If you'd like to support the channel and see exclusive videos (such as my 40 minute deep dive into "The Licensed Games that Should Not Be") the link to my Patreon is here! - patreon.com/IFinishedAVideoGame This is really the lifeblood of the channel at the moment so every single penny is appreciated more than you can know. Also - you might have noticed that this video follows a slightly different structure to my normal franchise wide explorations. I'm trying out a few new things post-cancer and this is one of them! You should see Dishonored 2 (and Death of the Outsider) dropping into your subscription feeds in the next 3 weeks or so - hopefully it's nice to have something to get you through the wait for Christmas!
@IFinishedAVideoGame hey if you're unfamiliar, you should be taking zinc supplements. Zinc is what your body uses to make T cells and T cells is what your body uses to fight off mutations like cancer. Just a helpful FYI if you didn't already know
My man took down cancer in a year and quality hasn't dropped a beat, genuinely the most well researched and sophisticated critiques on the platform. Glad to hear you're doing well and thanks for manifesting new Indiana Jones, prince of Persia and onimusha games, can't wait for jade empire or alpha protocol 2 next E3
That's extremely kind of you to say. Honestly I think the year has been a real mess on the channel so it's really great to release something I'm really proud of and see everyone enjoying it. It gives me a huge amount of motivation for the future!
I don't think any video you ever put out qualifies as a mess. You make some of the best content on the platform and I'm looking forward to whatever you feature next.
Your videos helped me endure some pretty long and hard nights of labor. Here’s to lots more hours of deep dives and breakdowns of video game history and lore.
That is extremely generous of you and has absolutely made my day. I really appreciate it so much! Hopefully this video can be another to get you through the long nights - shouldn't be too long to the next one either!
Dishonored 1 looks like a water colour painting in motion. Dishonored 2 looks like a oil painting in motion. Both games are absolute bangers........from a artistic pov. Just moving around in the world is pure joy. Unfortunately games like these do not have the sales numbers to justify making more of these types of games. What we need are AA/indie games with similar gameplay and art style.
Yep, I love Dishonored series a lots partly because of the visual. My favorite mission in term of visual is Bank heist mission in DoTO, the lighting inside the office is just beautiful.
It's such a shame because there is so much focus on photorealism these days when games like Dishonored show that a distinct and detailed style age so much more gracefully
@@TheBikeOnTheMoon That mission is great, but I have to turn down the music! There are violins playing the same staccato riff constantly (similar to the violins in the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho), and when I'm trying to stop and think what my next move should be, I find it very distracting and enervating.
It's crazy how so many people think this and yet the franchise is dormant! Surely a company with the marketing budgets of Bethesda and Microsoft could get a third game out there to the masses!
It came out while I was deployed overseas, so I completely missed it. Thanks to this review, I just bought Arcane's entire portfolio on GOG for like $20. Will be playing them heavily during the holiday break.
I don't really understand how people like the dishonored games so much, I just find them not very fun to actually play, but I really admire the environmental storytelling and how the games are crafted
I would've called this the Cohesive World of Dishonoured, because no other game series has given me such a believable sense of place in an existing world.
You're not wrong at all. It's astounding how detailed and well woven the worldbuilding is especially considering it was Arkane's first game for almost six years!
@@TitanfallTeachings as someone who did play redfall , it had some fun in it... but it really didnt compare to any other game on the market. It was maybe a 4 or 5 out of 10. theres good times to be had, but it was mindless and reeked of missing potential.
Thanks so much my friend that's very kind of you! It really does inspire me especially as I'm trying a few subtly different things at the moment. I hope you enjoy the video and have a great christmas up in Norway!
My absolute favorite series in 30 years of gaming. The setting, the gameplay, story, characters, art. Everything is just superb. Getting reminded how the studio was closed down because of corporate incompetents makes me mad.
Well fortunately we do still have Dishonored Lyon but yeah they no longer have Rafael Colantonio and are working on a Marvel game next. I do have hope they can turn it around after Redfall as the talent is still there but yeah - this video was a real sobering reminder of what used to be
So true. I still regret not giving Prey a chance when it came out. I did eventually play it and found I had missed an almost perfect instance of the immersive sim.
Thanks my friend and the same to you. I'll be down with both mine and Stephs parents drinking a lot of wine, eating a lot of food and enjoying life for the first time this year!
Hey man, I just wanted to leave a comment to add to all the love from your other viewers and to tell you how much I love these lengthy retrospectives. I never thought I would ever watch 7+ hour long videos, but I realize now I have spent countless hours watching this channel. It was so awesome to learn all this history, not only on franchises I have always loved like Castlevania and Metroid, but on under-appreciated gems from my younger days like Vagrant Story (still one of the greats) and Parasite Eve that I have such fond memories of. It feels tailor-made for me. There’s always something so satisfying about hearing that “Thanks for watching” at the end of these long journeys. Here is a humble donation to say thanks for a plethora of entertainment and to keep doing what you’re doing. I hope you are doing well, as a cancer survivor myself who knows what an ordeal that is.
That's an extremely nice comment and it's really made my morning. All I can say is thanks very much for the support and the superthanks. 2024 was really a brutal year so I often find it quite easy to get down about how it really knocked the channel off course - but I feel really motivated at the moment and seeing messages like this really helps. I'm stoked you've enjoyed my videos so much - should have another out by the end of the month!
I am so incredibly passionate about the Dishonored franchise. The world is so incredibly unique and beautiful. I rarely ever get so captivated by a fictional world in the way that Dishonored's world has. It truly is a masterclass in giving the player just enough information to capture their attention, but not so much as to overwhelm or bog the player down with information. Not to mention the gameplay itself is so incredibly fun that people still upload kill montages and speedruns to this very day 12 years later. I always love doing a clean hands/ghost run every time I play, while also reading every note I can find and taking time to admire the scenery of the beautiful city of Dunwall. The second game is extremely good too, however I don't think it was quite as good as the first, (though that isn't saying much as it would've been quite hard to live up to Dishonored 1) but it's still a really good, fun time. I genuinely hope we get a Dishonored 3, however seeing as Arkane Studios has seen so many layoffs this year (thanks Bethesda for pushing Arkane into making a co-op looter shooter that they didn't want to make, then firing a bunch of people when that game was of course not very good) there is a very real possibility that we won't ever get another one. Regardless though, Dishonored 1 is a case study on how to create and present a new fictional world to an audience.
Couldn't agree more - it's an incredible achievement in IP crafting. It's so clever how they were able to flesh this world out without ever compromising on their gameplay aims
I never knew that Antonov was responsible for both the look of HL2 and Dishonored but the similarities are obvious now. Great video. D1 & D2 were both amazing.
Yeah it's crazy to think the connections between the two are really quite clear. There is even a little Half Life 2 physics puzzle when you're imprisoned in the Flooded District!
was thrilled to see this drop today (one of my favourite franchises), and even more happy to hear that you're on the other side of treatment! hope the rest of winter is kind to you and yours--meanwhile i'm gonna go off and do and umpteenth playthrough of Dishonored because just watching this makes me want to revisit a low chaos run
Thanks my friend. Yeah it's been a very tough year with some lows that I had no idea I could experience - but I am genuinely feeling substantially better. Monitor is a long old process but just knowing I don't have cancer anymore is pretty amazing So yeah I hope you enjoy the video! Hopefully a lot more to come in this new era!
Funnily enough this was originally going to be another 6 hour plus video but I just thought this schedule is killing me. It's so much nicer to get something smaller (relatively of course) out and give people something to watch and wait for. Hopefully it can set the tone for next year!
Good to see you back at it! Most people don't make long form video essays like this anymore, and when they do it's usually just a one off about a specific series. You doing this for a bunch of different ones is amazing! I drive for a living currently and it gets pretty dull; So having well written, well spoken, informative and pleasant to listen to videos, podcasts, etc helps a ton! I'm glad you're doing better and I hope you continue to put out this amazing content for a while still! I'm even gonna listen to this one and I've never actually played Dishonored!
Yeah a nice little unintentional aspect of my channel is that I'm not super tied to anyone specific series or genre. People just know they're getting detailed videos about interesting games! Glad I can help out with the driving - it means a lot as I used to do the same with videos and podcasts in my old corporate job!
And you have gone through cancer?! Amazing. As someone who knows from personal experience how painful it is - every cancer survivor is a hero in my book.
