Hello everyone!

I've finally gotten around to reviewing Dishonored 2, the game that's captured the hearts of millions of players worldwide. I've been playing this thing since June and only just took a break because I was worried I'd get bored out of my mind. I've clocked up around 100 hours of gameplay (including my partner's time) and I'm only just taking a breather. Warning: this review is going to be a long one, with plenty of screenshots, but I just can't help myself. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Loading I picked up the game in Steam along with the Death of the Outsider DLC for a bargain price of around 600 rubles. Okay, so there's a free version available on torrent sites, but I decided to go for the licensed version. Dishonored 2 came out in 2017, five years after the first part, and I'm still holding out hope that we'll get a third part one day. Although, to be honest, it's possible that Arkane Studios, the developers, will focus on creating a second part of their recent hit Deathloop (which I'm also planning to review).

The graphics have improvedSystem requirements might not be exactly what you'd expect from a gaming PC, but you can try reducing the graphics settings to see if it runs smoothly. The forums from four years ago show that players were unhappy with the optimization, with many complaining about frame rate drops. However, I've been playing for the past four years and haven't encountered any issues; I guess the developers listened to feedback and fixed the problems. The game ran smoothly for me, with no nasty surprises.Minimum system requirements:

OS: 64-bit version of Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10;processor: Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD FX-8320;RAM: 8 GB;free space on hard drive: 60 GB;graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 with 2 GB of video memory or AMD Radeon HD 7970 with 3 GB of video memory;note: since the game comes on one disc, you'll need to download additional files from Steam to play. Activation through Steam is required.Recommended system requirements:

OS: I've been running the game on 64-bit versions of Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10, and it's been a total breeze.Processor: You're gonna need a beast of a CPU like the Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX-8350 to keep up with the game's demands.RAM: 16 GB of RAM is the bare minimum requirement, but trust me, you'll want more if you want to avoid any lag whatsoever.Free disk space: You'll need at least 60 GB of free space on your hard drive to install the game and its DLCs – and don't even get me started on how much space you'll need for all the screenshots you'll be taking.Graphics card: I've been rocking an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of VRAM, and it's handled everything I've thrown at it with ease. If you've got an AMD Radeon RX 480 with 8 GB of VRAM, you're basically set.Note: Since the game comes on a single disc, you'll need to download additional files from Steam to get started – and don't forget to activate it through Steam, or you'll be stuck in limbo.

My new favorite game – I'm still missing my old buddy Sam, though Hey, Carnaca! StoryWe pick up right where the first game left off, with a happy ending and a low level of chaos in Danouel – it's like a breath of fresh air. The rat plague has been defeated, and Emily Colduin, the rightful heir to the throne, has taken her place. But not everyone is happy with her rule, and things take a dark turn with the appearance of a mysterious assassin known as the Royal Killer. He's taking out anyone who speaks out against Emily, casting a shadow of suspicion over her and her protector, Corvo. But they're innocent, and it's up to us to clear their names.

The graphics are seriously amazingIt all goes down at the ceremony commemorating the 15th anniversary of Jessamine Colduin's death. That's when things take a turn for the unexpected, with some unexpected guests arriving from Carnaca. A woman named Delilah (I'm going to call her Delilah, not Daliyla – sorry, not sorry) shows up, claiming to be Jessamine's long-lost sister and therefore the rightful heir to the throne. She's got some serious skills, too, and quickly takes control of the situation. But things take a dark turn when her guards turn on Emily and Corvo, and Delilah reveals her true powers.

Meeting DelilahThe fight for the throneCorvo's all set to defend Emily, but instead, he gets a nasty surprise. His guards turn on him, and Delilah reveals her true powers, stripping him of his markings and his abilities. It's a tough spot to be in, but we've got to help Corvo clear his name and take down Delilah before it's too late.

BetrayalNo Mercy for the BetrayedDelilah takes Corvo's markThe next choice the player faces is who to play as: Corvo (whom we've had the pleasure of playing in the first part) or Emily? I'll be honest, the story doesn't change much from this point on, but for the sake of canon, I'll be describing it from Emily's perspective, since we control her at the beginning of the game.

