Dishonored: Plague Rats Ate the Manuscript and Killed the Best Characters

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Time to Beat: 16 hours by stealthy justice/8 hours with murderous revenge
Dishonored:

By now (September 11th, 2017) everyones had plenty of time to enjoy Dishonored 2 (release date Nov 11, 2016) It doesn't' attract my interest, but way back in 2013, I was on vacation during the Steam Summer Sale. During that summer, I was at Historicon, and lacking access to the internet, asked my brother to purchase Dishonored and gift it to me. And like my previous article, Papers, Please, I abandoned Dishonored after three hours. Much like Papers, Please, the reason for ditching Dishonored escapes me now.
Yet, something about playing Papers, Please, which I also acquired four years ago, forced me to reconsider. It is a curious impulse, the desire which allows one to complete a game or abandon it after only an hour or two. Even among critically acclaimed, popular games, one is likely to find stories that just don't stick. An attempt to persevere past a bland opening tutorial level will result in a two hour experience which the player will then forsake. Reconsidering a year or two later one can try again, but the former issue is compounded, by the need to replay those first few interminable scenes (I've attempted the opening three hours of The Witcher three times since its release).
On this second attempt, I was able to finish Dishonored twice. To examine its plot, characters, setting, combat, stealth, magic, and absurdities, will be the effort of three articles. This article in particular will set the boundaries of the story.

Dishonored occurs in Dunwall, the capital city of the Empire of The Isles, currently afflicted by a horrendous, rat bound plague. Unable to devise a proper extermination program, the Empress sends her bodyguard and lover, the Lord Protector, Corvo Attano to the other cities of the empire to discover why the plague has spared them, or how they have resisted its effects. He returns six months later in failure, and the Empress suspects forces beyond Dunwall seek to destabilize her reign. As they speak, in an open pavilion with the innocent Emily (heir to throne) by their side, masked men appear out of the air, defeat Corvo, murder the Empress, and snatch Emily. In a blink they are gone, vanishing back from where they came, with late arriving Empire officials observing only the dead Empress and Corvo by her side with sword drawn.

The result of the scene finds Corvo confined in prison, where he overhears the Royal Spymaster, now Lord Regent and ruler of the Empire, admit to being the leader of the plot to usurp the throne. Corvo escapes from prison with the assistance of a coterie of officials, who believe he is innocent. Admiral Havlock leads the plot to overthrow the overthrowers, with Overseer Martin and nobleman Pendleton assisting. They enlist Corvo as their assassin, eliminating those close to the Royal Spymaster. Dishonored's game-play begins with Corvo breakout, and continues until he rescues Emily from forces which plan to manipulate her for their own gain.
Set in an oddly, whale worshiping society, (where the complex machinery is powered by whale oil and magic runes are carved from their bones) the city of Dunwall combines a late medieval stronghold with steam-age technology, perfectly exhibiting the traits of magical steam-punk. Like Thief: The Dark Project (of which Dishonored is considered a spiritual successor), both share a grim interpretation of steam-punk, incorporating elaborate machinery, mysterious beings of immense power channeling dark energies, and hordes of incompetent, fanatical swordsmen, all of which is at one point or another directed against the protagonist.

An outgrowth of this mirthless setting, is the ugliness of the characters. The aesthetic of the scenery is drab, with dull brown, grey, and black buildings overshadowing sunless streets. The characters, rightfully, appear as if they grew to adulthood in these conditions. While the soldiers appear thickly solid, most of the characters have a slender, towering appearance, as if they grew sickly starved, but straight, sacrificing sturdiness for a chance to reach the light, and healthier air beyond their reach. Their faces suffered a similar fate, pinched by pain. This is especially true of the three key conspirators Admiral Havelock, Overseer Martin, and Lord Pendleton, though no less true of their various assistants, Emily, or Corvo's enemies (the assassin Daud, the Lord Regent and all those under his command). Though of distinguishing depiction, the characters of Dishonored are only shadows when discussing their attributes. Corvo, a silent protagonist, sacrifices personality, allowing him to be a cipher for the player. The source of this necessity is Dishonored's two possible outcomes. Corvo must lack a predefined characteristics, so the player is free to make their own choices. Other characters such as Havlock, as uninspired as the bottom of a deep, dark harbor, and Martin, like a rat who never ventures out of his hole, are as dull as Corvo but without the necessity.
The only inspiring character among the conspirators is Lord Pendleton. Pendleton demonstrates slyness, doubt, cruelty, and cowardice. He declares his willingness to accept the sacrifices necessary for their success, yet treats everyone as if they are his inferior. He is an opportunist who will order the assassination of his brothers, kill his manservant without remorse, grieve at the death of his loved ones, vanish at the first bark of a bullet, and manipulate a man at a masquerade party so the unsuspecting dupe is forced to duel to the death in his place (and then have the temerity to thank the survivor). When one corroborates among thieves and betrayers, however righteous their cause may be, one doubts their sincerity, and suspects them of double dealing. Fortunately for Lord Pendleton, Dishonored refuses to allow the player to kill any of the members ahead of their time.
The other memorable character worthy of description is the ex-naval man, Samuel. Unfortunately, this description is not complimentary. Corvo first encounters Samuel as he escapes the prison. Samuel becomes his method of transport, conveying Corvo in a small motor boat, from the conspirators' hideaway, to each mission and back. Each trip provides Samuel an opportunity to express his position on the unfolding situation. On the first mission, he reminds Corvo the soldiers are everyday men with families, trying to do their duty as best as they can do it. He recommends Corvo spare them, that Corvo create as little chaos as possible. As mentioned earlier, Dishonored can end one of two ways. This result is determined by the amount of Chaos Corvo causes. Though the amount any particular action increases chaos (or decreases it) is never explicit, the actions which have an effect are clear. Killing innocents and soldiers increases Chaos, as does assassinating the target of each mission. One can reduce Chaos by protecting civilians, killing as few soldiers as possible, and seeking out the merciful solution to each assassination. Supposedly Dishonored's missions adjust to the amount of Chaos, with high Chaos play-style with an increased number of plague rats, weepers, and other foul elements. Whether this occurs will be the focus of another post, but let's assume for now that the only element Chaos effects is the final level. Regardless of Corvo's actions, Samuel never alters his speeches on seven of the missions. It is only on the final mission he will respond to Corvo's choices. It is true, that at some earlier point Samuel declares (regardless of playthrough style) that the source of all this death and debauchery, this violence, is the elite, who see others a pieces to be used in their chess game for power. They disregard the value of others in their dedicated quest for power. This is a very straightforward thesis, which is both simplistic and not supported by the game itself. Many of the villains are local thugs, and the streets are contaminated by soldiers and commoner alike harassing those weaker than them. Though Dishonored's developers wish to portray Samuel as the wise common man, he speaks in bromides and flatters himself as the only honest man, even though he consorts with thieves.

Next week, Dishonored's most mysterious, powerful, unnecessary, and ineffectual character, the Outsider.

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