25:18 they don't, if you take the head off the soldiers attack everything. There's even a debugging line from Jindosh saying something like that. The easiest way to take out the soldiers is to drop on them after shooting their head off, if you just blink above them then you can get a drop assassination. Provided you've already shot the head off they'll die immediately so you're still a ghost, and it still counts as clean hands because they're not human.
Ive been watching Dishonored (1&2) analysis/critique videos almost non-stop recently and this one is (like nearly all of them) really good! I like how every video is made by people with real heart for the game who aren't afraid to point out its flaws. Also thought you were kidding when you said you had a small channel. Imo you have videos that are certainly on par with channels of 100k s of subscribers Keep up the good work!
Re: the Oraculum. There are professional seers in the Abbey of the Everyman. The Oraculum would literally let Breanna control the visions of them. The idea was to make them think that Delilah was the correct, rightful ruler, so that they would support her rule. In the last level as you come up to the castle, you'll find scores of dead Overseers, and if you talk to one who's not quite dead, you learn that they attacked Delilah declaring her the wrongful ruler of Dunwall. They were beaten back, but the idea is that the attack has whittled down some of the numbers of Delilah's coven.
Also, you complain about the timeline of how long Delilah allows Emily to mess around to get her soul from the Duke. While the time it takes to get from Dunwall to Karnaca is at least a few weeks, the events of the first Karnaca mission to the last all take place over the course of a few days. So, it's basically a dayish between Emily finding out she needs to get Delilah's soul from the Duke and going off to try to get it.
I assumed that Emily knew how to craft the corrupt rune because it was related to crafting bone charms. Crafting bone charms is something they teach you how to do with a book you read earlier in the game, and you can craft them throughout.
Overall, this was an amazing video. I loved it a lot, even despite my comments. Just thought you might like to know some of these things. And there's definitely some infuriating glitches. I've never been able to touch the panel on those damn robots at all.
You got me subscribed, and I 'clicked that bell icon' as they all say. I will be keen to watch your backlog and enjoy future work, should there be more. Thanks for the info dump and well-balanced criticism.
I have to say this video is pretty good. surprised you didn't get more views. the level design of this game is definitely some of the best in gaming. A neat detail about Jindosh's Mansion is that you could technically eliminate Jindosh before he even reaches the end of his bridge. If you stop time and then use Blink/Far Reach you can clear the Wall of Light without being hurt and then reach Jindosh on a straight forward path through his bedroom. I even managed to pull the lever that retracts the bridge, causing Jindosh to fall to his death. Taking care of Jindosh before taking Sokolov prevents him from initiating certain security measures such as the extra Clockwork soldiers in the lobby or the Arc Pylon near the elevator. Also, a bit of advice on how to handle the clockwork soldiers. If you're trying to rewire them, use Slow Time/Stop Time in order to get in close. It makes it a lot harder for them to detect you and you'll get enough leeway with the clunky interact system due to how much time you're given. Also a tip on the Roseburrow device. If you go into an apartment building near the Observatory, there's a walkway outside the top window that leads in an open window on the second floor of the building. if you take a right you can reach the door into the security room. there's an open grate above it that you can walk through in order to get inside without needing shadow walk. Also, i feel like the Duke's body double is in the same spot. In every playthrough i've done, the double was in the Duke's bedroom. A neat detail i like about Billy Lurke is that if you decide to kill her in the last level before you go onto the skiff, you won't get a game over. you'll instead get some extra dialogue. Oh yeah, and in the generator room in Dunwall Tower there is a series of pipes that you can use as a platform to hide from the witches that enter when you turn on the power.
Ah damn, I thought I checked my bases on all of that haha. Thanks for the comment! The beginning hour of the video was just trying to recount my experiences with the game so I was bound to miss some stuff, I appreciate the vigilance :)
I killed Jindosh after putting him in the chair... by placing an oil tank, ever so gently in his lap and it slid down a bit. It didn't explode, but he just died. I started laughing when I saw that 😃
1:04:27 "Unfortunately, and I'll explain why in a bit, this area was cut off from the player by some of Delilah's magical tree powers. I felt there could have been a little bit more of an easter egg for those of us who trecked all the way up here from the rooftops, and I was pretty disappointed when nothing came out of it". I missed the part where you "explained why in a bit", but I'm sure you know the reason is this would allow the player to completely bypass the Tower level. Anyway, you still get an easter egg if you climb all the way up there by getting to interact with the loudspeaker on the balcony, although for a ghost playthrough it's something you'd have to reload, as it alerts some witches in the area (although if you're really keen you can always go all the way back and interact with it after trapping Delilah in the painting, which gives you an alternate easter egg). There's also an additional easter egg in the safe room itself if you go up to it from the throne room (before or after dealing with Delilah).