The ChoiceDelilah turns Corvo into a stone statue, and the guards drag Emily off to the top floor of the tower. But let's be real, Emily's not one to go down without a fight. She manages to escape.

Stone StatueAs Emily makes her way out of the tower, she learns that some shady character who's buddies with Anton Sokolov wants to meet with the Empress on a ship called the "Fallen House" to spill some major beans. Emily doesn't have a choice but to head to the ship - her home and rightful throne are both gone.

The Mysterious SaviorStraightforwardSo, it turns out Anton's got a secret ally - a woman named Megan Foster. She claims Anton knew about the coup coming down the pike, but he got caught and his trail went cold in Karnac. I'm guessing Anton's got some dirt on who helped Dalia orchestrate the whole thing and how to take her down. Emily and Megan are heading south through the empire to find Anton Sokolov and come up with a plan to get the rightful ruler back on the throne.

Pearl of the SouthThe storyline just isn't my cup of tea, to be honest. I mean, all the drama, palace coups, and Game of Thrones-esque stuff just isn't my thing. And don't even get me started on the plot holes - I lost count of how many times I wondered why Delilah didn't just turn Emily and Corvo into stone. What was the point of targeting one and just locking the other up?Another thing that's been bugging me since the first part is the villains: why on earth would they record themselves confessing to all their past misdeeds on an audio recording?

Anton hard at workThe storyline just isn't exactly thrilling, and it's not getting any better with each chapter. Although, I did manage to be surprised a few times.

One way to take out the bad guy without getting your hands dirtyAs per tradition, the game features low chaos and high chaos. Just like in the first part, the current level of chaos will depend on the player's actions throughout the game. If you're not exactly gentle with your enemies, the chaos level will be high.

A trip to the not-so-distant past I've found that you can still take out the main targets without getting your hands dirty, but it's not always clear what you're supposed to do. Sometimes you'll have to spend some time exploring the location and reading up on some documents to figure out what to do next. But sometimes those non-lethal methods are just plain cruel - like the case of Kirin Jindosh (no spoilers, we'll know his name from the start). I'd have preferred it if he'd just offed himself.Each task ends with a summary of your progress.

Low and high chaos The game has multiple endings, depending on what you've done throughout the game and who you've chosen to side with. I counted around ten different variations of the final outcome.

The Power in the Hands of the Watchers and the Power in the Hands of the Framers The chaos level in the final will definitely impact Emily's and Corvo's political actions.

Positive Ending To find out which ending is canon, you'll have to check out the story DLC Death of the Outsider and Adam Christopher's books.

Wanted: Emily Wanted: Corvo The game features nine missions (just like the first part) - the speed of completing the game depends on the player and their willingness to take on side quests. I managed to complete the game on my first try in about a week, and I even got a low chaos and positive ending.

On the Way to the Magistrate I've got to admit, I was a bit worried about the number of missions in this game, but I get it - there's no need to drag out the story forever. And honestly, I think Emily and Corvo's story wraps up pretty nicely on its own; unless you introduce a new character and spin the conflict around them, but I'm not sure fans would appreciate that. And let me tell you, I had an absolute blast playing it.

Assassin's Mask As for whether it's worth playing without playing the previous part and the DLCs, I'd say yes, but I'd recommend checking out the official sites to get a sense of what's going on beforehand.

Institute Map 🔶Gameplay Process

Playing from a first-person perspective is no different from the first part, but if you're new to the game, it's a good idea to go through the tutorial. By the way, in the tutorial, we control Emily, not Corvo. The tutorial helps you get a feel for the basics, and it makes playing the game a lot easier afterwards. But don't worry, it's not complicated - there are only a few active keys to remember, and if you need to, you can even reassign them in the game menu, which is exactly what my MCH does, claiming it's way more convenient when the block is set to the right mouse button instead of the left Ctrl key.

