Arkane Studios is a development team with branches in both France and Texas, where they create popular Bethesda-published franchises such as Prey and Dishonored. Their latter series, Dishonored has seen critical acclaim in the three releases it's seen since its its inception in 2012. However, it looks like the studio wishes to move on from those games and focus on something new, according to an interview with VG247. Arkane's lead designer, Ricardo Bare, states that "I can’t say definitively what might happen down the road, anything could happen, but Dishonored is resting for now," meaning that the series won't be having any new entries for the foreseeable future.

Instead, the plan is to look into a potentially new IP, with a focus on multiplayer. "Being able to incorporate more online sharing or multiplayer type stuff, we totally might do that. It’s interesting because, for a while, there was this push with a bunch of big publishers to force teams to include multiplayer modes. I feel this was super destructive because you end up with a team that’s made a really compelling single-player game, but they were forced to tack on this deathmatch mode or whatever."

Their most recent release, the standalone DLC; Dishonored: Death of the Outsider was a critical success, but not a commercial one. The game prior to that, Prey 2017, was also loved by fans and critics, but failed in terms of sales.

Source: Interview

 

[CallmeBerto]

While I am sad that there isn't going to be another Dishonored game for a good while, at least they are not turning it into what it is not. Even if this new IP just based on what is here is not something I really care about.

 

[radrom]

Even if it ends up being temporary, good on them for ending the series on a high note. I'm excited to see what else that come up with in the meantime.

 

[Reploid]

Well, that blows.

 

[Foxi4]

I really tried to enjoy Dishonored, but I just couldn't get into it or the sequel. Prey on the other hand was spectacular, I wish it got a sequel, I'm not sure why it bombed.

 

[Daggot]

Aw man, all I ever wanted was a Dark Messiah of Might and Magic sequel.

 

[Silverthorn]

I really tried to enjoy Dishonored, but I just couldn't get into it or the sequel. Prey on the other hand was spectacular, I wish it got a sequel, I'm not sure why it bombed.

I did finish both Dishonored and enjoyed them, but it frankly didn't surprise me when I heard that the 2nd one made a flop.
In my opinion, both games have enormous potential, but they suffer a lot from "incoherent game design". (Relatively short article on that subject if you're interested, I found it to be a nice read)

Basically, in both games there's the same exact annoying problem.
On one hand you get:
-tons of really cool and fun powers to play with, that allow different playstyles,
-nice weapons,
-can be combined to give plenty of ways to dispatch enemies,
-and nice levels with awesome design (some mind-blowingly so in 2) that you can easily traverse, that make great playgrounds for your abilities.

That sounds like a recipe for a lot of fun, BUT then on the other hand you get:
-Limited mana to use said powers,
-only regenerates after a while if you don't use a second ability,
-limited resources to learn abilities,
-the chaos system, which has bad consequences for you every time you kill an enemy instead of using non-lethal options and encourages you to go stealth only

In essence, there are all these elements I listed first that are designed so you experiment with everything the game has to offer to you, to let you choose your own playstyle, and try out the craziest things.
But you end up not doing any of that, because the game tells you by its design that killing is baaad.
So really you shouldn't use those really fun weapons you got or half the powers you can learn (because they only fit lethal playstyles).
Also with the limited mana system that only recharges after a while if you don't use a 2nd ability right after, you're intuitively NOT gonna try to combine 2 or 3 abilities in a row, and you're just gonna hoard mana elixirs.
As a result the whole game pushes you towards only one single playstyle, and a pretty boring one: Non-lethal stealth.
In my experience, I'd say that the best way to get your kick out of the Dishonored games is to ignore the chaos system and not be afraid to waste your resources, and savescum if things don't work out.
That's also probably the reason why the standalone DLC for Dishonored 2 feels great, because it gets rid of the chaos system. (Still limited mana though)

I might be forgetting things but I think that sums up most of the reasons why the Dishonored games felt slightly awkward to play for me.