-Will be updating this comment as I watch the video: -Well done on the intro, the audio work was really good! -The dedication you put into the research is crazy, I'm an avid gamer and I suck at finishing games a single time. -I like to think the outsider doesn't tell you about the secret right away because there's some rule for demons not to directly alter timelines, or maybe he needed you to accomplish the actions required to discover that secret, and the secret really doesn't matter to him. It's just a reason he uses to get you motivated -The flash of info at 12:34 took me four tries to actually pause on, even with the video bar stretched along an ultrawide screen. Give it a little longer next time. Who puts a marker on a horror antagonist??? -I don't like that you get the opportunity to eliminate a key target earlier than normal but the games mechanics are altered so you cant go about it how you want. Just let my man strangle a dude -It seems like the designers worked backwards with the narrative. They had amazing levels, a great arc, moral dilemmas, and then they filled in the blanks for the mission stories. it also seems like its specifically made to bait theorists -Big problem I have with ESO rn is with the puzzles. You can do various things to achieve the solution, or you can guess/do it normally and its painfully easy anyway -1:06:30: this is the third time you've done away with glaring issues and said they might be in books. I think they just didn't account for someone thinking this in depth about it -Seems like the bone charms were an excuse to make you explore the world when they realized there wasnt better reasons - it feels like they had a mechanics team, a narrative team, and an environment team and they only had monthly meetings nothing more Very well done on the entire thing. My biggest note is that while I'm crazy enough to watch this whole thing, a timestamp around 1:10:00 when you begin the sort of TL;DR section would be nice for others. You went over alot of the points from the longer more in depth sections so it feels like for someone just looking for the gist, they would find it. Keep it up, subbed.
I'm glad someone doing these videos finally addressed the story issues. For me there's too much contrivance to really get into it. As to the ghost\clean hands playstyle, it's very easy to lock yourself into a really conservative play that's not really needed. I replayed the last 2 missions to get these 2 achievements, and I kinda speedran it as I already explored everything. And it was a blast! I didn't get caught more than usual but I actually had fun with the mechanics for once instead of cowering on chandeliers.
i dont think soemeones said it but if you dont take the tram to jindoshs mansion and far reach across, you come back out and theres an npc sitting by the front door who has a note on him about being the mechanic or electrician or something, and thats why he took the trolley there!
So far this is a great video mate. On an unrelated note: on top of other issues, I gotta say I dislike how they moved on from the crown killer in literally the 2nd mission, and instead reverted back to delilah being the titular villain. Alot of the story could've been trying to track down this mysterious assassin, killing people in circles around corvo. Then discovering they work for delilah and she's was behind it all or something. Idk mate just went on a random tangent, if I haven't made it obvious I don't like the main story of D2.
I'm surprised they patched this issue so late into its lifetime. I recorded this gameplay in April 2020 so that's weird. Again, I was only commenting on what I experienced and I saw some other people complaining about this problem too and just assumed! I guess it must've been on my end
@@SeppoCJ As far as I'm aware, they patched it a while back. I'm honestly not sure, then. I did a stealth run through the other week and quick save seemed to work fine. There was the odd occasion where it couldn't save, but then worked okay a few seconds later.
I'm still at the beginning of the video but so far I'm loving it. My experience with the game was odd. I absolutely loved the first one. As for D2, I didn't care for the story, characters and thought it didn't bring anything new to the table. That being said, I turned off all the screen objective markers and explored the areas as I moved along with no real sense of direction and context and did it until I finished the game which brought me to a strange question. Did I love the game in the end? How can I say I didn't like it if I played through the whole thing and explored every single area? I guess the gameplay in itself holds the game very well.
I've always had an issue with arcane's way of doing things. Specifically, what you mentioned about high chaos. I concur. They don't provide enough incentive, imo, for the low chaos run. It's basically the game giving you the opportunity to be a supernatural killing machine but then, double back and saying "ya know, killing is wrong!". I still recall my first run of dishonored way back when, saying boi, was this game fun. And I realize that back then I couldn't care less about the outcome of my actions. I was just there 2 dicc around and have fun. I suppose that's the best suggestion anyone who's ever played the game(s) can make to peeps that want 2 try it out. Nice vid btw. And yes, I watched all of it. Props, my dude
just a thought I would like to add, Bioshock is a bad example of the ludo narrative dissonance, since harvesting all little sisters is barely more rewarding than saving them, since Tenenbaum gives makes little sisters deliver you ADAM after every 3 saved little sisters
1:25:59 It would've helped if the notes were voiced. Collectable notes ARE voiced in the new Tomb Raider games and there's quite a difference between reading some plain text yourself and listening to the in-universe character that wrote it. It feels more organic. It's not the BEST way to convey lore but it's still notably better.
