Dunwall Diaries

"Welcome to the final mystery, Jindosh." The Clockwork Mansion is the point at which Dishonored 2's level design goes from being simply magnificent in scope, detail and intricacy, to being also conceptually awe-inspiring. Lady Boyle's Last Party is very clever - this is very clever and an engineering marvel on the part of the developers. While still retaining all the opportunities for different avenues of ingress, exploration and optional side activities, this mission eventually draws aside the curtain to reveal a central conceit both unforgettable and ingeniously disruptive to the playstyle you might have been developing. The very structure of Jindosh's residence will move around you as you pass through it, and although the concept is kind of given away in the mission's name there is no preparing for how impressive this is and how it informs the way you'll engage with this environment. Having rescued (or eliminated) Dr. Hypatia, the protagonist and...

Having caught the train from Addermire Station Corvo or Emily will arrive at a rat plague-era offshore research facility for infectious diseases, whose chief alchemist is the next elimination target. This is Dr. Alexandria Hypatia, famed for her work with contagions and in particular the Bloodflies. In fact the mana-restoring potions you drink in this game are even called Addermire Solutions, having replaced old Piero's Spiritual Remedies in the marketplace. Hypatia is portrayed as a well-intentioned woman, who often refuses to take the money of the patients she treats (according to the Heart). However, she has become a prisoner in her own institute, with Duke Abele requiring her to stay there at all times surrounded by his Grand Guard. As you arrive the facility seems at first blush to have a lot in common with Dishonored levels past. Ascending a tower filled with guards is something Corvo did in ' High Overseer Campbell ', ' Return to the Tower ' and ' ...

"Corvo, old friend. You've lost another empress." In the game's second mission, Emily or Corvo has reached the shores of Serkonos on Meagan Foster's boat The Dreadful Whale, which serves as your base in Dishonored 2 and Death of the Outsider much as the Hound Pits pub did in the original game. Your lead is Dr. Alexandria Hypatia, who may have information regarding the Crown Killer. The latter has been assassinating figures threatening or problematic to Emily's rule, and Meagan and Anton Sokolov believe them to be key to understanding and dismantling the coup. In fact it becomes clear from readables that the reason Meagan was in Dunwall was that she and Sokolov were on the way to warn Corvo of the plot - but Sokolov has disappeared, and Meagan was too late. The level begins with a trip to the void and a talk with the Outsider, where you can accept his mark - or choose to reject the offer and do the game with no powers. Each mission allows for t...

"Delilah was born a pawn, but now she's got the throne.  Fifteen years ago, the assassin Daud could have warned you about her if you'd bothered to ask." Fifteen years ago, Daud was inexplicably racked by his remorse over his latest successful assassination. Despite a career eliminating high profile persons without a shadow of regret, killing Jessamine Kaldwin made him feel "the entire weight of a dying city crushing down on his back." His journey to redemption began with a single word from the Outsider:  Delilah . In tracking down the unusually influential painter he uncovered her plot to use eldritch magics to inhabit the body of young Emily Kaldwin and rule the Empire of the Isles. That brought him into conflict with The Brigmore Witches, who are able to use powers associated with the Outsider via Delilah much as Daud's Whalers were able to through him. After infiltrating Brigmore Manor and defeating Delilah, effectively saving the Empire from ty...