Main MenuOne of the things I love about this game is that you can play it in so many different ways. “There's no one 'right' way to play: fight, hide, kill, run - the game will respond accordingly.

Not Getting CaughtIt's pretty amazing how quickly you can save your progress - almost every second, if you want to. Of course, you can't save during intense battles, but it's still nice to know the game is looking out for your nerves.

Mechanical MansionBefore you start playing, you get to choose your difficulty level. To be honest, it's not like it's a huge game-changer or anything - the difficulty level mostly affects the battles, and the higher you go, the tougher the opponents get. I mean, if you're into playing hide-and-seek, the highest difficulty level won't exactly break a sweat. Sure, the enemies will be more alert and have better hearing, but you can still handle it. I played on medium for the first time, and on the highest level for the last time. There's also a custom difficulty level where you can set everything to your liking.

They're not dead, they're just unconsciousDon't forget about distractions, either - you can grab a bottle or a glass and throw it at the wall, forcing the enemy to move in that direction. Just be careful with bottles filled with different liquids - who knows what'll happen if they break at the enemy's feet? WitchIt's a good habit to get into peeking through the peephole.

Looking through the peepholeThe main objective is displayed on the screen with a pointing icon. There might also be secondary objectives - like some character asking for your help in exchange for theirs. In the first mission after escaping from Danuoll, you'll meet a woman who'll disable the rails in exchange for your help - and you can use them to pass through.

Wall-sitterSome side quests make the game easierYou should also talk to beggars and the down-on-their-luck folks and help them out with some cash.

He's got some valuable infoIt's not a bad idea to eavesdrop on conversations or check out all the objects in the environment on each location. And let's be real, there's a ton of stuff to read - you can spend a lot of time just browsing through it all. But you might learn something useful, or just stumble upon an interesting fact. I mean, I didn't know that the oil used in the barrels isn't actually from whales, but from leviathans, which look suspiciously like whales.

Leviathan, right in my faceThe Letter Those light walls are still there, blocking the entrance to some important area. We've got a few ways to sneak past them without getting grilled like a kebab. You can either shut off the power source (that's either a bucket of oil or a windmill) or rewire the thing using a tool to make it work in reverse - and suddenly, the guards think you're one of them, and the other guards are the enemy.

Light wall Be careful around those massive spotlights - another security system. If you get caught in the beam, the alarm goes off, and you're busted, but hey, at least you get to reload your last save! You can also disable these spotlights by removing the oil bucket.

The path to the office Honestly, you can play the game a dozen times and still find new ways to get to the goal. Sometimes you'll stumble upon a hidden vent, and other times you'll discover a new path you hadn't noticed before. It's awesome! It's a great motivator to go back and play Dishonored again.

Can't look away I've found it's way easier to sneak past the guards on your hands and knees - they can hear the sound of your footsteps and will raise the alarm in no time. You've got to be stealthy and hide behind crates, climb up pipes, or jump from roof to roof without getting spotted. And, unlike the first game, the guards here have some brains and will notice if you mess with their stuff - like opening or closing doors, or taking their personal items. They'll even notice if their buddies are missing.

Flying under the radar

Crawling through the pipes I've got to mention the hilarious conversations between the guards and themselves. There was this weird guy who lived in Old Limpport. His member was short and limp. But he tried hard, and with a lot of kindness, his member grew to the size of a narwhal.

I'm starving, Marta, I've been walking by the sea for ages; I've been fighting giant sea monsters and dodging their attacks like a fish.

Hey, stomach, don't be a pain, lunch is almost ready!

Dear stomach, I got your message and I agree it's time to eat. Unfortunately, we can't leave our posts right now to grab lunch. I'll keep you updated on any developments. Cheers, me.

The rich have their quirks...One of the reasons I try to avoid killing anyone is that the guards often mention their spouses and kids - their families aren't to blame for someone wanting to take out a high-priority target, and the guards are just doing their job. So, I try to steer clear of enemies whenever possible. It's just not worth the hassle.