If I’m recalling correctly one of my favourite ways of dealing with Daud as Corvo is to be a complete ghost and steal what you need off him. He will know you did it, know you could have killed him and didn’t. Letting him live the rest of his life wondering if you’ll ever finish the job. Best kind of stealth power simulator in gaming. Also cannot believe with a 2.5 hr video this was only the first game. I fully expected the full series like previous videos and when you were only halfway done explaining the game and the video was also halfway done I went oh this crazy man is going all the way in details. Phenomenal video like all your previous ones and I look forward to the next one. I prefer the way Emily plays in 2 overall especially going non lethal but the first game was such a homerun for the series.
You know a few other people have commented that and it's incredible that I never realised it was an option! I was so caught up in the thematic impact of them coming face to face it never dawned on me that Corvo might just steal the key to the sewers and then leave! Incredible that the game STILL has details hidden away even after producing something like that! I really appreciate the kind words though. Second part should be arriving soon!
@ it came about because I was doing a full Ghost playthrough that I found it. It’s such a unique way of handling what would be a boss encounter in other games, even other stealth assassin games. Also congrats on getting better through cancer, I hope it goes away forever and you can live your life without further scares from it.
Truly no one does it like you. Such a great mix of history and historical context with actual criticism and analysis instead of just summary work. Can't wait to see more now that you're over the worst of things!
Thanks my friend. It's really nice to know that my "style" cuts through and people see it. I think it's fun blend of viewpoints that gives you a real appreciation for the game!
Thanks man that really means a lot to hear. I've had your Star Wars Outlaws video in my watch later for a few weeks because I wanted to see a different take on it - I'll have to stick it on now and return the favour!
I was lucky enough to make it to a promotional event in NYC prior to the release of Dishonored 2, and briefly talk to Harvey Smith. They had about two dozen rented gaming PCs set up with the Clockwork Mansion level, and costumed actors performed a very charming interactive murder mystery with the audience. The degree to which the team making these games obviously loved what they made really showed in events like that, as much as the game itself.
That's really cool to hear. You can tell from interviews that they truly loved what they were doing. It's a shame that things haven't been going quite as well for them lately
This channel very quickly has become one of my absolute favorites and has helped reaffirm my love for video games as well as introduce me to info about series i hadn't given too much thought to in the past like Castlevania or Metroid having only heard of their absolute hits from before I was born and the lackluster disappointments that I heard coming out when I was young. This video being on a game I am quite familiar with is a very welcome thing and I loved hearing the in depth history behind it. That's something I really appreciate with this channel with going over every step that lead to why and how a game was developed in such a consise and engaging way. Glad you were able to beat cancer, and I can't wait to see more of what's to come from this channel
That's really awesome to hear. This video really was a joy to put together and really helped close the year out in a nice way so it's been really nice to see people enjoying it. Thanks for the kind words and here's to the future!
I'm a new viewer and I have two things to say. First that I thoroughly enjoyed the video, I like how you contextualize things to their time before diving into the game itself. Secondly, a ton of strength to you and yours. Happy celebrations if you do
Thanks my friend. It's really nice to hear that people new to the channel like the direction. It's a bit like a historical documentary mixed with an opinion peice!
As someone else who has recently moved over to the "monitoring" step of a cancer battle, I just want to say congratulations on getting through to the other side. Your content has always been a wonderful source of comfort for me, and I'm so happy to see that you're getting back into creating more. I'm sure being able to be back to work is liberating in its own sense. This video made me decide to do ANOTHER playthrough of Dishonored, and actually go through Dishonored 2 (when I bought it on launch it was poorly optimized and my PC sucked, so I don't count a 10FPS journey as a real "playthrough"). Very excited to see what you have in store next. Happy new year!
Thanks very much my friend. That's really nice to hear and frankly - you're right on the money with it being liberating to get back to making videos. I feel like this one was by far my best all year and it's been really nice to end strongly! I hope your own monitoring journey goes smoothly and we're both laughing about all this in the future!
You know the channel is good when there is a movie long retrospective of dishonerd,far cry 3 and the arkham franchise. We got the first and damn was it a banger, subbing for sure
Congratulations on the continued and improved recovery! Glad to see you're continuing with your videos! Good luck, mate, and I'm praying for your full recovery. I have to say, Dishonored is one of my favorite franchises of all time. I do feel that Death of the Outsider and Dishonored 2 were a bit awkward in the way they continue the story, but I'll wait for your next entry to get into that. Looking forward to it.
Thanks my friend that means a lot to hear. Yeah I'm excited to talk about 2 and DOTO - they're sort of better and worse in many ways. It'll be really engaging to write about!
I am SO happy that you genuinely are doing better healthwise. I don't know you, but you seem like an awesome person that's got something to say, and your videos with your way of seeing art have always made me calm and brought a smile to my face. Keep on rocking, man
Thanks my friend that's really cool of you to say. Yeah it's been a LONG journey to this point but I'm happy to report I'm doing much better and am just being monitored now. In tandem with this video being received pretty well it feels like a bit of a rebirth - I definitely needed it
It's nice to know that was appreciated. I structured it that way on purpose because I feel like a lot of people overly focus on it and end up giving this kinda warped perspective of the game. You're meant to just play and then get whatever ending you earned yourself!
Hey man, just wanted to thank you for making these. Any dishonored video on UA-cam i automatically watch, but I believe I’ve seen another of your videos before. When i realized I wasn’t already subscribed, I felt bad. You truly make some of the best art analysis content on this platform, as your attention to detail and cadence in relaying information is unmatched. Really fine work, this time and every time. Watching your X-men video next!
I love how deep u get into stories where we learn about the studios, developers, and all the was going on in the time period the game was being made so detailed.
I really think it helps make the discussion about the mechanics, narrative, graphics etc so much richer! You really have to understand the context of the games to be able to get into what the developers were thinking!
@IFinishedAVideoGame Facts a key note most people overlook. Things like that lead to a great build up and set the atmosphere before diving into the game
My favorite channel releasing a video on one of my top 5 favorite games ever is certainly the greatest Christmas gift! Hope you are getting healthier by the day and continue to put out content you should be proud of! The world (at least my portion of it) is a better place because of you 🎉
That's awesome to hear I'm honored! Yeah I'm doing much better at the moment so I'm just looking forward to Christmas and then a fresh start in the new year!
I know this is a video on the first game specifically but the outsider being just some guy really brings the franchise full circle thematically and shows that even with 2's storytelling issues their vision for what they wanted to tell and say never wavered.
I feel honoured to be haunted by this video for the next several weeks as I watch and rewatch it. Also, the first series on this channel I have actually played all the games of. You're losing your niche touch! Thanks for the video. Hope you're doing better
I think going forwards I need to have a bit of balance between hyper niche and captivating! After the year I've had (cancer leading to channel collapse) I thinki it's probably important to strike a bit of a balance and build up a bit of momentum that I can spend on something really niche like Anachronox or Baiten Kaitos!
I've been here on your channel since almost the beginning, and you really are one of the most consistent creators in this space. Every video is well researched, paced, and thoughtful. Even with your recent stresses the quality never dipped. Impressive. Id played dishonored 2 but never played the first one. I started it about a week before your video dropped so I had to wait to watch it, but as always excellent video, and please remove the cameras from my living room. Keep it up, I'm honestly surprised your channel isn't way bigger.
That's really nice to hear. I really take is as a compliment from someone who's been here from the start! As for the channel - I do think that 180k subs only talking about relatively niche games isn't too bad - it'll be interesting to see what next year holds when I'm putting out more videos! Thanks again for watching!
Before this man dies we have to put him in a cryofreezer like walt disney and then wait until immortality is invented so these videos may never stop being created.
I had absolutely no idea you have been fighting cancer. I discovered you by ur Castlevania video bout 6 months ago. I put it on to help fall asleep. I absolutely love your content and how you manage to articulate so many different aspects of video games. Much love man
I did indeed - I'm super excited to know that not only are Capcom are bringing it back but it's a full big sequel! Glad you enjoyed the video and picked up DH2 - it's stellar!
Great video essay. Dishonored really stole my heart, there is just so much to love. Certainly one of the most charismatic video games of the past few decades, imo.