Hey, great video! Right of the bat, I’ll say that I like long form video essays for video games, and I noticed throughout the video that it sounded an awful lot like Joseph Anderson’s videos, to an almost funny degree. A lot of the same phrases and stuff, it was cute. If you haven’t heard of him, I’d suggest checking him out, I bet you’d like him. With that out of the way, I have some critique of my own. While I like the video, I think it had many problems. Chiefly, the length is almost entirely unwarranted based on the video’s title. It was almost funny when at an hour ten, the critique in earnest began. With 15 minutes left. That first 80% of the video felt like a walkthrough with light narrative analysis, and some quips, which were fine, but it felt entirely too self indulgent and largely unnecessary, though there were a few sections that came back in the end. There were at several times promises for more in depth explorations of mechanics which never came. Speaking of in-depth, I think another major problem with the video was that you seemed to only play the game once, and you chose a method of playing that you clearly had very little interest in. It made the review feel very surface level and first-reaction-ey, which is a terrible combination with the heavily scripted video essay format. Even with the decision to focus on a single way to play a game that offers many, I really think this video would have been lent great credence by several playthroughs, at the very least as both protagonists, though you were very clear of having no motivation to do this, which was bizarre to me. It was slightly annoying to hear whinging about how YOU chose to play, especially when it is by no means a choice a player is set in. You were banging your head against a wall, noticed you didn’t like It, decided to continue to bang your head on the wall, and when you were finished you made an hour and half review of the wall banging experience. What is so frustrating is that right next to that wall were beautiful jars of paint with which to render graffiti, hammers with which to smash, and a ball with which to bounce against the wall, but you ignored these, and, chiefly, made a video entitled “Wall | Analysis and Review”, instead of “Head banging | Analysis and Review”. It all felt quite ridiculous, but became much more understandable when it became clear that this was a critique of an all stealth all the time run. To be fair, this is something you laid out in the beginning, but I wish you had put more emphasis on it, for numbskulls like myself. I will say this comment on the title is double edged because had the video been: “Dishonored 2 | Ghost & Clean Hands; Analysis & Critique”, I might have been less likely to click on it, but I guess you have to balance these things for yourself. Regardless, I’m glad you made the video, I’m glad I watched it, and I think you said some things that aren’t brought up nearly enough for this game, chiefly inconsistency, which I completely agree with. Hope this comment is helpful
I totally agree. Yeah, I have followed Joseph Anderson for a while and he is even listed in my channel as a prime inspiration. I really like his content :) In terms of your critique, I very much agree, with my subsequent video and a video currently in the works, I have tried to veer away from this long-form hour and a half long video of explaining what happened within the game because I felt like I am marketing towards an audience that wouldn't be interested in said long-form content. I realized near the end of my production process that all the actual points of the video were near the end which I took note of and try to emphasize that through the rest of my work. It was also really horrible to edit as it was my first long project and took over 100 hours of time to create. (Mostly because of audio issues haha) Though I didn't explicitly mention this, I have played Dishonored 2, 8 times in my life, most of them being near its release date. This was a revisitation to that game where I wanted to challenge myself. This also was the first time after having experienced all the good Dishonored 2 has to offer that I found myself NOT enjoying the game, which I felt warranted a video. I have seen a few people say similar things to what you said about the idea that my analysis of the game was predicated entirely on the non-lethal ghost playthrough, and upon revisiting the video a little while ago, I found that I mostly skipped over my justification for calling this video a "Dishonored 2 Critique". Though the reasons that I would say are complicated and hard to explain over text (I may revisit this video at a later date), I do accept that I didn't do the best job when explaining my justification for calling this video a Dishonored 2 critique rather than a "Dishonored 2 | Ghost & Clean Hands; Analysis & Critique" haha. I'm so glad you found something of value in this video and I have added some of your criticisms to my notebook of things to improve. Thanks so much for the comment!
The tirade about how the game isn't equally as easy and/or rewarding depending on the playstyle you pick doesn't strike me as a problem that's unique to Dishonored, rather it's inherent to any game with multiple ways to approach a problems. I'd actually argue that Dishonored 2 is one of the best when it comes to making your tools multi-purpose depending on how lethal and sneaky you decide to play. Out of Emily's 13 powers, 2 are useless in a ghost-no kill run and 2 mores are near useless. That leaves 9 powers fully functional for what'll give you that green checkmark at the end of a level, which I'd argue is the real problem with the "play your way" style of the game : your performance feels evaluated. If the game simply put no attention onto it, no end-level screen that clearly implies a best-way to play the game, most people would feel far freer to engage with any of the game's mechanic as they see fit rather than tailoring their playstyle to get those end-level checkmarks. It's one of the way the game's lack of subtlety works against the freedom it boasts. Otherwise I agree that it makes the game less fun to try to only sneak and keep people alive and the solution to that problem is just : don't do it ! Don't bother. If someone dies, then fuck it. Just because something is technically possible and the devs are thoughtless enough to try to push it onto the player without considering how much worse it makes the game doesn't mean you should do it. Cos indeed, there's no reward for playing that way. I don't think it's ludo-narrative dissonance by the way, if being violent makes the game easier, that's not a contradiction with the story's theme, if anything it's a reflection of it. Making things easier for yourself means making it harder for everyone else, which is very much what Abele is doing. It takes more work for a good outcome than it does for a quick outcome.
Hi! Love the response, really insightful! Yeah, I feel that the fact the game measures your performance and rewards the player with a better outcome for playing in a manner that isn't very fun is what frustrated me so much. I do mention that I feel the game should be played however you want and that is the "fun" of Dishonored for many people, but when it comes from a purely narrative space, I find myself growing frustrated if I want to see the "proper" ending. Maybe this is a case of me wanting to have my cake and eat it too, but I don't feel that it's a design problem that is out of reach especially for a talented team like Arkane. Thanks for the comment!
I’m replaying dishonored for my channel and I agree but also disagree as well but this Series will always be one of my favorites and hopefully they come out with Dishonored 3! Awesome video tho!
You deserve one more subscriber for the good work. And yes, notes and letters are boring (yet I enjoy reading) and definitely not the best way to expand the lore. It completely breaks immersion, which is the main quality of this game... Eavesdropping NPC dialogs is way more interesting to learn more about this fantastic universe.
I entirely agree. It's a great game, but it could have been way more consistent and definitely a masterpiece if stealth play style would have been as fun and as rewardingg as combat play style.
to be fair both first and second game had issues when it ones to favoring high chaos playthrough but i would argue at least the second game added more equipment which favors low chaos approach but yea the amount of darts lowered to 5 is not good
This might be the only video out of the few that critique this game that actually mentions the inconsistencies of the narrative. Though I'm no longer a big fan of this kind of story analysis, I nonetheless appreciate your work very much. Would've loved it even more of you were more meticulous concerning the gameplay, specifically refering to the Clockwork Mansion, which can be completed easily, even without powers, as long as you activate only the lever in the beginning, before neutralizing Jindosh, which keeps most of the Clockwork Soldiers turned off.