Emily's drawingsYou can now buy the gear you need for a good night's sleep at black markets, which are basically underground shops. They're not marked on the map, but you can find them by looking for hand silhouettes on the walls with an arrow pointing the way. And, fun fact, you can even raid these black markets - but you'll need to use your brains to figure out how to get in. Steam rewards you separately for that. I've had some close calls trying to get in undetected, but it's all part of the fun.I still find the black market by following these cluesThe black market is still a thingHealth and energy levels in the Abyss are still tracked by those red and blue bars. To top up my health, I'm still a fan of Sokolov's Healing Elixir. Plus, eating fresh food will give you a bit of a health boost - but don't even think about trying to heal with some rotten Bastilia's fig! I've found that Addermire's mixture now fills up the blue bar, which is a bummer since poor Piero's spiritual balm is long gone, and, sadly, Piero himself is no more. As we remember from the first part, he was seriously ill, and even his clever mind couldn't help him shake off the disease.Scoop up everything you see on the location: food, ammo, mixtures, cash, wallets, paintings, jewels, and more paintings.

Blood amber inside the nestsWhen you're using your abilities, the blue bar gets depleted. After escaping from Danuol, Corvo or Emily will get sucked into the Void and meet the Stranger, who offers to give them a mark. And that's where things get interesting: you can actually decline the mark and play the game without abilities. Will anyone take that challenge?

You can play without abilitiesI decided to take the mark, but I was convinced it would make the game way harder. Nope, it just makes it longer. And for that, you get the Achievement "Flesh and Steel". By the way, playing without abilities is actually way more fun, and if I want to savor every moment of the game and not rush to the end, I choose the no-abilities mode. And if I want to have some fun and see what I've missed and where I haven't been, I take the mark.

Street performanceAbilities are pretty cool, but Corvo and Emily's abilities are a bit different - it's like Corvo's abilities are all about taking down enemies, while Emily's are more about getting them out of the game without killing them. Now we've got a lot more to play with! From the classic stuff (which was in the first part) we've got teleportation (Emily's pull), possession, dark vision, time bending.

Dark vision PullFor stealth, you usually just need dark vision and teleportation - that's it! Although, as I mentioned before, Emily's abilities make stealth way easier. For example, there's the clone summon ability. The clone will run past enemies, drawing all the attention to itself; that way you can take advantage of the chaos.

Mirror CallOr, there's another ability - hypnosis - where an artifact from the Abyss shows up in front of an enemy; they'll stand there, frozen, staring at the artifact for a bit. You can even hypnotize up to three enemies, including animals, at the same time.

HypnosisThese abilities still cost runes - you can find them using the heart that's got Jessamine's soul trapped inside. Plus, when you hover over a character, the heart will give you some insight into their secrets.Runes can also be bought on the black market.

RuneBone Amulets are another way to make things easier, and they're found in a similar way to runes. Just check out the description for each amulet and see which one you like best.

AmuletAs for corrupted amulets, I try to steer clear of those - they might boost one ability, but they'll also mess with others, like not restoring Abyss energy as well as it should.

In a world of fantasyBlueprints for upgrades are still around, but they're more for those who like to play the game with a bit of bloodlust. These blueprints can help you increase explosion damage, knock enemies off their feet, or even make your abilities recharge automatically. I don't really use upgrades much, since I'm used to not relying on guns. Although, it would be awesome to find a blueprint that lets you carry ten sleep darts instead of just five, like in the first part.

Blueprints for improvementTreasures in the safeBy the way, there are plenty of safes and situations where you need to find a code for a door. Don't bother searching online or on forums - the combinations are always generated randomly. Safe codes should be found in notes. I once had a situation where the safe code was being sold on the black market.

Visiting Aramis StiltonThe mission in the Dusty Quarter is one of the most memorable - its goal is to infiltrate the mansion of Aramis Stilton. The front door is locked with a clever puzzle lock: we have five pairs of slots. In the top slot is the lady's name, and in the bottom slot is the family heirloom. Each heirloom belongs to a specific lady. The task is to match the five correct pairs. You can't get in through a window or the basement - only through the front door. But the door will open if you solve the puzzle lock correctly. Again, I'll say it - don't look up the answer online; the correct solution is always different.

