Gameplay 9/10

Fluid mechanics, creative powers, and mission variety combine for an excellent experience. Whether you decide to use your powers to remain unseen, sparing as many lives as possible or go guns, bolts, and powers a’ blazin’, the levels have multiple paths that reward exploration and experimentation.

Story 7/10

The main plot is a little thin- framed for murder, on a quest on redemption is solid. Unfortunately, there’s not any nuance really added to it as you progress. Fortunately, the environment of Dunwall is great, gritty, and plague-ridden, it adds depth the story might be lacking for an immersive journey.

Graphics 8/10

The painterly art style is distinctive and just plain cool. The enemy soldiers’ bright red uniforms cast a cool contrast to Dunwall’s decaying beauty. The facial expressions and matching to dialogue are fine and to be expected for a game that was released in 2012. Overall, the graphics bring the game to life in a way that’s both grim and elegant.

Sound & Music 7/10

The sound effects are quite good – soft footsteps sneaking around, the powers, and the gunplay sound great. The musical score is a little underwhelming, though- there just isn’t much off it. Dishonored relies on eerie ambiance to heighten the tension and it works well.

Controls 8/10

Movement is smooth and responsive for the most part. There’s a blink power to teleport short distances like Nightcrawler from the X-Men, it’s accurate and feels just right. Sniping an unaware enemy with a sleep dart feels satisfying every time. In face-to-face combat though, the controls struggle a little at times. Trying to parry and counter, it’s a little more hit or miss than a “git gud” kind of game.

Replayability 9/10

With multiple endings and so many ways to tackle each mission, Dishonored practically begs to be played more than once. On a second run, players are almost guaranteed to find better ways to reach their objective and even alternative ways to eliminate their main targets.

Artificial Intelligence 7/10

For a 13-year-old game, the AI Is pretty good. Enemies on patrol follow patterns, but once combat starts or they notice a dead body, their behavior feels naturally unpredictable. It encourages you to use stealth as much as possible. Like in real life, once the bullets start flying combat can be highly volatile.

Final Verdict 9/10

Dishonored is a standout in the stealth-action genre. It’s both similar to games like Assassin’s Creed/Metal Gear and distinctly its own thing. The freedom and creativity deliver through a deep and complicated world. It’s not the greatest storyline of all time, but the gameplay depth and design make it unforgettable. For players who enjoy stealth and well-rewarded exploration, this one's a gem.

More From Doc

Dishonored is really good. Having been made by Bethesda way back in 2012, still in 2025, it’s a fun and unique approach to stealth games.

The dark atmosphere is great and the levels all have several ways to either sneak or kill your way through. Beyond the standard assassin moves we all know like drop kills and sneaking up from behind, Dishonored adds an extra layer by giving the protagonist some pretty cool powers.

You can teleport short distances like Nightcrawler with “BLINK” or temporarily possess at rat to crawl into locked apartments and raid the place. The choices are yours and they’re all done really well and make the game a whole lot of fun.

For players who like to stray from the main path, there are a ton of worthwhile upgrades and cool puzzles... one of my favorites was a written reminder on a desk in a wealthy old man’s loft about the code for a locked safe that somehow involved the paintings there. To solve it, I had to sneak through the place spanning three floors – because yep he was home - to figure out the clues.

The levels aren’t nearly as massive as an Assassin’s Creed sandbox, but the upside to that is the detail and environment in Dishonored is much deeper. Instead of jumping way up over there to open a chest for more gold or an armor upgrade over and over, this game adds in a mixture of puzzles, notes than give insight on the lore, and even some funny moments eavesdropping on arguing spouses or soldiers complaining about their shift.

For action and stealth gaming fans maybe looking for a fresh alternative to the Assassin’s Creed formula, Dishonored might be the game you’re looking for. I wouldn’t be telling the whole story if I didn’t say that Dishonored 2 is even better. If you’re limited on time, play 2, but Dishonored the OG still holds its own, even after 13 years.

Screenshots

Captured on Xbox Series X