Never go against a god
Almost a year after the second chapter of Dishonored, which told the story of Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attano, Arkane Studios returns with a stand alone adventure, following the path taken by Naughty Dog with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, completely centered on one of the most characteristic and controversial characters of the series: Billie Lurk (Megan Foster). For those who have never had the opportunity to approach one of the Dishonored chapters, there is absolutely no need to worry as the intention of Arkane Studios was to offer an experience from a new point of view, a sort of ending. and beginning which does not necessarily require having played Dishonored and Dishonored 2.
The last fight
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider will take us back to the fascinating and bizarre Karnaca. Our old mentor Daud, whom we haven't seen for fifteen years now, needs us and the few clues we have at our disposal lead us straight into the empire of the islands. You will once again have to return to the slums of Karnaca, where life is certainly more difficult than the high salons of rich aristocrats, investigate an underground boxing club, learn that there is a sect, namely that of the Orbi who, in addition to knowing how the much feared Exterior was born, they keep the relics linked to him and one of them, which we will have to obtain, helped him become a god and finally ... finally find the one who was "accused" of being the main responsible for what happened in Karnaca over the years. Here is The Death of the Outsider, he manages to clarify several aspects that were hidden or otherwise left in suspense first with Dishonored and then with Dishonored 2.
Dishonored: The Death of the Outsider, takes up the structure of the previous two chapters, with intricate levels that offer various opportunities to complete the main and other missions. The solid and excellent level design and the narrative style typical of the series, basically remain unchanged. We will therefore have the opportunity to collect documents, newspapers, books that will give us a broader and more detailed perspective of what happens and / or happened in Karnaca, introducing new characters and events that distinguish them. The charm of Dishonored has remained almost unchanged and in our passages, between a roof and another, we will feel that sense of having already found there, of having already made that particular move or having pursued that particular tactic to rob our target. , therefore through a stealth approach, or having given vent to our "superior" abilities to hoard enemies.
The Rat Whisperer
After facing the first "introductory" mission without any power, in the following we will be able to count on new abilities and new powers that will allow us to face the adventure more than easily. The powers present are 3:
- Dislocation: that through the L2 key will allow us to place an indicator and pressing L2 again will ensure that Billie can swap with it, reaching otherwise inaccessible positions. In order to be used to the fullest extent it is necessary that the line of sight is free and it is necessary to be within the range of action of the signaling device.
You can also use this power against enemies, placing the indicator on them and making them explode into a thousand pieces as long as you suffer some damage in turn. - Foresight: allows you to explore the surrounding environment and mark objects and characters by pressing the square button. They will be visible through the walls highlighting not only the location but also the path of an NPC who is in the area. Time will therefore stop giving us a way to think about what to do. Beware that the mana bar (which this time will recharge automatically without having to look for the appropriate vials) will wear out quickly. In addition, Foresight allows you to place a beacon and trade with it using the Displacement power.
- Similarity: By pressing the L2 key near a certain target, we can then steal its identity. In this way, we will be able to overcome the enemies without being identified. But be careful, the energy bar will wear out when we move.
- To identify new opportunities or threats, Billie will be able to press the square button on the rats that roam Karnaca, which will warn us through mostly cryptic phrases and words, coming from their point of view of rodents but which could be very useful.
Also present in this DLC the bone amulets that provide important benefits, called traits and by enhancing powers and abilities. The corrupt or black ones are rarer to find but offer particular abilities while maintaining a certain instability and also increasing the chaos of our actions. We will still be able to activate a maximum of 5 from our diary.
Among the weapons, we will be able to count on the new hook mines that can be placed on any surface by pressing the L2 key. Once activated, the mine will lock onto the target or object within its range, pulling it towards you. And on the voltaic weapon that uses lethal bullets and not through electromagnetic acceleration. Depending on the chosen ammunition, the effects will be different.
In order to also buy new skills or objects it will be necessary to collect the coins scattered around the game environments. The Contracts introduced in this new adventure will help us. In practice, these are secondary quests, which will ask us to perform certain actions to accumulate a good sum of money. From stalking a particular NPC to kidnapping someone, or having to stage a suicide or steal something specific. Here, too, the options for completing the missions will be varied. The duration of the DLC, not counting the secondary missions and the collection of collectibles and is not about 5/6 hours.
It goes without saying that if you are one of those who try to steal every facet offered by the narrative plot or simply you are part of the dense array of "trophy hunters", the duration increases enormously, even exceeding 15 hours of overall play. Of course, the duration depends a lot on what kind of players you are. If you are looking for a stealth approach at higher difficulty levels, you will need to pay a lot of attention and prepare the strategy of action in the best possible way. If, on the other hand, you are among those who prefer a more "easy" approach, then from killing anything that comes in front of you, well the game times will be significantly reduced. Completed the first run, you can indulge yourself in the particular New Game +, which will give access to a new set of powers. In short, from the point of view of contents La Morte dell'Esterno has a lot to offer even considering the low selling price.
Already seen
The graphics engine behind this stand alone adventure, namely the Void Engine, is the same as Dishonored 2, so technically there are no noticeable differences. The game levels are five while the settings that characterize them are four. Two of them turn out to be too linear, while the remaining ones offer rather interesting ideas. It is here that the graphics engine gives its best, through an excellent level design and with a series of hiding places, alternative routes and greater exploration freedom that is truly appreciable. Furthermore, compared to the second chapter, the internal settings have been increased and we can therefore make the most of them to plan our moves, take a breather or simply go hunting for new secrets and collectibles that these settings contain.
Of note are the presence of small bugs, such as floating swords, sudden freezes and sometimes deficient artificial intelligence. In particular, the enemies, should we have made a noise, will come looking for us but sometimes they will hound us without stopping until the end of the alert phase, other times they will quickly tire and retrace their steps.
Final comment:
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider it's a stand alone adventure worth playing. Many narrative plots that will be able to shed light on the dark secrets of Karnaca but offering us a different point of view, namely that of Billie Lurk. Also given the price of € 29,99, the purchase is recommended for both fans of the series and those who are approaching Dishonored for the first time.
