 2. I am in love with this game! I've been exploring, trying to figure out contracts, and taking me time at tackling the mission objectives. This franchise has been so outstanding and it has garnered multiple playthroughs for me, which is a rarity; I normally consume and then move on.
 
I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm only barely through a bit of mission 2. Loving the verticality of that level already right at the start.

They also knock the lore out of the park right away. Makes Dishonored 2 feel consequential.

It is kinda weird how damn spot on the writing is in notes and letters, but then then character spoken writing is still that campy cheesy Dishonored 1 writing we've all known (which I've never minded but it's a little lame)
I always thought that the noblity and higher ranked characters were better well spoken, but you deal with a lot of fanatical zealots, street thugs, and guards, so the pulpy dialogue from them seemed to make sense IMO. Those arent the kind of people writing the kinds of notes, logs, and book excerpts you find. At least that's how I justified it in my head
 

lcap

Member
Guys, are there any PS4 Pro enhancements on this one? Or is it like D2 that has no supersampling on 1080 TVs.
 

taoofjord

Member
I love the Dishonored series to death and I'm so happy to be playing this. Two missions in and its pure quality so far. Looks so amazing maxed out at 1440p and 120hz.
 
I always thought that the noblity and higher ranked characters were better well spoken, but you deal with a lot of fanatical zealots, street thugs, and guards, so the pulpy dialogue from them seemed to make sense IMO. Those arent the kind of people writing the kinds of notes, logs, and book excerpts you find. At least that's how I justified it in my head

Good point. Also people don't generally write the same way they speak and vice versa. The written word is different from the spoken word because we take more time to think about how to say things.
 

Truant

Member
So there's no in game way to discover the code to the first safe, right? That must suck for people not in the know.
 

DukeBobby

Member
So there's no in game way to discover the code to the first safe, right? That must suck for people not in the know.

You have to pickpocket the bookmaker near the boxing ring to get the code.

Well, not literally the code, but a big hint anyway.
 
So there's no in game way to discover the code to the first safe, right? That must suck for people not in the know.
I really scoured the place and couldn't find it anywhere. That's not to say it isn't around /somewhere/.
Mission 2's contract wording is explicit. I've been trying to do a no kill run, but I'm still trying to figure out a few of the contract's puzzles. I managed to complete one, but it was inherently a no-kill contract.
I forgot to add, I am going for a 100% stealth run. That's making these contracts even more difficult. Again, I've only managed to crack one contract in Mission 2 without being seen.
 

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
Well, you get the powers automatically, like Dishonored 1. I can't think of any time you MUST use the powers, but believe me when I say that the last level is probably one of the hardest in the whole series. The enemy density is out of control and the layout is.... unconvential.

That sounds like an awesome challenge to me :)
 

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
That sounds like A LOT of save scumming to me ;)

Haha!

I usually do a self-imposed Hitman save system, like 3-4 saves per level.

...Usually :)

I was pleased that
killing the dog
in the contract for level 1 didn't count at least...

Thanks for this. That's a definite, yeah? I managed to sneak five minutes earlier (haven't even got off the boat), saw that contract and was umming and ahing whether it would count.
 
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