These games captured my heart instantly all those years ago, when that beautifully haunting trailer first asked me what we'd do with a drunken whaler. The first Dishonored will always have a special place in my heart, right alongside Arkane's other great masterpiece Prey, and to this day the first game's Outsider is still the example I point to in how Eldritch entities can be convincingly portrayed without Lovecraft's tentacles and insanity. I'm glad to hear your recovery's coming along, man. Cancer sucks, and every victory big or small is always good news to hear. Here's to a better year in 2025!
Yeeees i just know my evening's about to get cozy when i see the upload notification! Best documentary/lengthy retrospectives on games there is, all well wishes to you man, and a merry xmas
Well lucky for the series - next up is the sequel and Death of the Outsider. It's going to be fun to get stuck into the best and worst of Arkane (if we pretend Redfall doesn't exist) in a single video!
Loved this walk through memory lane as I recently got in the mood for sneaking and picked Deathloop up again myself. Between that and this, I'm definitely feeling a desire to revisit Dunwall next. I was a little surprised to not see the non-confrontational options Corvo has regarding Daud brought up, as it's the solution I remember using - demonstrating to Daud you had the option to attack and chose not to by picking his pockets and escaping unseen is a little bit game-logic-y but still a fun challenge for a Corvo who wants to move unremarked. It also echoes Burrows reacting to the disappearance of his things. Arkane really are good at giving different approaches a distinct feel.
Holy shit - I had no idea you could pickpocket him and bypass that sequence without confronting him! I got so hung up on the implications of his confession and how it related to lethal / non-lethal that I totally missed you didn't even have to face him! That genuinely is a real testament to this game that I could spend 60 hours playing this game and writing about it and never even come across that interaction!
It is with the deepest appreciation that I pen this note to you, having recently traversed the intricate and shadowed realms of Dishonored. Upon completing this remarkable journey, I stumbled upon your magnum opus, The Twisted World of Dishonored | A Lengthy Retrospective, and was immediately struck by the eloquence and erudition with which you illuminated the game’s myriad layers. Your retrospective was not mere analysis, but a grand tapestry woven with the finest threads of insight, passion, and profound understanding. With each word, you breathed new life into the world of Dunwall and its haunted streets, casting light upon the hidden intricacies of its characters, its world, and the artistry that permeates every facet of the game. What I had only glimpsed in fleeting moments, you made tangible, revealing the profound narrative depths and philosophical undertones that lie beneath the surface. Your work, Mister I Finished A Video Game, is as always a treasure-a beacon of thoughtful reflection in a sea of more hurried impressions. It stands as a testament to your profound understanding and devotion to the craft, and it has irrevocably enhanced my appreciation of Dishonored. For this, I am profoundly grateful. You have enriched my experience in ways words scarcely can capture. With the utmost respect and sincere gratitude. TLDR: Watched your video. Got the game. shit's fire 🔥
very rich analysis, loved that you explored the motivation behind creating the game too. you bring new perspectives and a deeper appreciation to one of my favorite games/ stories ever. cant wait to see its sequel!
Thanks my friend. Looking into the development and then tying that into the experience of the game is just a way that feels so natural for me to talk about video games. I'm fascinated by them and I think it comes through in the videos!
Thank you for making these incredible videos, or movies rather haha, after a few watches I always come back to these as something to fall asleep to. Much love and Happy Holidays!
The new Indiana Jones game has made me nostalgic for these games, so I'm glad you'd been working on this video all the while! This Sunday just got at least 4 times as good
@IFinishedAVideoGame I can't wait to see your take on it! I had been expecting a somewhat cheesy little game, but what I got just seems...weighty. Like a lump of obsidian, or a well-made typewriter. Or like...an old coffee table. I don't know. It's very good, is what I'm trying to say.
There are a few beats that clearly allude to Dishonored 1, like the sewer section in the Vatican. The Great Circle builds upon what action-driven immersion sims (like the Dishonored Series, Dark Messiah etc.) have achieved before.
Stay Healthy Man! We Can Wait As Long As Possible the effort you put into your Retrospectives is honestly a Godsend Especially in this period Stay strong you legend
Thanks my friend. Unfortunately getting cancer this year really wrecked the momentum of the channel so I'm definitely in a period of needing to put a bit of graft in - hopefully shouldn't be long to wait for the next!
@IFinishedAVideoGame Don't Say that! Gold Is Extremely Rare And Diamonds Are even more so And what you're doing is more than both the personality you put into them I cannot find it anywhere else you've built a haven here and people know it people all over the world watch you including me an Iraqi Gamer thanks to everything you're doing you're making my life easier everytime I rewatch a long retrospective of yours I can't thank you enough
I'm really pleased with how it's going down. It'll allow me to release videos more often and frankly - will remove a lot of the pressure and stress that has been so difficult to deal with this year. You don't quite know how tough it is to recover from cancer surgery while also dealing with a 4 month project flopping! So yeah feeling pretty good at the moment!
What an amazing video, this took me way back to the first time i played this at a way too young age hahah. Dishonored means so much to and has inspired my own writing immensely, and this was just lovely to loock back on again. Cant wait for the next one!!
The Boyle Manor is particularly funny to do that in. Just imagine the guests watching as who they assume is Bunting the Artists walks in and immediately eats about 5kg of food off the table
Dishonored blew my mind. Dishonored 2 blew my mind even more. The level design is just insane. You have a level that transforms like a giant puzzle box and another where you switch between different time periods. I also loved that one level where you can skip a part of the level by solving a pretty challenging puzzle with a randomized solution. The world of the games is truly fascinating and I just love the freedom you have to play them in any way you want. They're some of the best games ever made but I don't think they're talked about enough.
About 59:32: If you steal everything but then close the door and set back the code (I think you only need to make sure you don't leave the correct code already solved), Slackjaw never mentions that you lied to him cause there's no proof that you already opened the safe. But if you leave the solved code, he will always know it was you
Ill be honest, never played dishonored still dont care too but, I just love your content. Keep up the hard work and your health. You have people that look forward to your work!
I stumbled on your channel today (thanks algorithm?). Great content decided to read the UA-cam comments, and found out you're recovering from Cancer. That's nuts I'm sure this video alone took so much effort. Keep being a baller.
Well fortunately this was the first video I produced after I was moved into monitoring so it was a LOT easier than the last two. Those came out of a crazy mixture of treatment surgery and depression so this really felt like a glorious return to the old life Thanks very much for watching and for taking the time to leave such a nice comment
A few people have mentioned - I can't believe I missed that! I guess I just couldn't believe that Corvo would do something like that after everything they've been through Maybe if there was an option not to hug Emily in the Golden Cat I might have looked for that as a sneaky little hidden ending
I love the hell out of this series. I've always gone for a fully non-lethal run cause it sets Emily up better at the end. I've also absolutely abused the hell outof dark vision and love how corvo mutters whatever ability you have him use. It was really jarring to hear his voice the first time I played cause I was like "who the hell is whispering?" Then I realized it was me everytime I used an ability and got stupid excited over something simple but it felt awesome.
Ah man, I just realized that this video doesn't cover the franchise, just the first game. Hope you do a video on Dishonored 2, death of the outsider, and Death loop
Well originally I was planning on putting the whole series in one video but I think it just makes a lot of sense to put it in two sections. I think I'll be doing that a lot more going forwards just so the channel is a bit more alive!
I had only hear a miniscule amount of things about this game before, i essentially knew nothing about it, so thank you for showing me such an interesting looking game that i'm definitely gonna look into perhaps getting for myself. And an amazing video all round as always!
I highly recommend it. The beautiful thing about this game is even after hearing my takes on it your experience will be totally unique from mine! It's well worth checking out
Excellent video as always. Glad to hear that you're out of treatment, that is incredible! I've never played Dishonored but I have a few friends that swear by it. It's one of my "gaming regrets" which unfortunately also includes Deus Ex. I will get around to these games eventually but I'm even more excited for Dishonored now that I know how good the world-building is. I think when this first came out I was just completely exhausted with first person games or something, I really don't know why I never picked it up.
I couldn't recommend it more! Part of the joy of a game like Dishonored is that it's just as good if you disengage with the mechanics and design and just soak in the atmosphere and story. Certain studios just have an ability to do that and 2010s Arkane were masters of it
BROOOOOO. I'm endlessly salty that Otogi has never gotten the love it deserved, and knowing that it runs on the same engine as Metal Wolf Chaos, which got its own rerelease a few years ago, only makes the sting that much deeper.
