Review Roundup – Dishonored "is one of the greatest games this generation"

Bethesda’s Dishonored has staked its claim as a possible 2012 Game of the Year.

The review embargo for the ambitious title broke this morning, revealing a litany of high-scoring write-ups that suggest the game is a must for all console and PC gamers.

The creators of Dishonored know all about the tension between what it offers you and how it rewards you. Faced by a world in which almost everyone has been corrupted by power in one way or another, youalone have the agency to carve your own path,” Edge concluded, scoring the game 9/10.

It’s a brave and interesting statement to make about responsibility and the nature of choice, and if you don’t mind being mildly rebuked for having uncomplicated fun, you don’t need to engage with it at all. For the rest of us, it adds another layer to this sad city. It’s a rare delight to play a game with such consistency of vision, its art design, level architecture, rulesets, storylines and writing all working in lockstep. It’s more than enough togive you a deep connection to Dunwall, and the impulse to work to save it.”

CVG awarded it 9.5/10, stating: Dishonored takes a massive step forward by taking a massive step back to a time when games trusted the player to figure things out for themselves. It is the first true stealth game for a long while, and it serves as a stark reminder at how empty the current fad for hybrid stealth-action games (see Clancy, Tom) really are.

Dishonored is the closest thing to a Thief game we’ve had this generation, and Eidos-Montreal should take note.

Best of all, Dishonored doesn’t demand you see everything it has to offer, although it is compulsive enough to ensure you will. Whatever route you take – up or down, left or right, the gutter or the stars – you’ll always end up at the same conclusion: Dishonored is one of the greatest games of this generation.”

1UP opted for a top-of-class A+, saying: n Dishonored, every bit of conversation, piece of real estate, and game play element feels absolutely experience to the complete experience—something that’s difficult to claim with even the best of games. The lack of longstanding series recognition may give Harvey Smith’s studio a bit of unfair competition in this sequel-heavy deluge of new releases, but when the press starts heralding their favorite games of 2012, expect to see Dishonored hovering at or around the top of just about everyone’s list.”

The Escapist also went for top marks – 5/5 – concluding: Dishonoredgives you a beautiful, fascinating, new world to explore, and then makes it your playground for grand misdeeds. Its story of political intrigue and betrayal is told at exactly the right pace, balancing information with action in a way that keeps you interested, but not overloaded.Dishonoredis smart enough to know not to try too hard to impress you, and as a result, it will blow you away. Grab it so you’ll know what everyone is talking about when the Game of the Year conversations start happening.”