We infiltrated the mansionAnd here, the game offers us four ways to progress. The first - and most obvious - is to solve this puzzle on your own; you can just stand there and try different combinations, but there are a lot of them - and if you spend too much time... By the way, if you solve this puzzle on your own, Steam gives you the achievement "Eureka!". You can also use a special hint in the form of a puzzle. I think you'll find it interesting, so I'll include the text (the names may change, but the essence remains):

Lady Winthorpe, Dr. Marcola, Countess Conti, Madame Naciu, and Baroness Finch were all at the dinner party.

They were all seated in a row. Each of them was wearing a different color. For example, Countess Conti wore a quirky green poncho; Baroness Finch was to the left of the guest wearing purple. The woman wearing blue was to the left of the guest wearing white. I remember the blue dress because she spilled whiskey on it. The traveler who had recently left Freeport was wearing all red. When one guest was showing off her Order, the woman sitting next to her noticed, "My hometown of Freeport is famous for such trinkets."

I've got to say, Lady Winslow's family heirloom, the Diamond, was the real showstopper. She pulled it out of her purse, and the other lady, Morley, was chatting about how beautiful her hometown was this time of year. Morley quipped that her own brooch with a bird on it was a much rarer find. Meanwhile, another lady was dramatically examining her own relic, the Portsigar, and the guest sitting next to her, who I think was from Baelton, almost spilled her cocktail. Then, Madame Naciu, who was only drinking cider, suggested a toast. The lady who was heading to Serconos and had been hitting the rum all night tried to jump onto the table, but ended up falling on the guest in the middle and spilling absinthe. After that, Doctor Marcola stole the spotlight with a story about Danuoll from her youth.

The next morning, four family heirlooms were scattered under the table: the Order, the Ring, the brooch with a bird, and the Portsigar.I had to figure out who each of these belonged to without any notes or a pen. It was impossible to do it in my head, so I used a hint. I took a screenshot of it, saved it, and then went back to the checkpoint. It was a bit of a multi-step process, but it worked!

Not just a mansion, but a whole museum I've found two other ways to crack this puzzle, and I'm loving the creativity. You could try asking the people who know the answer - and trust me, they're eager to spill the beans. In the Dusty Quarter, there are two rival factions: the Abbot's Watch and the Stainers. The leaders of each faction can't stand each other, and either one would be stoked if the other's leader was taken out. And they'd be more than happy to share some valuable info. You get to choose which faction to take down. I should mention that taking out Paolo, the leader of the Stainers, won't be a cakewalk.Choosing the StainersChoosing the Abbot's WatchEither way, you'll be met with hostility unless you've got the lifeless body of their enemy in your hands. Each leader knows the combination to the safe.The StainersA thank you from PaoloAnd finally, there's another way to solve this puzzle without bothering anyone. You could try figuring it out on your own, without any help from the others.Alternative Approach Inside the mansion, the first and, sadly, the last time we get our hands on the time compass that can send us back three years and bring us back. Three years ago, the mansion was a luxurious house that looked like a museum; in the present time, it's a lifeless ruin. In both time periods, exploring the mansion comes with a ton of dangers and challenges - like doors that are locked or just impossible to pass through. The compass lenses show events from another time.

The compass lenses show current events Honestly, every mission is like a work of art! I'm having a hard time choosing my favorite - I love every single location. Take the mechanical mansion of Kirin Jindosh for example - kudos to the development team! The whole mansion is a masterpiece. The walls, floor, and ceiling move and change the layout of the house; and even if you get stuck between walls or jump into a narrow passageway, you'll somehow end up somewhere and there won't be any glitches.

Everything's in motion And the views from the balconies are just stunning.

Beauty Or the mission in the royal kunstkammer - it's like a Harry Potter museum or something.