@@IFinishedAVideoGameohh for sure I take away something new with each play through and each video I watch. This game keeps giving after all these years
The setting in Dishonored, specifically Dishonored 1, was amazing. They did such a good job at creating mystique for a wider world... such a shame they never did anything with it.
The game would of been so much better without the tacked on feeling magic powers. They ruined the whole balance and tension of the game. Yeah you can just not use them but that's not the point. Dont get me wrong i loved the game, but some of the design felt pretty questionable.
I've never played Dishonored myself, but what you've said here I've heard before during discussions about it, and it does make sense that it can be too easy. Are there any mods or anything that rework how all that works? I bet that would be interesting, if so.
I mean I totally disagree! I think the key is in the difficulty settings as they not only adjust the damage but how easily enemies can detect you and how persistent they are in hunting you down. If you want Dishonored to be a power fantasy chaos game it works on the lower levels and if you want a really challenging stealth experience - the higher levels are there too!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame I must admit i didnt play around with the difficulty settings, i just put it on hard and gave it a go. Mostly its the (sorry can't recall the name) "wallhack" power and the teleport power. It just seems to trivialize a lot of the game. Before i got those i was rather happy with the game's difficulty. I really should give it another playthrough and avoid using those, i bet i'd have a lot more fun. Either way, love the channel! I look forward to checking out the video soon.
100% - the game was actually designed to be able to be beaten without using a single power and working out how to do it (especially if you try and get a ghost run as well) is really satisfying!
I'd love to see that but I think for now I'm more concerned with Arkane getting back on the rails with anything remotely positive. It seems like Redfall was super damaging for their "brand"
Yeah my new headcanon is that the DLC takes place after Corvo spares Daud, that makes a lot of sense and really puts a beautiful bow on the entire first instalment of Dishonored
It's so frustrating because I feel like that little shift in the timeline helps sell Daud's penance so much better. He's see what Corvo's mercy can achieve and it directly inspires him to change his own ways. Him getting regretful after seeing the impact of his actions kinda makes him seem foolish - I mean what did he think would happen if he assassinated the Empress at the height of a plague?
i like that they even have different animations to daud's and corvo's blink. daud's is instataneous, you were on one rooftop and then poof you're on the other, whereas corvo you get the 'swimmy' animation where you still could see your surroundings mid blink. i also might have imagined it during my playthrough but daud seems more rough with unconscious people while corvo is more careful. (like as corvo id put a man on a ledge and they'd always be perfectly centered, but playing as daud they would be a little off centre and fall down)
You know I'd be interested to go back and see. I wouldn't put it past Arkane to put that level of thought into it! The point about the blink is very cool though - I wish I'd included that in the video!
You: "Skyrim books don't add any depth if you don't read them." Me: I reinstalled and replayed Skyrim so many times, I don't even remember how many, just for the feeling of travelling down the roads of Skyrim while listening to the glorious music and chilling by a fire at an inn and reading an in-game book after a long day of questing. My favourite is The Wolf Queen series and I absolutely love her speech to her troops, especially this part: "I have seen great acts of valor from each one of you, which does my heart proud. I have also seen dirty fighting, backstabbing, cruel and wanton feats of savagery, which pleases me equally well." Epic writing!
I mean I can respect that but what I more is that because they are so optional - for the vast majority of players they might as well not be there. I think Dishonored does a good job of striking the balance between optional and game important information which encourages you to read everything!
If you'd like to support the channel and see exclusive videos (such as my 40 minute deep dive into "The Licensed Games that Should Not Be") the link to my Patreon is here! - patreon.com/IFinishedAVideoGame
This is really the lifeblood of the channel at the moment so every single penny is appreciated more than you can know.
Also - you might have noticed that this video follows a slightly different structure to my normal franchise wide explorations. I'm trying out a few new things post-cancer and this is one of them! You should see Dishonored 2 (and Death of the Outsider) dropping into your subscription feeds in the next 3 weeks or so - hopefully it's nice to have something to get you through the wait for Christmas!
"post-cancer" yo you're in remission? Congrats man, here's to a long and fruitful life!
Fingers crossed for your health. You're one of my favorite creators!
Glad to hear you are doing so well, hope it keeps up!
@IFinishedAVideoGame hey if you're unfamiliar, you should be taking zinc supplements. Zinc is what your body uses to make T cells and T cells is what your body uses to fight off mutations like cancer. Just a helpful FYI if you didn't already know
My man took down cancer in a year and quality hasn't dropped a beat, genuinely the most well researched and sophisticated critiques on the platform. Glad to hear you're doing well and thanks for manifesting new Indiana Jones, prince of Persia and onimusha games, can't wait for jade empire or alpha protocol 2 next E3
That's extremely kind of you to say. Honestly I think the year has been a real mess on the channel so it's really great to release something I'm really proud of and see everyone enjoying it. It gives me a huge amount of motivation for the future!
I don't think any video you ever put out qualifies as a mess. You make some of the best content on the platform and I'm looking forward to whatever you feature next.
@@IFinishedAVideoGamebrother you had cancer??! I hope the journey has been well and that you and yours are good
Can you have him manifest Half Life 3 and Beyond Good & Evil 2 aswell? Please
Wait, he's done? He's back, healthy and happy? Good for you IFAVG! So happy to hear it, much love to you from Sweden!
Your videos helped me endure some pretty long and hard nights of labor. Here’s to lots more hours of deep dives and breakdowns of video game history and lore.
That is extremely generous of you and has absolutely made my day. I really appreciate it so much! Hopefully this video can be another to get you through the long nights - shouldn't be too long to the next one either!
Dishonored 1 looks like a water colour painting in motion.
Dishonored 2 looks like a oil painting in motion.
Both games are absolute bangers........from a artistic pov.
Just moving around in the world is pure joy.
Unfortunately games like these do not have the sales numbers to justify making more of these types of games.
What we need are AA/indie games with similar gameplay and art style.
Yep, I love Dishonored series a lots partly because of the visual. My favorite mission in term of visual is Bank heist mission in DoTO, the lighting inside the office is just beautiful.
It's such a shame because there is so much focus on photorealism these days when games like Dishonored show that a distinct and detailed style age so much more gracefully
TRy Fortunes Run , haven't similar art style, but gameplay is pretty similar
@@TheBikeOnTheMoon
That mission is great, but I have to turn down the music!
There are violins playing the same staccato riff constantly (similar to the violins in the shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho), and when I'm trying to stop and think what my next move should be, I find it very distracting and enervating.
@ZachariahJ hmm, I never had any problem with the music on that mission really, I kinda like it, probably it's just me.
Dishonored 1 will always be one of the best games I've ever played
It was like the thief game my 12 year old brain imagined on the school bus after playing through Thief 2. Thief + PowerFantasyBadass = Dishonored
It's crazy how so many people think this and yet the franchise is dormant! Surely a company with the marketing budgets of Bethesda and Microsoft could get a third game out there to the masses!
It came out while I was deployed overseas, so I completely missed it. Thanks to this review, I just bought Arcane's entire portfolio on GOG for like $20. Will be playing them heavily during the holiday break.
Too bad the games never sold well
I don't really understand how people like the dishonored games so much, I just find them not very fun to actually play, but I really admire the environmental storytelling and how the games are crafted
I would've called this the Cohesive World of Dishonoured, because no other game series has given me such a believable sense of place in an existing world.
You're not wrong at all. It's astounding how detailed and well woven the worldbuilding is especially considering it was Arkane's first game for almost six years!
Alternative title: How a once beloved studio fell Prey to a Deathloop of being Dishonored, and its eventual Redfall.
😂😂
That made me go 6 to 12. Lol
Microsoft and Zenimax, in a nutshell. You can thank Zenifail specifically for what happened with Redfall.
Did you play Redfall tho? It's actually fun and all these breadtuber bandwagon destroyed a great game which had no cinematics and no matchmaking
@@TitanfallTeachings as someone who did play redfall , it had some fun in it... but it really didnt compare to any other game on the market.
It was maybe a 4 or 5 out of 10. theres good times to be had, but it was mindless and reeked of missing potential.
Congrats on beating Cancer, one of my favorite youtubers and these make work so much more bearable.
Thanks my friend. It's been a brutally hard year but it's so good to feel like I'm coming out the other side
Great to see you back good sir! Know that your content is best in class, and I hope that inspires your work. All the best from Norway!