Weren't you going after Hypatia...well, really you were going to the Addlmyer institute, in mission 2/3 because that was where Skolov thought the Crown Killer was coming from(And of course, he was right). Since the Crown Killer was also the one to grab S boy, the point was by going there, you would find info on where to find him...which you did, that was the audio log in Hypatia's lab, where the Duke said he put S in with Jindosh to have him crack the old man of all his knowledge and secrets. Dealing with Hypatia is kind of just a side effect of you going there for info. Also, they mention the lighthouse in the mission brief, and say it covers the one approach to the place by boat, something confirmed if you search near the carriage landing, as there's two crashed boats and lots of rocks along that path, and the open sea wouldn't need the lighthouse to see you coming. Meanwhile, Jindosh's mind freak...yeah, I admit, that one got me too. I had little problem giving the Lady Boyle to Brisby in game one, simply because I was punishing her, like the rest, for what they did to me(She knew about what had happened to you in Dishonored one, according to some notes from the Regent you could find in her home). Also, the reason you can't present evidence against the Duke is pretty simple. It wouldn't really work. This is not a democracy, but instead an autocracy built of a confederation of city-states, and no matter what you found, he would not be kicked out because he's the ruler by right of birth. No one likes him, but no ones going to go against him just because he's a bad person Edit 1: Not sure how you got Brianna to attack you in the video, but I can say, yes, she is someone you can aggro if you try to knock her out normally after the lens bit, so she'll fight you then, and again, without the magic she would otherwise have, which I think is a neat detail. if you use a knock out dart, something that doesn't work on her when she has her magic, it works here, and you can then loot her for a unique charm. Also, there are a few ways into the prototype room, either finding the key in the basement(There's a note in there telling you where it is) or smashing the door in with sword via upgrade, or with a bomb/grenade. Edit 2: You are taking these people out to help you find a way to take out Delilah. You must have missed it(I did), but in the opening, Corvo stabs her through the heart, and she shrugs it off. They mention several times they can't kill/eliminate Delilah right now, which is why you're doing this. You're first trying to free S from Jindosh, so he might be able to come up with a way, and he suggests tracking down the other witches/her second in command here in Karnaka to see if she knows, and you do find out here about the party that brought Delilah back out of the Void after she'd been sealed there(Something Billy reveals to you in one of the pre-mission briefs, BTW) As for Jindosh, yes, it actually did stop the soldiers. No more soldiers are being produced, the ones in the bank are older models he'd sold to them prior to the start of game 2(And as a neat thing, are in fact some beta models for the originals with porcelain faces that were deemed too creepy so they went with the more bird like heads in the game proper), oh and a note in the bank says they're starting to wear out. I think the implication is only someone like Jindosh or Skolov can build the things, even with the blueprints given, as you do find notes about how no one else seems to be able to get things Jindosh builds to work right even if they take them apart and put them back together again precisely as they were. Edit 3: Not a bad run through the level...also there is a guide on steam for the puzzle. It has to use similar elements, merely changing their placement in the puzzle...and no, I couldn't figure it out. riddles like that were never my forte. Still, I think the fact that they allow you to skip the level is kind of neat myself. And there is plenty of reason to engage with it if you want, but it's not always there. Also, just in case you missed the note. It's not just any witch's hand that mobster has, that's the mummified hand of Granny Rags from the first game, the old lady on the street you meet in missions 2/3 of that game, and in the sewers later on. Also, it's kind of an easy answer, but the reason Delilah isn't trying to stop you is there not quick communication line between the cities. It would take her a week to send a note to the Duke. Her quick line was to the other witch, a statue you can talk to Delilah through yourself in the museum. Otherwise, she's a week of hard travel away, if not more. More importantly, she doesn't have to stop you, or so she thinks. After all, if her plan is successful, she's not just going to take the Empire from you, she's going to unseat a God and take his throne too. Edit 4: Delilah tells the Duke to take the statue at the end of the party. Also, the statue is what they're talking about as 'a thing of bone', not the spirit inside it. That's what's keeping Delilah bound to this world. Think of it like the Dead Man's Chest from Pirates of the Caribbean 2. She carved out her heart, and now she can't die until it's been killed. I would also like to add the reason people berate Emily is because the Duke is only able to act like he does, I.E. corrupt and with impunity, due to her not taking her duties as Empress seriously. Basically, she's allowed the local lords to rule as they see fit, never reigning in the worst of their excesses, never bothering to keep an eye on them. In the basement of the time mansion level, she'll even comment on what she might have been doing that night, 3 years ago, when she should have been stopping what was going on. Oh, and the roof is merely one way up. You can walk around the side, stealth through the center, or around the ceiling rafters, etc. Each one requires a different skill set, and some give more options than others. Plus the fact that the Duke/Double can be in one of 5 locations, some of which are crawling with guards means simply getting to his room won't always do much for you. Basically, that speed runner got really lucky they were in the position they were in. Edit 5: The same note that tells her how to make the rune(Which is basically just a 'place item here sort of thing') also tells Emily that unbalancing the number of runes will screw over Delilah. How she knows it works is...well look all around you? Magic works, and she's literally in the same place Delilah made the runes originally, so she's just crafting one more. Basically Delilah was cocky and didn't get rid of the extra supplies. Oh, and there are several ways not only into the towers, but also to the top of the tower. Okay, 3 in, and 2 up, but still, you don't have to do those other ones, though the alternate way up is more of an easter egg for those who played the first dishonored, as it was also a way up there Corvo mentioned in his Dunwall tower level. I have nothing on why she doesn't kill you, save I don't think I've ever had her find me when I give the spirit back, so she doesn't know where I am, and is instead issuing a challenge for me to come and get her(unaware I can sabotage