Kunstkammer Although the story isn't the most interesting, it's more than made up for by the amazing game design and engaging gameplay. My husband even says the first part is nowhere near as good as the second, and I'm still trying to decide which one I like better - the first or the second. Both are incredible, but I think I play the second one more often, so I have to agree with him that it's even better than the first.

Approaching the Luc Abelle estate Characters Corvo Attano - the protector of the crown; one of the few who still wears the Outsider's mark; a man who's still got his wits about him. Finally, he's found his voice - I was starting to think he'd never say a word in the first part! Corvo arrived in Dunwall just as the Duke Theodanis Abelle was heading to Karnaca.

Corvo finally speaks upEmily Kaldwin - the reigning empress, and I've gotta say, it's about time we got some clarity on her backstory. I mean, there were some pretty big hints in the first part, but it's nice to see it all spelled out. Corvo's been teaching her everything he knows for years - sword fighting, stealth, and rooftop acrobatics. Even in teaching, Corvo comes across as a total mentor figure. I have to admit, I wasn't a fan of nine-year-old Emily in the first part - I was even rooting against her. Now that I know she was voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz, I can see why I didn't like her. But in this part, Emily's making a good impression.

EmilyMegan Foster - the captain of the "Fallen Hopes" ship, and let me tell you, she's a total savior and ally. A woman without a hand or an eye, and she's tight-lipped about her past - it's clear she's carrying a heavy burden. We know she lost the woman she loved, and it's heartbreaking.

Megan FosterAnton Sokolov - a familiar face from the first part, and I've gotta say, he's really fallen off the wagon in the past fifteen years. But his brain's still working overtime, and we know he's been working with Emily between the events of these two parts.

Saving AntonAnton's gotten a lot olderI have to admit, I didn't suspect he was a total player - I mean, he's got a reputation for being a ladies' man, and his heart, though, affectionately calls him Don Juan.Apparently, Anton Sokolov's been drawing inspiration from some big names - Leonardo da Vinci and Dmitri Mendeleev (Anton's the inventor of the light wall, and he saw it in a dream). In the first part, Anton was still young and looked uncannily like Grigori Rasputin.

The MessageDelilah Copperfield - her name is a real head-scratcher, since it's spelled the same in Russian as it is in English. I'm guessing it's a nod to the biblical character, but who knows? We know her from that wild storyline add-on "The Wiccan Sisters".

DelilahShe's the half-sister of the late Jessica - they share the same dad, who had a thing with the cook and ended up with Delilah. Every year, he promised her a life in the palace, but he never followed through. After things went south, he kicked her and her mom out, and they lived in poverty. If everything Delilah's been saying is true, I'm just grossed out by Jessica. She was super cruel.Delilah's also got the Mark of the Outsider and she's into black magic. She's got her own coven of witches - she shares her powers with them. It's kinda like what Daoud did with his whale hunters.

The Outsider - it's a supernatural being, and believing in it is basically heresy. It's an angel or a demon, I'm not sure. For some reason, this one looks a bit different - I guess even divine beings can get a new look every now and then.

StrangerAramis Stilton - the silver baron, a man who made his fortune in silver mines. He's been MIA for a while; you can avoid the events that led to his disappearance, but unfortunately, that's not part of the canon storyline. I'm a bit bummed about that, because Aramis comes across as a pretty level-headed and intelligent guy. Oh, and it's worth noting that he was in a same-sex relationship with Duke Theodanis Abelle.

Megan and AramisAs it turns out, Aramis's son, Luke Abelle isn't exactly following in his father's footsteps; he's a bit of a wild card and has no idea what he's doing in politics. Aramis feels partly responsible for Luke's lifestyle - he should've been able to steer him in a better direction.

🔶ENEMIES

Guards and soldiers - the classic bunch, and they're everywhere. They're skilled in fencing and can shoot a pistol. Interestingly, there are female guards in this part of the game, and they're just as deadly as the guys.

Experienced fighterWitches – and their gravehounds; not exactly the kind of people I'd want to run into. They can teleport, summon elemental forces, and are just plain ruthless. And don't even get me started on how observant they are.

