Posted 10:06 pm Thursday, October 11, 2012
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Top game developers Bethesda deliver epic 'Dishonored'
An old adage suggests that revenge, like gazpacho, is a dish best served cold. Game developers Arkane Studios would disagree — their new release, the highly anticipated “Dishonored,” suggest revenge is best served any which way you like.
Published by near-legendary developers Bethesda (makers of “Fallout 3” and the Elder Scrolls games, including last year's mega-hit “Skyrim”) “Dishonored” takes the player on a quest for vengeance as you explore a seedy, pseudo-steampunk city as Corvo, former bodyguard to an empress and the man falsely accused of her murder.
The game provides Corvo with a number of tools to accomplish his goals — weapons, magical powers, stealth and more. But, most importantly, each individual quest line can be accomplished in any number of ways — and with, or entirely without, some gruesome displays of lethality.
It's been one of the most talked about games in development for at least a year, and with good reason: Bethesda makes some of the finest games out there. Seeing their logo on a game is something like seeing the symbol of a luxury automaker — one expects quality and, in this case, a certain type of game. Free-form, “sandbox-style” gameplay is sort of their hallmark, and by all accounts “Dishonored” certainly delivers in that respect.
“Dishonored” was released Wednesday — too soon for me to give it a proper review — but critics who played it prior to release found it stunning and the early reviews are universally outstanding.
Published by near-legendary developers Bethesda (makers of “Fallout 3” and the Elder Scrolls games, including last year's mega-hit “Skyrim”) “Dishonored” takes the player on a quest for vengeance as you explore a seedy, pseudo-steampunk city as Corvo, former bodyguard to an empress and the man falsely accused of her murder.
The game provides Corvo with a number of tools to accomplish his goals — weapons, magical powers, stealth and more. But, most importantly, each individual quest line can be accomplished in any number of ways — and with, or entirely without, some gruesome displays of lethality.
It's been one of the most talked about games in development for at least a year, and with good reason: Bethesda makes some of the finest games out there. Seeing their logo on a game is something like seeing the symbol of a luxury automaker — one expects quality and, in this case, a certain type of game. Free-form, “sandbox-style” gameplay is sort of their hallmark, and by all accounts “Dishonored” certainly delivers in that respect.
“Dishonored” was released Wednesday — too soon for me to give it a proper review — but critics who played it prior to release found it stunning and the early reviews are universally outstanding.
It's available via digital download on Steam, or at any retailer where video games are available and works on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PCs (sorry Apple fans). One caveat: “Dishonored” is rated “M” for mature players and while I frequently question the ratings on games (especially given the violence and sexuality available on television or in movies rated for teens), in this case I'd say the rating is pretty appropriate.
Also in geek news, “The Guild” is back for season 6.
This fun, quirky web series follows the trials and tribulations of a band of social outcasts who bond over an online role-playing game similar to Blizzard's massively popular “World of Warcraft.”
Season 6 sees the now-familiar cast dealing with changes in their lives as the events of the past seasons catch up to them and force growth. That's something the reclusive, insular and utterly codependent nerds, which fans of the show have to grown to love so well, aren't necessarily prepared for — or ready to accept.
Created by actress and geek icon Felicia Day (pictured at left), “The Guild” is an online sensation, and is available on Day's YouTube channel, Geek and Sundry. Earlier seasons also are available on Netflix.
Also in geek news, “The Guild” is back for season 6.
This fun, quirky web series follows the trials and tribulations of a band of social outcasts who bond over an online role-playing game similar to Blizzard's massively popular “World of Warcraft.”
Season 6 sees the now-familiar cast dealing with changes in their lives as the events of the past seasons catch up to them and force growth. That's something the reclusive, insular and utterly codependent nerds, which fans of the show have to grown to love so well, aren't necessarily prepared for — or ready to accept.
Created by actress and geek icon Felicia Day (pictured at left), “The Guild” is an online sensation, and is available on Day's YouTube channel, Geek and Sundry. Earlier seasons also are available on Netflix.