the painting). As for why she can't be knocked out until her spirit is returned...I assume it's the same reason she can't be killed, she's not all inside herself, and can shrug off damage/things she doesn't like. Think Lich. She's immune to most status effects. Oh, and the reason she just goes into the painting at the end, even after the fight is over confidence. She doesn't think you could have sabotaged her, so she assumes that, with the ritual complete, she'll be able to just go inside, and it will 'pop' the painting in a way that causes it to overlay on reality, making her not only empress, but goddess of all she surveys, forever. What you did causes it so the pop never happens, but she'll never realize it, instead trapped inside part of the Void that alters to her desires. Basically a Lotus Eater Machine, and she'll never bother anyone again thanks to that. Canonically, BTW, you stab her, as her spirit is with the other dead around the Outsider in the finale of the next game. Edit Final: I will say, the upgrade system is a lot better in some ways then presented(And yes, bone charm crafting is excellent, as you can stack bonuses using more bone charms of higher levels, which can lead to some awesome stuff). That said, I won't argue that upgrades favor combat over stealth, though I think there's a reason for that. Stealth is supposed to get you through an area, undetected. In that sense, the best route is always straight shots, don't stop sort of things. So that's why the upgrades you can buy to make it better are more limited, so you don't need as many resources to max them out, compared to combat focused ones, which encourage you to engage with the level in every aspect to refill resources and such. Oh, and one final thing. You can indeed go back to the 'safe room' from the start of the game at the top of Dunwall Tower. It's got a neat thing in it if you locked the bad guy from the start of the game inside. Otherwise, it's the room you pass thru using the secret way to the top of the tower. All of this being said, a neat video, and one I enjoyed listening to, even if I could find flaws in some of the things said, you did a great job presenting your own points, and assembling footage for this. Great work sir, and keep it up.
That wholesome dialogue between the guard and the servant is a lot nastier if you killed a lot of people in the levels before ;) EDIT: I also disagree with most in your video. I feel like most of what you regard as game design mistakes or inconsistencies are minor and the replay value of such a game mandates, that you can't do everything in one playthrough. Good video, but agree to disagree
I may have been a bit harsh when it comes to the idea that the game, as a product and experience, is "bad". I really love the dishonored franchise, so, reflecting on this video now, I would have wanted to express further that this was talking PURELY about the clean hands' playthrough of the game. The game design "mistakes" were mostly due to their counterproductive nature when it comes to that specific experience. I appreciate your input though! Thanks for the feedback!
@@SeppoCJ Ok, might have slipped past me that you were talking only about this kind of playthrough, your criticisms make a lot more sense regarding a specific kind of playthrough. Explains why I was so confused by some of your talking points. But in that regard you're right, the clean hands playthrough is ambivalent. On the one hand it's the obvious goal to finish the game like this, on the other hand it is artificially made much harder than it has to be. Addermire station for example, the two guards playing cards on the stairs: I remember countless times trying to stun them, only for one to fall on the bottle and burn them both :D But that is one of the things I love about this game, even if you have the same powers, the same gear and the same skill to tackle a specific situation, it will be different in some aspect every time. Overall I understand your point much better now, and like I said, very good video :)
Uh, they literally say Billie saw the Crown Killer flee with Sokolov towards the Institute. That’s why you go there. Hypatia as a target was due to her being the head of Addermire and a known good person so likely to provide information. It’s clear you need to play through the game with a bit more focus, because the story portion of this vid is poorly done. You miss information, allow your bias to take over the point and contradict yourself often. Comprehensive vid nonetheless and the effort was appreciated.
Hi! Thanks for the comment! I do mention, albeit through text, that the Crown Killer goes to Addermire (12:34 - pop up text). My main critique when it came to discussing the motivation behind Emily's travels through Karnaca was to contrast the fairly sloppy motives Dishonored 2 has compared to the motivations in the predecessor. Overall though, I do stand by my point that the reason for you going to Addermire was still not as well described as I feel it should have been, but that clearly just didn't catch me as it did yourself. This also wasn't really meant to be a "comprehensive critique" rather, just a commentary and nitpicking of my experience with this game upon my return to the franchise after 3 years (Yes, the titling could be improved haha). I would be the first to admit that this isn't my best-structured video as there were a few things I mention but don't elaborate on, the audio isn't the best and my points are a bit scattered. But I have worked to improve this in my more recent uploads. I really appreciate the criticism and try my best to ascertain the larger point that people who comment on my videos make, but I am really confused about you claiming my bias was influencing my ideas. It's clear that I didn't emphasize it enough, but Dishonored 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, if anything my bias towards the game is positive. So when you're talking about my bias, I can't really put a finger on what specifically you're talking about, but I would love to hear what you meant! Thanks again for the comment! I really appreciate it!
When you talk about a game like dishonored, it is incorrect to say that there is a "right" way to play it. BUT you have ruined your "clean hands" experience by trying to combine that with a "ghost" walkthrough. A week ago, I completed the game with the following conditions: 1. No murders 2. No magic 3. Disable hints about mission objectives in the interface options 4. Don't be afraid to get detected These rules gave me a fresh perspective on the gameplay and level design. I ran through the levels, threw bottles (or bottles with a stun mine attached), climbed high places right in battle in order to jump on the heads of opponents, actively used the ability to slide on the floor in order to then instantly stun the enemy, shooted at the doors in order to break them. It was pure fun! I'm not trying to say that Arcane did everything right - I've faced the same issue as you did in my previous tries. But still, I highly advise you to try this path of "aggressive pacifist", because if you love this game, after such a walkthrough you will love it even more.