Thanks so much my friend that's very kind of you! It really does inspire me especially as I'm trying a few subtly different things at the moment. I hope you enjoy the video and have a great christmas up in Norway!
My absolute favorite series in 30 years of gaming. The setting, the gameplay, story, characters, art. Everything is just superb. Getting reminded how the studio was closed down because of corporate incompetents makes me mad.
Well fortunately we do still have Dishonored Lyon but yeah they no longer have Rafael Colantonio and are working on a Marvel game next. I do have hope they can turn it around after Redfall as the talent is still there but yeah - this video was a real sobering reminder of what used to be
So true. I still regret not giving Prey a chance when it came out. I did eventually play it and found I had missed an almost perfect instance of the immersive sim.
I hope to see a Thief Retrospective some day, also love your videos and please stay save and healthy
Don't tempt me - I need to finish this one first!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame I would also love it if you decide to get around to it
It’s time for my annual Thief playthroughs + fanmissions
MandaloreGaming published a good piece on thief. Maybe it can help you bridge the waiting time.
Would love to hear a second take though!
@@Nathanael_Forlorn I have seen it already
Well wishes brother, thanks for another top tier video! Happy Holidays to you and whoever you’re celebrating with 🎉🎅
Thanks my friend and the same to you. I'll be down with both mine and Stephs parents drinking a lot of wine, eating a lot of food and enjoying life for the first time this year!
@@IFinishedAVideoGamewell earned 💪
Hey man, I just wanted to leave a comment to add to all the love from your other viewers and to tell you how much I love these lengthy retrospectives. I never thought I would ever watch 7+ hour long videos, but I realize now I have spent countless hours watching this channel. It was so awesome to learn all this history, not only on franchises I have always loved like Castlevania and Metroid, but on under-appreciated gems from my younger days like Vagrant Story (still one of the greats) and Parasite Eve that I have such fond memories of. It feels tailor-made for me. There’s always something so satisfying about hearing that “Thanks for watching” at the end of these long journeys.
Here is a humble donation to say thanks for a plethora of entertainment and to keep doing what you’re doing. I hope you are doing well, as a cancer survivor myself who knows what an ordeal that is.
That's an extremely nice comment and it's really made my morning. All I can say is thanks very much for the support and the superthanks. 2024 was really a brutal year so I often find it quite easy to get down about how it really knocked the channel off course - but I feel really motivated at the moment and seeing messages like this really helps. I'm stoked you've enjoyed my videos so much - should have another out by the end of the month!
I am so incredibly passionate about the Dishonored franchise. The world is so incredibly unique and beautiful. I rarely ever get so captivated by a fictional world in the way that Dishonored's world has. It truly is a masterclass in giving the player just enough information to capture their attention, but not so much as to overwhelm or bog the player down with information. Not to mention the gameplay itself is so incredibly fun that people still upload kill montages and speedruns to this very day 12 years later. I always love doing a clean hands/ghost run every time I play, while also reading every note I can find and taking time to admire the scenery of the beautiful city of Dunwall. The second game is extremely good too, however I don't think it was quite as good as the first, (though that isn't saying much as it would've been quite hard to live up to Dishonored 1) but it's still a really good, fun time. I genuinely hope we get a Dishonored 3, however seeing as Arkane Studios has seen so many layoffs this year (thanks Bethesda for pushing Arkane into making a co-op looter shooter that they didn't want to make, then firing a bunch of people when that game was of course not very good) there is a very real possibility that we won't ever get another one. Regardless though, Dishonored 1 is a case study on how to create and present a new fictional world to an audience.
Couldn't agree more - it's an incredible achievement in IP crafting. It's so clever how they were able to flesh this world out without ever compromising on their gameplay aims
I never knew that Antonov was responsible for both the look of HL2 and Dishonored but the similarities are obvious now. Great video. D1 & D2 were both amazing.
Yeah it's crazy to think the connections between the two are really quite clear. There is even a little Half Life 2 physics puzzle when you're imprisoned in the Flooded District!
was thrilled to see this drop today (one of my favourite franchises), and even more happy to hear that you're on the other side of treatment! hope the rest of winter is kind to you and yours--meanwhile i'm gonna go off and do and umpteenth playthrough of Dishonored because just watching this makes me want to revisit a low chaos run
Thanks my friend. Yeah it's been a very tough year with some lows that I had no idea I could experience - but I am genuinely feeling substantially better. Monitor is a long old process but just knowing I don't have cancer anymore is pretty amazing
So yeah I hope you enjoy the video! Hopefully a lot more to come in this new era!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame best news I've read in weeks. Congratulations!
Damn man, you're a beast. Another video with everything you've had going on? The absolute GOAT. I just started it, but I'm already hyped!
Funnily enough this was originally going to be another 6 hour plus video but I just thought this schedule is killing me. It's so much nicer to get something smaller (relatively of course) out and give people something to watch and wait for. Hopefully it can set the tone for next year!
Good to see you back at it! Most people don't make long form video essays like this anymore, and when they do it's usually just a one off about a specific series. You doing this for a bunch of different ones is amazing!
I drive for a living currently and it gets pretty dull; So having well written, well spoken, informative and pleasant to listen to videos, podcasts, etc helps a ton! I'm glad you're doing better and I hope you continue to put out this amazing content for a while still! I'm even gonna listen to this one and I've never actually played Dishonored!
Yeah a nice little unintentional aspect of my channel is that I'm not super tied to anyone specific series or genre. People just know they're getting detailed videos about interesting games!
Glad I can help out with the driving - it means a lot as I used to do the same with videos and podcasts in my old corporate job!
Such a blessing to have one last video before end of the year. Hope you have a great 2025 and your health continues to improve!
That's why I really wanted to shift things around and get this out before the end of the year. It just feels right to have a video out in December!
And you have gone through cancer?! Amazing. As someone who knows from personal experience how painful it is - every cancer survivor is a hero in my book.
Thanks my friend. It was a rough year but it's amazing to feel like we're out the other side
Didn't have this on my bingo card for today but I'm excited nonetheless. By far my favorite video essay channel!
That's really kind of you. I'm just honored that people watch my stuff at all let alone hold it in that acclaim!
If I’m recalling correctly one of my favourite ways of dealing with Daud as Corvo is to be a complete ghost and steal what you need off him. He will know you did it, know you could have killed him and didn’t. Letting him live the rest of his life wondering if you’ll ever finish the job. Best kind of stealth power simulator in gaming.
Also cannot believe with a 2.5 hr video this was only the first game. I fully expected the full series like previous videos and when you were only halfway done explaining the game and the video was also halfway done I went oh this crazy man is going all the way in details. Phenomenal video like all your previous ones and I look forward to the next one. I prefer the way Emily plays in 2 overall especially going non lethal but the first game was such a homerun for the series.
You know a few other people have commented that and it's incredible that I never realised it was an option! I was so caught up in the thematic impact of them coming face to face it never dawned on me that Corvo might just steal the key to the sewers and then leave! Incredible that the game STILL has details hidden away even after producing something like that!
I really appreciate the kind words though. Second part should be arriving soon!
@ it came about because I was doing a full Ghost playthrough that I found it. It’s such a unique way of handling what would be a boss encounter in other games, even other stealth assassin games.
Also congrats on getting better through cancer, I hope it goes away forever and you can live your life without further scares from it.
Thanks my friend
Truly no one does it like you. Such a great mix of history and historical context with actual criticism and analysis instead of just summary work. Can't wait to see more now that you're over the worst of things!
Thanks my friend. It's really nice to know that my "style" cuts through and people see it. I think it's fun blend of viewpoints that gives you a real appreciation for the game!
Such a well researched and thought out video. Absolutely loving it :)
Thanks man that really means a lot to hear. I've had your Star Wars Outlaws video in my watch later for a few weeks because I wanted to see a different take on it - I'll have to stick it on now and return the favour!
Corvo from the first game is one of fave protagonists. Great video. Thanks!
He's extremely cool isn't he? That mask is iconic
Dishonored will always have a place in my heart for the gem it is
I think we need to keep that spirit alive - Bethesda could really use a reminder that they have a dormant IP like this!
I was lucky enough to make it to a promotional event in NYC prior to the release of Dishonored 2, and briefly talk to Harvey Smith. They had about two dozen rented gaming PCs set up with the Clockwork Mansion level, and costumed actors performed a very charming interactive murder mystery with the audience. The degree to which the team making these games obviously loved what they made really showed in events like that, as much as the game itself.
