With the Metal Gear Solid series fading into Metal Gear Rising, it's unlikely that pacifistic players will be able to continue playing Metal Gear games without killing anyone. Fortunately, Arkane Studio's next project, Dishonored, may very well fill that gap. The game's developers have claimed they are working hard to ensure that every encounter in the game can be resolved by nonlethal means, if the player so chooses.

But comparisons to Metal Gear pretty much end there. In many aspects, it would be more precise to compare Dishonored with BioShock, Half-Life, or Deus Ex. Like BioShock, this is a first-person action game that features a protagonist with an arsenal of weapons and supernatural powers. In fact, Arkane was called in to assist with the development of BioShock 2, so it's probably safe to assume they've pulled a few pieces of inspiration from that project. BioShock's Rapture was a locale that felt completely unique, and if Dishonored can bring just a fraction of that originality in its own setting, it should be something special. Thankfully, according to what we've seen so far, Dishonored's whaling city of Dunwall is unlike anything we've encountered before.

Half-Life comparisons come into play in the visual aesthetic, which is appropriate since Viktor Antonov, art director on Half-Life 2, has helped with design on this one. This comes through pretty clearly in the screenshots we've seen, especially in the vehicle designs; the boats, cars, and other means of transportation in Dunwall wouldn't feel at all out of place in Half-Life 2's City 17. The city of Dunwall itself, however, brings to mind 19th Century London spackled with futuristic elements. Everything comes together incredibly well in a darkly steampunkish sort of way. And don't forget the rats—there are rats everywhere.

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Now, one of the main features being touted here is players' ability to tackle the game's scenarios as they see fit. This brings up comparisons to Deus Ex, which is also appropriate considering Harvey Smith had his hands in both Deus Ex and Dishonored. Similar to Deus Ex, players will be able to choose among multiple ways to overcome any situation, and, as I mentioned earlier, not all of those ways will require killing. Players will acquire new skills and abilities as the game progresses, but the skill progression isn't linear. This means that players will be able to unlock whichever skills they feel would best fit their playstyle rather than being forced to bridge the gaps in a convoluted skill tree.

Of course, this is where the game begins to sound like a sandbox; there are several different tools by which the player can complete any mission. One of the powers we've heard a little about allows you to mess with time; you could freeze time in order to aim your weapon more effectively or shoot multiple targets simultaneously, for example. Another allows you to possess other living creatures, like rats or even humans, which could allow you to move into places you might otherwise be unable to reach. This sounds a bit reminiscent of Paxton Fettel of F.3.A.R., only with far more player freedom in its application. The developers fully expect to be surprised at some of the ways players decide to utilize these skills, and it's refreshing to see so much encouragement for emergent gameplay styles. It sounds like half the fun will come from discovering new ways to use and combine skills and weapons, which probably means we can expect replay value to be quite high.

As for plot, the game tells the story of Corvo, a bodyguard to the Empress who winds up getting framed for her assassination. Instead of merely moping around or hiding from the law, he dons a mechanical-looking mask and becomes an assassin, seeking vengeance against the Lord Regent who framed him. It all sounds a bit dark, which, judging from everything else we've seen of the game, should be quite fitting.

Dishonored is an exciting prospect based on its comparisons with BioShock or Half-Life alone. But with an intriguing story, a vast open world affected by your every decision, and a setting that feels both ancient and futuristic at the same time, it looks to be forging its own unique identity. There's not a whole lot of available information on this title yet, but we're sure we'll hear more as 2012 gets rolling and that as-of-yet-unannounced release date draws closer. We'll keep you updated.

By Josh Wirtanen
CCC Editor/News Director