Regarding your last point, it's weird how adding more stuff is just blanket thought of as good. To put a worldbuilding document into player's attention, there has to be an understanding of some sort of trade-off. Dishonored 2 is worse at this than 1: besides plain words and audio tapes, you also get the talking heart and the player's inner voice - in an incredible multidirectional assault on your information sensors. I feel like I'm in different modes when doing something and when analyzing incoming information, and the switch isn't free or instantaneous. When observing something with the intent of moving, like a goalie does when anticipating a strike, you react much quickly to a stimulus than if you were eating popcorn reading a book and suddenly had to throw yourself prone on the ground to catch an incoming ball. A lot of stealth gameplay is about silently observing and anticipating, and so the constant switch into popcorn mode is jarring as heck, and its puzzling how the team behind the game had zero restraint in this regard.
Is it just me or is it much more difficult and frustrating to be stealthy in dishonored 2 than it is in 1? Like in 1, I want to be stealthy n non lethal because the plot kinda calls for that , but in the 2nd game rhe story is so secondary I really just don’t even care to be patient n stealthy, I always just end up massacring everyone lol
25:18 they don't, if you take the head off the soldiers attack everything. There's even a debugging line from Jindosh saying something like that.
The easiest way to take out the soldiers is to drop on them after shooting their head off, if you just blink above them then you can get a drop assassination. Provided you've already shot the head off they'll die immediately so you're still a ghost, and it still counts as clean hands because they're not human.
Ive been watching Dishonored (1&2) analysis/critique videos almost non-stop recently and this one is (like nearly all of them) really good! I like how every video is made by people with real heart for the game who aren't afraid to point out its flaws.
Also thought you were kidding when you said you had a small channel. Imo you have videos that are certainly on par with channels of 100k s of subscribers
Keep up the good work!
Enjoying your style. Looking forward to how the channel grows
Re: the Oraculum. There are professional seers in the Abbey of the Everyman. The Oraculum would literally let Breanna control the visions of them. The idea was to make them think that Delilah was the correct, rightful ruler, so that they would support her rule. In the last level as you come up to the castle, you'll find scores of dead Overseers, and if you talk to one who's not quite dead, you learn that they attacked Delilah declaring her the wrongful ruler of Dunwall. They were beaten back, but the idea is that the attack has whittled down some of the numbers of Delilah's coven.
Also, you complain about the timeline of how long Delilah allows Emily to mess around to get her soul from the Duke. While the time it takes to get from Dunwall to Karnaca is at least a few weeks, the events of the first Karnaca mission to the last all take place over the course of a few days. So, it's basically a dayish between Emily finding out she needs to get Delilah's soul from the Duke and going off to try to get it.
I assumed that Emily knew how to craft the corrupt rune because it was related to crafting bone charms. Crafting bone charms is something they teach you how to do with a book you read earlier in the game, and you can craft them throughout.
Your quicksave limit is a glitch.
Overall, this was an amazing video. I loved it a lot, even despite my comments. Just thought you might like to know some of these things. And there's definitely some infuriating glitches. I've never been able to touch the panel on those damn robots at all.
Awesome video man! Hopefully there'll be a next one.
Got damn we need more channel's like this, quality content from start to finish.
This was a great start. Can't wait to see what you do next.
You got me subscribed, and I 'clicked that bell icon' as they all say. I will be keen to watch your backlog and enjoy future work, should there be more. Thanks for the info dump and well-balanced criticism.
Amazing work!! Can’t wait to see more videos like this!!
I have to say this video is pretty good. surprised you didn't get more views.
the level design of this game is definitely some of the best in gaming. A neat detail about Jindosh's Mansion is that you could technically eliminate Jindosh before he even reaches the end of his bridge. If you stop time and then use Blink/Far Reach you can clear the Wall of Light without being hurt and then reach Jindosh on a straight forward path through his bedroom. I even managed to pull the lever that retracts the bridge, causing Jindosh to fall to his death. Taking care of Jindosh before taking Sokolov prevents him from initiating certain security measures such as the extra Clockwork soldiers in the lobby or the Arc Pylon near the elevator. Also, a bit of advice on how to handle the clockwork soldiers. If you're trying to rewire them, use Slow Time/Stop Time in order to get in close. It makes it a lot harder for them to detect you and you'll get enough leeway with the clunky interact system due to how much time you're given.
Also a tip on the Roseburrow device. If you go into an apartment building near the Observatory, there's a walkway outside the top window that leads in an open window on the second floor of the building. if you take a right you can reach the door into the security room. there's an open grate above it that you can walk through in order to get inside without needing shadow walk.
Also, i feel like the Duke's body double is in the same spot. In every playthrough i've done, the double was in the Duke's bedroom.
A neat detail i like about Billy Lurke is that if you decide to kill her in the last level before you go onto the skiff, you won't get a game over. you'll instead get some extra dialogue.
Oh yeah, and in the generator room in Dunwall Tower there is a series of pipes that you can use as a platform to hide from the witches that enter when you turn on the power.
Ah damn, I thought I checked my bases on all of that haha. Thanks for the comment! The beginning hour of the video was just trying to recount my experiences with the game so I was bound to miss some stuff, I appreciate the vigilance :)
I killed Jindosh after putting him in the chair... by placing an oil tank, ever so gently in his lap and it slid down a bit. It didn't explode, but he just died. I started laughing when I saw that 😃
Great video, great critique. Keep up the amazing work. Im sure you're going to be one of the bigger TH-camrs soon 👍
I really hope you get back to making videos or have a second channel that we just don't know about because the level of quality in this is incredible.