That's really cool to hear. You can tell from interviews that they truly loved what they were doing. It's a shame that things haven't been going quite as well for them lately
This channel very quickly has become one of my absolute favorites and has helped reaffirm my love for video games as well as introduce me to info about series i hadn't given too much thought to in the past like Castlevania or Metroid having only heard of their absolute hits from before I was born and the lackluster disappointments that I heard coming out when I was young. This video being on a game I am quite familiar with is a very welcome thing and I loved hearing the in depth history behind it. That's something I really appreciate with this channel with going over every step that lead to why and how a game was developed in such a consise and engaging way. Glad you were able to beat cancer, and I can't wait to see more of what's to come from this channel
That's really awesome to hear. This video really was a joy to put together and really helped close the year out in a nice way so it's been really nice to see people enjoying it. Thanks for the kind words and here's to the future!
I'm a new viewer and I have two things to say. First that I thoroughly enjoyed the video, I like how you contextualize things to their time before diving into the game itself. Secondly, a ton of strength to you and yours. Happy celebrations if you do
Thanks my friend. It's really nice to hear that people new to the channel like the direction. It's a bit like a historical documentary mixed with an opinion peice!
As someone else who has recently moved over to the "monitoring" step of a cancer battle, I just want to say congratulations on getting through to the other side. Your content has always been a wonderful source of comfort for me, and I'm so happy to see that you're getting back into creating more. I'm sure being able to be back to work is liberating in its own sense. This video made me decide to do ANOTHER playthrough of Dishonored, and actually go through Dishonored 2 (when I bought it on launch it was poorly optimized and my PC sucked, so I don't count a 10FPS journey as a real "playthrough"). Very excited to see what you have in store next. Happy new year!
Thanks very much my friend. That's really nice to hear and frankly - you're right on the money with it being liberating to get back to making videos. I feel like this one was by far my best all year and it's been really nice to end strongly! I hope your own monitoring journey goes smoothly and we're both laughing about all this in the future!
You know the channel is good when there is a movie long retrospective of dishonerd,far cry 3 and the arkham franchise. We got the first and damn was it a banger, subbing for sure
I mean I appreciate it but I haven't covered Far Cry or the Arkham franchise!
Hope you do; a Batman retrospective would be a nice DC bookend to the Xmen piece.
My favorite retrospective channel making an lengthy video of a franchise i love? YES PLEASASEEEE. Thanks for rhe Christmas present!
You're more than welcome! Hope you're hyped for the sequel!
Congratulations on the continued and improved recovery! Glad to see you're continuing with your videos! Good luck, mate, and I'm praying for your full recovery.
I have to say, Dishonored is one of my favorite franchises of all time. I do feel that Death of the Outsider and Dishonored 2 were a bit awkward in the way they continue the story, but I'll wait for your next entry to get into that. Looking forward to it.
Thanks my friend that means a lot to hear. Yeah I'm excited to talk about 2 and DOTO - they're sort of better and worse in many ways. It'll be really engaging to write about!
I am SO happy that you genuinely are doing better healthwise. I don't know you, but you seem like an awesome person that's got something to say, and your videos with your way of seeing art have always made me calm and brought a smile to my face. Keep on rocking, man
Thanks my friend that's really cool of you to say. Yeah it's been a LONG journey to this point but I'm happy to report I'm doing much better and am just being monitored now. In tandem with this video being received pretty well it feels like a bit of a rebirth - I definitely needed it
I love they way you handled the chaos system. I wondered why you hadnt mentioned it but keeping it all together at the end is masterclass.
It's nice to know that was appreciated. I structured it that way on purpose because I feel like a lot of people overly focus on it and end up giving this kinda warped perspective of the game. You're meant to just play and then get whatever ending you earned yourself!
Hey man, just wanted to thank you for making these. Any dishonored video on UA-cam i automatically watch, but I believe I’ve seen another of your videos before. When i realized I wasn’t already subscribed, I felt bad. You truly make some of the best art analysis content on this platform, as your attention to detail and cadence in relaying information is unmatched. Really fine work, this time and every time. Watching your X-men video next!
No worries at all - welcome in! I hope you enjoy the X-Men video, it's an absolutely monster and I have no idea why I made it!
I love how deep u get into stories where we learn about the studios, developers, and all the was going on in the time period the game was being made so detailed.
I really think it helps make the discussion about the mechanics, narrative, graphics etc so much richer! You really have to understand the context of the games to be able to get into what the developers were thinking!
@IFinishedAVideoGame Facts a key note most people overlook. Things like that lead to a great build up and set the atmosphere before diving into the game
My favorite channel releasing a video on one of my top 5 favorite games ever is certainly the greatest Christmas gift! Hope you are getting healthier by the day and continue to put out content you should be proud of! The world (at least my portion of it) is a better place because of you 🎉
That's awesome to hear I'm honored! Yeah I'm doing much better at the moment so I'm just looking forward to Christmas and then a fresh start in the new year!
I know this is a video on the first game specifically but the outsider being just some guy really brings the franchise full circle thematically and shows that even with 2's storytelling issues their vision for what they wanted to tell and say never wavered.
It's going to be fun to dive into 2 and DOTO and examine the Outsider in a bit more detail
Thank you so much for featuring your sources, as an aspiring video maker myself, its a great help !
I feel honoured to be haunted by this video for the next several weeks as I watch and rewatch it.
Also, the first series on this channel I have actually played all the games of. You're losing your niche touch!
Thanks for the video. Hope you're doing better
I think going forwards I need to have a bit of balance between hyper niche and captivating! After the year I've had (cancer leading to channel collapse) I thinki it's probably important to strike a bit of a balance and build up a bit of momentum that I can spend on something really niche like Anachronox or Baiten Kaitos!
I've been here on your channel since almost the beginning, and you really are one of the most consistent creators in this space. Every video is well researched, paced, and thoughtful. Even with your recent stresses the quality never dipped. Impressive.
Id played dishonored 2 but never played the first one. I started it about a week before your video dropped so I had to wait to watch it, but as always excellent video, and please remove the cameras from my living room.
Keep it up, I'm honestly surprised your channel isn't way bigger.
That's really nice to hear. I really take is as a compliment from someone who's been here from the start! As for the channel - I do think that 180k subs only talking about relatively niche games isn't too bad - it'll be interesting to see what next year holds when I'm putting out more videos! Thanks again for watching!
You deserve more subs/attention, fantastic video (as always)!
Thanks my friend. Honestly as long as I can pay my bills and keep doing this I'll be very happy
Before this man dies we have to put him in a cryofreezer like walt disney and then wait until immortality is invented so these videos may never stop being created.
Well I managed to beat cancer this year so that hopefully should mean a lot more videos are coming!
It's a great day when you drop a new video. I get 2 weeks of audio to listen to when I go to sleep.
Hope it gives you some good dreams - I can't imagine plague rats and the void sending me off to sleep!
I had absolutely no idea you have been fighting cancer. I discovered you by ur Castlevania video bout 6 months ago. I put it on to help fall asleep. I absolutely love your content and how you manage to articulate so many different aspects of video games. Much love man
Thanks my friend that really means a lot to hear. It's been an absolutely horrible year but I'm stoked to put it behind me and move on into the future
Had to grab Dishonored 2 after watching this bc i never played....great video my guy. I know you popped off seeing there's a New Onimusha being made!
I did indeed - I'm super excited to know that not only are Capcom are bringing it back but it's a full big sequel! Glad you enjoyed the video and picked up DH2 - it's stellar!
Great video essay. Dishonored really stole my heart, there is just so much to love. Certainly one of the most charismatic video games of the past few decades, imo.
That's a great way to put it. It really is charismatic isn't it? Everything about it's design just absolutely sings
These games captured my heart instantly all those years ago, when that beautifully haunting trailer first asked me what we'd do with a drunken whaler. The first Dishonored will always have a special place in my heart, right alongside Arkane's other great masterpiece Prey, and to this day the first game's Outsider is still the example I point to in how Eldritch entities can be convincingly portrayed without Lovecraft's tentacles and insanity.
I'm glad to hear your recovery's coming along, man. Cancer sucks, and every victory big or small is always good news to hear. Here's to a better year in 2025!