WitchTime soldiers – one of Kirin Jindosh's creations; a killing machine that's pretty deadly, but there's a silver lining – taking out a time soldier doesn't count towards your penalty score, and it doesn't affect the current chaos. They've got 360-degree vision, so sneaking up on them is out of the question. You can take out a time soldier by disabling its leg mechanism or by using a wrench to make it work for you.

Time soldierOh, and here's another neat trick: if you take off a time soldier's head, it'll rely on sound to navigate and won't be able to tell friend from foe.

Headless Time GuardCorpse Wasps – if the first part had diseased rats and river crabs, then Karinca is infested with corpse wasps. That's another reason to avoid killing as much as possible: the more corpses, the more corpse wasps, as the wasps build nests in human flesh. When approaching a wasp swarm, the insects become aggressive and start stinging. Killing corpse wasps doesn't affect the stats, so feel free to destroy the wasp nest and beat the wasps with a sword. Inside the wasp nests, you'll find bloody amber – don't forget to grab it.

Wasp NestWasp Nest GuardianThere's a note with tips on how to deal with corpse wasps:

Useful TipsWardens – the bane of my existence; thanks for the note, at least the Karinca wardens don't have as creepy masks as the Dunwall ones.

Unconscious WardenStone Sentinels - these guys are seriously deadly; they usually attack in a group, and you've got slim chances of coming out on top. During the fight, they blow dust in your face, and everything goes blurry.Where one Stone Sentinel is, there are all of them!

Stone Sentinels led by Paolo They use swords and compact mini-crossbows in combat.

GRAPHICSThey're way better than in the first part; the 'blocky' look is gone, and there's more realism. The location design and overall aesthetic are top-notch - that's one of the reasons I love Dishonored. A few things changed with the health indicators - before, they were straight lines, now they're half-circles.

The Path to the Mechanical Mansion I'm seriously impressed by the level of detail in the character models during combat - enemies take different amounts of damage, and the devs aren't afraid to show off severed torsos, heads, legs, and arms. The slow-motion effects during a fatal blow are especially beautiful. You can even grab and throw off severed limbs. If I'm being picky, I'd say that one thing that's been bugging me since the first part is the same face model for everyone - guards, wall turrets, and civilians all look pretty similar.

The image of picked-up items looks like they're just stuck to the screen.

But hey, that's all minor stuff that's easy to overlook.

In the Dusty Quarter The music isn't as amazing as in the first part, but it's still really enjoyable - the piano and string melodies are lovely. The atmosphere in the game is super cozy and welcoming, making it a real pleasure to play and relax.

The Taxidermied Owls I've got to give some serious props to the full Russian dubbing - even though I'm used to playing with the original soundtrack and subtitles, this one's a game-changer. The voice acting is seriously top-notch, with each actor bringing their character to life in a way that's just super emotive and natural. I couldn't pick a fave - they all do an amazing job!

The Talented DoctorOVERALL IMPRESSIONS I could go on and on about how amazing Dishonored is - not just this part, but the whole series. It's definitely worth all the praise it gets, and it's crazy that there aren't more reviews on the site (some parts don't even have any reviews, but that needs to change). I think Dishonored is a must-play for anyone who loves computer games - it's not too stressful, and it's really easy to pick up, even if you're not a frequent gamer. Just make sure you've got the right hardware. Plus, the game is super flexible - you can play it however you want, and you don't need any special skills.

One of the best views on CarnacThe Danoolla CaretakerDownsides: I've got some questions about the storyline;the same old NPC models.Upsides:

the atmosphere is super cozy and inviting;the music is top-notch;the graphics are stunning;there are loads of ways to tackle each task;multiple endings;the supporting characters are all really likable;the antagonist is super charismatic;the 'no skills' mode is a nice touch;enemies with actual intelligence;the dialogue is witty and entertaining;it's super easy to pick up;the puzzles (especially Kirina Jindo's riddle) are a blast;the Russian dub is top-quality;there are some great side quests. Ten out of ten, despite the downsides. That's a solid five stars from me. This game is a real masterpiece.