 

[MarkDarkness]

I wonder how many billion games people think can co-exist at the same time... then again, that is the direction the mainstream market is going in.

Dunno what the fun of playing with strangers is. They suck. Co-op with my wife is a blast, but I couldn't give two fucks about playing with some winy idiot on the Internet.

 

[Jiehfeng]

Dishonored 2 was shit, too much like the first game.

 

[Raylight]

Im really sick and fucking tired of multiplayer games being so mainstream now why cant we have nice story driven action adventure games that don't shoehorn microtransactions down our throat

 

[leon315]

Dishonored Battle royal confirmed!

This is modern online competitive games' new standard now.

 

[stanleyopar2000]

Dishonored 2 went on sale very quickly. I assume it was not well received in sales

 

[Deleted User]

I enjoyed every Dishonored game. The first one is undoubtedly the best, but 2 was still really fun and Death of the Outsider was still pretty good even though the removal of the chaos system really detracts from replay value.
On one hand I would like a another sequel but I also think a rest might do the series good. Better than constantly milking the franchise like Call of Duty, Battlefield or Assassins Creed at any rate.

Dishonored 2 went on sale very quickly. I assume it was not well received in sales

I find that every Bethesda published game reduces in price quickly. Doom, Fallout, Wolfenstein, The Evil Within and Dishonored, all dropped its price in the first few months.
I doubt they all sold poorly.

 

[Pluupy]

Dishonored 2 was shit, too much like the first game.

That's what made it absolutely amazing for me, imo. That game is fuckin perfect. Corvo is my husbando. Daud is fun as fuck to play as. Billie is weird to control, but I love her too.

 

[Jiehfeng]

That's what made it absolutely amazing for me, imo. That game is fuckin perfect. Corvo is my husbando. Daud is fun as fuck to play as. Billie is weird to control, but I love her too.

It seems you couldn't get enough of the first one then haha. For me the experience was entirely ruined due to shit PC Porting, what I know now is to buy a release date game on console, and buy a matured game on PC.

 

[Pluupy]

It seems you couldn't get enough of the first one then haha. For me the experience was entirely ruined due to shit PC Porting, what I know now is to buy a release date game on console, and buy a matured game on PC.

It is a port? The games feels so clean on PC. I've only ever adjusted mouse sensitivity. I couldnt imagine playing with a controller.

Real talk, part of my love for Dishonored is that when I played the first one I was in some awful period of depression. I downloaded Dishonored because it was made (published, really) by Bethesda. I am a huge fan of Elder Scrolls and Fallout, so I chose Dishonored based on this whim. Playing the game, I was lifted from it. Dishonored is a series that respects the intelligence and ingenuity of players. I have been wanting a game like that for a long time.

The whole flexibility of Dishonored is refreshing. Having the choice of non-violence and stealth and actually being rewarded for my choices appeals to me. Multiple ways of dealing with a situation means I am not restricted to a single walkthrough. Lots of fun stuff to collect that is both good for gameplay AND lore! Now that's awesome.

The world of Dishonored is weird. The void and the whalepunk style creates an environment that is fantasy yet realistic. You can feel compassion for those who suffer in the games. It makes non-violent route much more compelling when you work harder to save a life and it actually pays off. It makes completing your primary goal compelling as well to save the country.

Dishonored 2 and Death if the Outsider are gorgeous games. I love the city of Karnaca. Beautiful location. The modern and early 1900s architecture of buildings is pleasing to explore. I loved those Sokolov machines too! Shits are legitimately terrifying. Those new robots in Dishonored 2 are awesome with how the developer guy voiced their program responses.

I think one moment where I was like "that's it, I love this series" was when you play as Daud and confront Corvo. Meeting someone you played as is a little scary because you know what they are capable of. Depending on your choice in the DLC, he does different things. Fuck yes. More devs need to do this shit.

I think it is very important for me to address why someone might not like Dishonored as well. Many franchises drastically change the formula in new iterations. Dishonored didn't. Now personally, I think the games are perfect. However, if I was a person who did not enjoy the first games gameplay then I can understand not liking 2 and DotO. I am a person who likes new things that don't reinvent the wheel.