Thanks very much. That really means a lot to hear. As for Prey - I'm certainly going to be getting to that in the not too distant future!
Yeeees i just know my evening's about to get cozy when i see the upload notification! Best documentary/lengthy retrospectives on games there is, all well wishes to you man, and a merry xmas
Merry christmas to you too my friend. Hope it made your weekend a little brighter!
I'm grateful for your contributions to the video essay playlist, that thing has hit like 1500 videos, I will never finish it
Christ yeah it's monstrous. I'm just happy to be in there at all!
Thank you for making this retrospective, great job. The whole series certainly deserves it.
Well lucky for the series - next up is the sequel and Death of the Outsider. It's going to be fun to get stuck into the best and worst of Arkane (if we pretend Redfall doesn't exist) in a single video!
Loved this walk through memory lane as I recently got in the mood for sneaking and picked Deathloop up again myself. Between that and this, I'm definitely feeling a desire to revisit Dunwall next.
I was a little surprised to not see the non-confrontational options Corvo has regarding Daud brought up, as it's the solution I remember using - demonstrating to Daud you had the option to attack and chose not to by picking his pockets and escaping unseen is a little bit game-logic-y but still a fun challenge for a Corvo who wants to move unremarked. It also echoes Burrows reacting to the disappearance of his things. Arkane really are good at giving different approaches a distinct feel.
Holy shit - I had no idea you could pickpocket him and bypass that sequence without confronting him! I got so hung up on the implications of his confession and how it related to lethal / non-lethal that I totally missed you didn't even have to face him! That genuinely is a real testament to this game that I could spend 60 hours playing this game and writing about it and never even come across that interaction!
It is with the deepest appreciation that I pen this note to you, having recently traversed the intricate and shadowed realms of Dishonored. Upon completing this remarkable journey, I stumbled upon your magnum opus, The Twisted World of Dishonored | A Lengthy Retrospective, and was immediately struck by the eloquence and erudition with which you illuminated the game’s myriad layers.
Your retrospective was not mere analysis, but a grand tapestry woven with the finest threads of insight, passion, and profound understanding. With each word, you breathed new life into the world of Dunwall and its haunted streets, casting light upon the hidden intricacies of its characters, its world, and the artistry that permeates every facet of the game. What I had only glimpsed in fleeting moments, you made tangible, revealing the profound narrative depths and philosophical undertones that lie beneath the surface.
Your work, Mister I Finished A Video Game, is as always a treasure-a beacon of thoughtful reflection in a sea of more hurried impressions. It stands as a testament to your profound understanding and devotion to the craft, and it has irrevocably enhanced my appreciation of Dishonored.
For this, I am profoundly grateful. You have enriched my experience in ways words scarcely can capture.
With the utmost respect and sincere gratitude.
TLDR: Watched your video. Got the game. shit's fire 🔥
That might be my favourite comment on this video. Heavily boosting my ego but also kinda funny!
Beat cancer? That’s awesome! Congratulations. Great work by the way.😊
Thanks my friend. It's been a tough year but a lovely end!
very rich analysis, loved that you explored the motivation behind creating the game too. you bring new perspectives and a deeper appreciation to one of my favorite games/ stories ever. cant wait to see its sequel!
Thanks my friend. Looking into the development and then tying that into the experience of the game is just a way that feels so natural for me to talk about video games. I'm fascinated by them and I think it comes through in the videos!
Finally...an analysis of a game series I care about from one of the best game UA-camrs.
You're welcome!
Thank you for making these incredible videos, or movies rather haha, after a few watches I always come back to these as something to fall asleep to.
Much love and Happy Holidays!
That's nice to hear! Hopefully this one feels like it's got some good rewatch potential!
The new Indiana Jones game has made me nostalgic for these games, so I'm glad you'd been working on this video all the while! This Sunday just got at least 4 times as good
As soon as I finish Dishonored 2 I'm going to be diving into The Great Circle. It looks literally tailor made for me
@IFinishedAVideoGame I can't wait to see your take on it! I had been expecting a somewhat cheesy little game, but what I got just seems...weighty. Like a lump of obsidian, or a well-made typewriter. Or like...an old coffee table. I don't know. It's very good, is what I'm trying to say.
There are a few beats that clearly allude to Dishonored 1, like the sewer section in the Vatican. The Great Circle builds upon what action-driven immersion sims (like the Dishonored Series, Dark Messiah etc.) have achieved before.
Sounds absolutely great!
Stay Healthy Man! We Can Wait As Long As Possible the effort you put into your Retrospectives is honestly a Godsend Especially in this period Stay strong you legend
Thanks my friend. Unfortunately getting cancer this year really wrecked the momentum of the channel so I'm definitely in a period of needing to put a bit of graft in - hopefully shouldn't be long to wait for the next!
@IFinishedAVideoGame Don't Say that! Gold Is Extremely Rare And Diamonds Are even more so And what you're doing is more than both the personality you put into them I cannot find it anywhere else you've built a haven here and people know it people all over the world watch you including me an Iraqi Gamer thanks to everything you're doing you're making my life easier everytime I rewatch a long retrospective of yours I can't thank you enough
You're more than welcome my friend. I hope you enjoy this one as much as the ones in the past!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame As Severus Snape Once Said.... ALWAYS
Really enjoyed the (relatively) shorter format. No sacrifice in depth, and something to look forward to!
I'm really pleased with how it's going down. It'll allow me to release videos more often and frankly - will remove a lot of the pressure and stress that has been so difficult to deal with this year. You don't quite know how tough it is to recover from cancer surgery while also dealing with a 4 month project flopping!
So yeah feeling pretty good at the moment!
Your retrospectives are second to none. You have a gift.
Thanks my friend. I love producing these so I'm really happy this one has been received so well
Just as I'm watching through Castlevania and Metroid you drop another one of my favorite games. Can't wait to dig into this one!
Hope you enjoy it!
What an amazing video, this took me way back to the first time i played this at a way too young age hahah. Dishonored means so much to and has inspired my own writing immensely, and this was just lovely to loock back on again. Cant wait for the next one!!
That's really awesome to hear. I'm hard at work on the next as we speak so shouldn't be too long to wait!
Man when I enter the Golden Cat and the Boyle Manner i take everything that isn't nailed down lol.
The Boyle Manor is particularly funny to do that in. Just imagine the guests watching as who they assume is Bunting the Artists walks in and immediately eats about 5kg of food off the table
@IFinishedAVideoGame They have to at least heard of the Starving artist.
Dishonored blew my mind. Dishonored 2 blew my mind even more. The level design is just insane. You have a level that transforms like a giant puzzle box and another where you switch between different time periods. I also loved that one level where you can skip a part of the level by solving a pretty challenging puzzle with a randomized solution. The world of the games is truly fascinating and I just love the freedom you have to play them in any way you want. They're some of the best games ever made but I don't think they're talked about enough.
I'm looking forward to covering both of those levels in the next video!
About 59:32: If you steal everything but then close the door and set back the code (I think you only need to make sure you don't leave the correct code already solved), Slackjaw never mentions that you lied to him cause there's no proof that you already opened the safe. But if you leave the solved code, he will always know it was you
That's really cool! I had no idea that interaction existed. This is what I mean about Dishonored it's just packed with so much freaking detail
Absolutely great video, can’t wait for you to cover the sequel
Thanks my friend. Working on it as we speak - hopefully shouldn't be far away!
Ill be honest, never played dishonored still dont care too but, I just love your content. Keep up the hard work and your health. You have people that look forward to your work!
Thanks my friend - hopefully I can turn you onto it a bit!
I stumbled on your channel today (thanks algorithm?). Great content decided to read the UA-cam comments, and found out you're recovering from Cancer. That's nuts I'm sure this video alone took so much effort.
Keep being a baller.
Well fortunately this was the first video I produced after I was moved into monitoring so it was a LOT easier than the last two. Those came out of a crazy mixture of treatment surgery and depression so this really felt like a glorious return to the old life
Thanks very much for watching and for taking the time to leave such a nice comment
fun fact! You can let Emily fall to her death and become Corvo the Conqueror, attempting to take over the empire
A few people have mentioned - I can't believe I missed that! I guess I just couldn't believe that Corvo would do something like that after everything they've been through
Maybe if there was an option not to hug Emily in the Golden Cat I might have looked for that as a sneaky little hidden ending
Glad your health is on the upswing, hopefully full remission. Thanks for this retrospective and historical dip. I learned quite a bit.