1:04:27 "Unfortunately, and I'll explain why in a bit, this area was cut off from the player by some of Delilah's magical tree powers. I felt there could have been a little bit more of an easter egg for those of us who trecked all the way up here from the rooftops, and I was pretty disappointed when nothing came out of it".
I missed the part where you "explained why in a bit", but I'm sure you know the reason is this would allow the player to completely bypass the Tower level. Anyway, you still get an easter egg if you climb all the way up there by getting to interact with the loudspeaker on the balcony, although for a ghost playthrough it's something you'd have to reload, as it alerts some witches in the area (although if you're really keen you can always go all the way back and interact with it after trapping Delilah in the painting, which gives you an alternate easter egg). There's also an additional easter egg in the safe room itself if you go up to it from the throne room (before or after dealing with Delilah).
-Will be updating this comment as I watch the video:
-Well done on the intro, the audio work was really good!
-The dedication you put into the research is crazy, I'm an avid gamer and I suck at finishing games a single time.
-I like to think the outsider doesn't tell you about the secret right away because there's some rule for demons not to directly alter timelines, or maybe he needed you to accomplish the actions required to discover that secret, and the secret really doesn't matter to him. It's just a reason he uses to get you motivated
-The flash of info at 12:34 took me four tries to actually pause on, even with the video bar stretched along an ultrawide screen. Give it a little longer next time.
Who puts a marker on a horror antagonist???
-I don't like that you get the opportunity to eliminate a key target earlier than normal but the games mechanics are altered so you cant go about it how you want. Just let my man strangle a dude
-It seems like the designers worked backwards with the narrative. They had amazing levels, a great arc, moral dilemmas, and then they filled in the blanks for the mission stories. it also seems like its specifically made to bait theorists
-Big problem I have with ESO rn is with the puzzles. You can do various things to achieve the solution, or you can guess/do it normally and its painfully easy anyway
-1:06:30: this is the third time you've done away with glaring issues and said they might be in books. I think they just didn't account for someone thinking this in depth about it
-Seems like the bone charms were an excuse to make you explore the world when they realized there wasnt better reasons
- it feels like they had a mechanics team, a narrative team, and an environment team and they only had monthly meetings nothing more
Very well done on the entire thing. My biggest note is that while I'm crazy enough to watch this whole thing, a timestamp around 1:10:00 when you begin the sort of TL;DR section would be nice for others. You went over alot of the points from the longer more in depth sections so it feels like for someone just looking for the gist, they would find it. Keep it up, subbed.
I'm glad someone doing these videos finally addressed the story issues. For me there's too much contrivance to really get into it.
As to the ghost\clean hands playstyle, it's very easy to lock yourself into a really conservative play that's not really needed. I replayed the last 2 missions to get these 2 achievements, and I kinda speedran it as I already explored everything. And it was a blast! I didn't get caught more than usual but I actually had fun with the mechanics for once instead of cowering on chandeliers.
i dont think soemeones said it but if you dont take the tram to jindoshs mansion and far reach across, you come back out and theres an npc sitting by the front door who has a note on him about being the mechanic or electrician or something, and thats why he took the trolley there!
What a fantastic video
14:10 why would you not instead shoot an incendiary bolt at a nest from afar?
Because I'm a hoarder at heart haha!
So far this is a great video mate.
On an unrelated note: on top of other issues, I gotta say I dislike how they moved on from the crown killer in literally the 2nd mission, and instead reverted back to delilah being the titular villain. Alot of the story could've been trying to track down this mysterious assassin, killing people in circles around corvo. Then discovering they work for delilah and she's was behind it all or something. Idk mate just went on a random tangent, if I haven't made it obvious I don't like the main story of D2.
I think the quicksave issue used to exist on the PC version, but it was patched and I've not had that issue with my recent playthrough.
I'm surprised they patched this issue so late into its lifetime. I recorded this gameplay in April 2020 so that's weird. Again, I was only commenting on what I experienced and I saw some other people complaining about this problem too and just assumed! I guess it must've been on my end
@@SeppoCJ As far as I'm aware, they patched it a while back. I'm honestly not sure, then. I did a stealth run through the other week and quick save seemed to work fine. There was the odd occasion where it couldn't save, but then worked okay a few seconds later.
Damn, this was a great video, thank you!
I'm still at the beginning of the video but so far I'm loving it.
My experience with the game was odd. I absolutely loved the first one.
As for D2, I didn't care for the story, characters and thought it didn't bring anything new to the table. That being said, I turned off all the screen objective markers and explored the areas as I moved along with no real sense of direction and context and did it until I finished the game which brought me to a strange question. Did I love the game in the end? How can I say I didn't like it if I played through the whole thing and explored every single area?
I guess the gameplay in itself holds the game very well.
I've always had an issue with arcane's way of doing things. Specifically, what you mentioned about high chaos. I concur. They don't provide enough incentive, imo, for the low chaos run. It's basically the game giving you the opportunity to be a supernatural killing machine but then, double back and saying "ya know, killing is wrong!". I still recall my first run of dishonored way back when, saying boi, was this game fun. And I realize that back then I couldn't care less about the outcome of my actions. I was just there 2 dicc around and have fun. I suppose that's the best suggestion anyone who's ever played the game(s) can make to peeps that want 2 try it out. Nice vid btw. And yes, I watched all of it. Props, my dude
Please bless this youtube algorithm
In the last mission you don't have to put back power, you can go through the empress' hidden chamber
just a thought I would like to add, Bioshock is a bad example of the ludo narrative dissonance, since harvesting all little sisters is barely more rewarding than saving them, since Tenenbaum gives makes little sisters deliver you ADAM after every 3 saved little sisters
1:25:59 It would've helped if the notes were voiced. Collectable notes ARE voiced in the new Tomb Raider games and there's quite a difference between reading some plain text yourself and listening to the in-universe character that wrote it. It feels more organic.