 

[Jiehfeng]

It is a port? The games feels so clean on PC. I've only ever adjusted mouse sensitivity. I couldnt imagine playing with a controller.

Real talk, part of my love for Dishonored is that when I played the first one I was in some awful period of depression. I downloaded Dishonored because it was made (published, really) by Bethesda. I am a huge fan of Elder Scrolls and Fallout, so I chose Dishonored based on this whim. Playing the game, I was lifted from it. Dishonored is a series that respects the intelligence and ingenuity of players. I have been wanting a game like that for a long time.

The whole flexibility of Dishonored is refreshing. Having the choice of non-violence and stealth and actually being rewarded for my choices appeals to me. Multiple ways of dealing with a situation means I am not restricted to a single walkthrough. Lots of fun stuff to collect that is both good for gameplay AND lore! Now that's awesome.

The world of Dishonored is weird. The void and the whalepunk style creates an environment that is fantasy yet realistic. You can feel compassion for those who suffer in the games. It makes non-violent route much more compelling when you work harder to save a life and it actually pays off. It makes completing your primary goal compelling as well to save the country.

Dishonored 2 and Death if the Outsider are gorgeous games. I love the city of Karnaca. Beautiful location. The modern and early 1900s architecture of buildings is pleasing to explore. I loved those Sokolov machines too! Shits are legitimately terrifying. Those new robots in Dishonored 2 are awesome with how the developer guy voiced their program responses.

I think one moment where I was like "that's it, I love this series" was when you play as Daud and confront Corvo. Meeting someone you played as is a little scary because you know what they are capable of. Depending on your choice in the DLC, he does different things. Fuck yes. More devs need to do this shit.

Yes. When it first came out it was horrible, scared away all eager fans who wanted to play it. It was utter shit of a port.

 

[Chary]

Dishonored's PC port was flawless, and I tried it not too long after its release, perhaps early 2013? It felt so well-optimized and was wowed as it was my introduction to PC gaming. The console versions, however, I found to be a stuttery mess.

Dishonored's world building had so much detail put into it. One thing I will always remember is the way those loudspeaker announcements would play. It had this perfect tone to it, and you'd get to sort of hear feedback about your choices.

The gameplay is great, too. You want to kill, because it's so fun, but you're also punished for it, in the form of a more challenging world. It was a stealth game that actually felt like I cared about hiding and being tactical, unlike other stealth games where you can charge headfirst into a group of guards in plain sight and tear them apart with no penalty.

I'm sad the series is coming to a "rest", but I'm also hopeful for as to what Arkane will make. Terribly disappointing that their games are so fun, but sell so terribly.

 

[Jiehfeng]

Dishonored's PC port was flawless, and I tried it not too long after its release, perhaps early 2013? It felt so well-optimized and was wowed as it was my introduction to PC gaming. The console versions, however, I found to be a stuttery mess.

Dishonored's world building had so much detail put into it. One thing I will always remember is the way those loudspeaker announcements would play. It had this perfect tone to it, and you'd get to sort of hear feedback about your choices.

The gameplay is great, too. You want to kill, because it's so fun, but you're also punished for it, in the form of a more challenging world. It was a stealth game that actually felt like I cared about hiding and being tactical, unlike other stealth games where you can charge headfirst into a group of guards in plain sight and tear them apart with no penalty.

I'm sad the series is coming to a "rest", but I'm also hopeful for as to what Arkane will make. Terribly disappointing that their games are so fun, but sell so terribly.

Chary no.


Did you have a NASA computer?

 

[Chary]

Chary no.


Did you have a NASA computer?

I assumed we were talking 1, which I still say is one of the best ports out there. 2, I'd say wasn't as perfect, but I still got it to work on low settings when I still played PC games on an iMac with bootcamp. It does look like a lot of people did have issues on launch, though, upon looking up some PC version reviews.