Thanks my friend. I've had quite a few good scans recently so everything is looking very positive
This is the first franchise you’ve covered that I’m not familiar with, can’t wait to learn everything I can about it 😊
Oh you're in for a doozy - it's such a clever franchise full of so many cool ideas
I love the hell out of this series. I've always gone for a fully non-lethal run cause it sets Emily up better at the end. I've also absolutely abused the hell outof dark vision and love how corvo mutters whatever ability you have him use. It was really jarring to hear his voice the first time I played cause I was like "who the hell is whispering?" Then I realized it was me everytime I used an ability and got stupid excited over something simple but it felt awesome.
Ah man, I just realized that this video doesn't cover the franchise, just the first game. Hope you do a video on Dishonored 2, death of the outsider, and Death loop
I certainly will be my friend don't worry!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame awesome! I think the second game is leagues above the first!
It's going to be interesting to compare the two in the next video!
Speaking as someone who skipped all story and played for the ghost mode..
Oooooh.. so thats what was going on...
😂💜 great video
Haha that's amazing. Glad I could reintroduce you to the plot years later!
holy shit ! another video already? sir, you are spoiling us ❤
Well originally I was planning on putting the whole series in one video but I think it just makes a lot of sense to put it in two sections. I think I'll be doing that a lot more going forwards just so the channel is a bit more alive!
I love your work. The only deep dives I finish 😂. Another banger, man. Thanks.
Thanks my friend! That's nice to hear! Sequel should be coming very soon!
Glad your doing ok and happy to see a new video from you soo soon from the last video stay safe and stay strong champ love ya buddy god bless
Thanks my friend that means a lot to hear. I hope you're doing well too!
I am so glad that you got through the cancer, that really makes me happy, not just for you but in general!
Thanks my friend. It's been a brutal year but it really feels like I'm ending on a high
Your videos are always a blast much love from France and take care ❤
Thanks my friend. I hope there is a special pride in Arkane Lyon!
I had only hear a miniscule amount of things about this game before, i essentially knew nothing about it, so thank you for showing me such an interesting looking game that i'm definitely gonna look into perhaps getting for myself. And an amazing video all round as always!
I highly recommend it. The beautiful thing about this game is even after hearing my takes on it your experience will be totally unique from mine! It's well worth checking out
So sad that Arkane went from this to Redfall.
Luckily we've got a few games to cover before we get to the great downfall
Excellent video as always. Glad to hear that you're out of treatment, that is incredible! I've never played Dishonored but I have a few friends that swear by it. It's one of my "gaming regrets" which unfortunately also includes Deus Ex. I will get around to these games eventually but I'm even more excited for Dishonored now that I know how good the world-building is. I think when this first came out I was just completely exhausted with first person games or something, I really don't know why I never picked it up.
I couldn't recommend it more! Part of the joy of a game like Dishonored is that it's just as good if you disengage with the mechanics and design and just soak in the atmosphere and story. Certain studios just have an ability to do that and 2010s Arkane were masters of it
you finished several video games
P.S Onimusha IS BACK!!!!
Absolutely! I can't wait to see what Capcom have got in stall for us. So what that little trailer looks awesome
Dishonored is my favourite game and I always watch a new video essay on it as soon as possible by anyone
Well welcome into the latest edition! Hope you enjoyed it
@@IFinishedAVideoGameI loved this video. Can't wait for dishonored 2 and death of the outsider
Hoping you will someday cover Otogi and its sequel as they are my favorite fromsoft games and these days feel very forgotten unfortunately
BROOOOOO. I'm endlessly salty that Otogi has never gotten the love it deserved, and knowing that it runs on the same engine as Metal Wolf Chaos, which got its own rerelease a few years ago, only makes the sting that much deeper.
I've never actually played it but I've heard interesting things!
My favorite game of all time. Even tho I know almost everything about this game, I always love clicking on new retrospectives.
It's just one of those games that's so detailed that it's genuinely interesting to hear other people's interpretations and experiences
@@IFinishedAVideoGameohh for sure I take away something new with each play through and each video I watch. This game keeps giving after all these years
Great retrospect can't wait for your thoughts on the second one
Shouldn't be too long to wait!
This whole video is the deepest of bows to a glorious and genius narrative, fed by a wild and brave imagination. Pure fucking gold. Kudos!
Thanks my friend and thanks to Arkane for making such a fantastic game
"Must have been a rat."
Shall we gather for whiskey and cigars?
The setting in Dishonored, specifically Dishonored 1, was amazing.
They did such a good job at creating mystique for a wider world... such a shame they never did anything with it.
Yeah it's kinda disappointing that it doesn't really expand as much as you'd imagine with two further games!
Almost 3 hours and it only covers the first game and the DLC? Amazing. Can't wait for Part 2.
Should hopefully not be too far away!
The game would of been so much better without the tacked on feeling magic powers. They ruined the whole balance and tension of the game. Yeah you can just not use them but that's not the point. Dont get me wrong i loved the game, but some of the design felt pretty questionable.
I've never played Dishonored myself, but what you've said here I've heard before during discussions about it, and it does make sense that it can be too easy.
Are there any mods or anything that rework how all that works? I bet that would be interesting, if so.
I mean I totally disagree! I think the key is in the difficulty settings as they not only adjust the damage but how easily enemies can detect you and how persistent they are in hunting you down. If you want Dishonored to be a power fantasy chaos game it works on the lower levels and if you want a really challenging stealth experience - the higher levels are there too!
@@IFinishedAVideoGame I must admit i didnt play around with the difficulty settings, i just put it on hard and gave it a go. Mostly its the (sorry can't recall the name) "wallhack" power and the teleport power. It just seems to trivialize a lot of the game. Before i got those i was rather happy with the game's difficulty. I really should give it another playthrough and avoid using those, i bet i'd have a lot more fun.
Either way, love the channel! I look forward to checking out the video soon.
100% - the game was actually designed to be able to be beaten without using a single power and working out how to do it (especially if you try and get a ghost run as well) is really satisfying!
Awesome video man !
I love dishonored so much !!
I hope we get a 3rd one with original devs
I'd love to see that but I think for now I'm more concerned with Arkane getting back on the rails with anything remotely positive. It seems like Redfall was super damaging for their "brand"
Yeah my new headcanon is that the DLC takes place after Corvo spares Daud, that makes a lot of sense and really puts a beautiful bow on the entire first instalment of Dishonored
It's so frustrating because I feel like that little shift in the timeline helps sell Daud's penance so much better. He's see what Corvo's mercy can achieve and it directly inspires him to change his own ways. Him getting regretful after seeing the impact of his actions kinda makes him seem foolish - I mean what did he think would happen if he assassinated the Empress at the height of a plague?
i like that they even have different animations to daud's and corvo's blink. daud's is instataneous, you were on one rooftop and then poof you're on the other, whereas corvo you get the 'swimmy' animation where you still could see your surroundings mid blink.
i also might have imagined it during my playthrough but daud seems more rough with unconscious people while corvo is more careful. (like as corvo id put a man on a ledge and they'd always be perfectly centered, but playing as daud they would be a little off centre and fall down)
You know I'd be interested to go back and see. I wouldn't put it past Arkane to put that level of thought into it! The point about the blink is very cool though - I wish I'd included that in the video!
You: "Skyrim books don't add any depth if you don't read them."
Me: I reinstalled and replayed Skyrim so many times, I don't even remember how many, just for the feeling of travelling down the roads of Skyrim while listening to the glorious music and chilling by a fire at an inn and reading an in-game book after a long day of questing. My favourite is The Wolf Queen series and I absolutely love her speech to her troops, especially this part: "I have seen great acts of valor from each one of you, which does my heart proud. I have also seen dirty fighting, backstabbing, cruel and wanton feats of savagery, which pleases me equally well." Epic writing!
I mean I can respect that but what I more is that because they are so optional - for the vast majority of players they might as well not be there. I think Dishonored does a good job of striking the balance between optional and game important information which encourages you to read everything!
What are the odds I just did a play through of this less than a month ago. I can’t believe it took me so long to do so. Amazing work as always!
I'm in your head looking for video ideas!
Fantastic video. Very excited to see the sequel!
Shouldn't be long to wait! Thanks very much!