It's not the BEST way to convey lore but it's still notably better.
Shit bro this is some quality content.
Hey, great video! Right of the bat, I’ll say that I like long form video essays for video games, and I noticed throughout the video that it sounded an awful lot like Joseph Anderson’s videos, to an almost funny degree. A lot of the same phrases and stuff, it was cute. If you haven’t heard of him, I’d suggest checking him out, I bet you’d like him. With that out of the way, I have some critique of my own. While I like the video, I think it had many problems. Chiefly, the length is almost entirely unwarranted based on the video’s title. It was almost funny when at an hour ten, the critique in earnest began. With 15 minutes left. That first 80% of the video felt like a walkthrough with light narrative analysis, and some quips, which were fine, but it felt entirely too self indulgent and largely unnecessary, though there were a few sections that came back in the end. There were at several times promises for more in depth explorations of mechanics which never came. Speaking of in-depth, I think another major problem with the video was that you seemed to only play the game once, and you chose a method of playing that you clearly had very little interest in. It made the review feel very surface level and first-reaction-ey, which is a terrible combination with the heavily scripted video essay format. Even with the decision to focus on a single way to play a game that offers many, I really think this video would have been lent great credence by several playthroughs, at the very least as both protagonists, though you were very clear of having no motivation to do this, which was bizarre to me. It was slightly annoying to hear whinging about how YOU chose to play, especially when it is by no means a choice a player is set in. You were banging your head against a wall, noticed you didn’t like It, decided to continue to bang your head on the wall, and when you were finished you made an hour and half review of the wall banging experience. What is so frustrating is that right next to that wall were beautiful jars of paint with which to render graffiti, hammers with which to smash, and a ball with which to bounce against the wall, but you ignored these, and, chiefly, made a video entitled “Wall | Analysis and Review”, instead of “Head banging | Analysis and Review”. It all felt quite ridiculous, but became much more understandable when it became clear that this was a critique of an all stealth all the time run. To be fair, this is something you laid out in the beginning, but I wish you had put more emphasis on it, for numbskulls like myself. I will say this comment on the title is double edged because had the video been: “Dishonored 2 | Ghost & Clean Hands; Analysis & Critique”, I might have been less likely to click on it, but I guess you have to balance these things for yourself. Regardless, I’m glad you made the video, I’m glad I watched it, and I think you said some things that aren’t brought up nearly enough for this game, chiefly inconsistency, which I completely agree with. Hope this comment is helpful
I totally agree. Yeah, I have followed Joseph Anderson for a while and he is even listed in my channel as a prime inspiration. I really like his content :)
In terms of your critique, I very much agree, with my subsequent video and a video currently in the works, I have tried to veer away from this long-form hour and a half long video of explaining what happened within the game because I felt like I am marketing towards an audience that wouldn't be interested in said long-form content. I realized near the end of my production process that all the actual points of the video were near the end which I took note of and try to emphasize that through the rest of my work. It was also really horrible to edit as it was my first long project and took over 100 hours of time to create. (Mostly because of audio issues haha)
Though I didn't explicitly mention this, I have played Dishonored 2, 8 times in my life, most of them being near its release date. This was a revisitation to that game where I wanted to challenge myself. This also was the first time after having experienced all the good Dishonored 2 has to offer that I found myself NOT enjoying the game, which I felt warranted a video. I have seen a few people say similar things to what you said about the idea that my analysis of the game was predicated entirely on the non-lethal ghost playthrough, and upon revisiting the video a little while ago, I found that I mostly skipped over my justification for calling this video a "Dishonored 2 Critique". Though the reasons that I would say are complicated and hard to explain over text (I may revisit this video at a later date), I do accept that I didn't do the best job when explaining my justification for calling this video a Dishonored 2 critique rather than a "Dishonored 2 | Ghost & Clean Hands; Analysis & Critique" haha.
I'm so glad you found something of value in this video and I have added some of your criticisms to my notebook of things to improve. Thanks so much for the comment!
i just can't stand when ur saying, that the marker objectives kill the surprise when u can take them away in the option ^^
Oh yeah cj,paolo's hand is from a 'witch',it's granny rags's hand!From the first game
The tirade about how the game isn't equally as easy and/or rewarding depending on the playstyle you pick doesn't strike me as a problem that's unique to Dishonored, rather it's inherent to any game with multiple ways to approach a problems. I'd actually argue that Dishonored 2 is one of the best when it comes to making your tools multi-purpose depending on how lethal and sneaky you decide to play. Out of Emily's 13 powers, 2 are useless in a ghost-no kill run and 2 mores are near useless. That leaves 9 powers fully functional for what'll give you that green checkmark at the end of a level, which I'd argue is the real problem with the "play your way" style of the game : your performance feels evaluated.
If the game simply put no attention onto it, no end-level screen that clearly implies a best-way to play the game, most people would feel far freer to engage with any of the game's mechanic as they see fit rather than tailoring their playstyle to get those end-level checkmarks. It's one of the way the game's lack of subtlety works against the freedom it boasts.
Otherwise I agree that it makes the game less fun to try to only sneak and keep people alive and the solution to that problem is just : don't do it ! Don't bother. If someone dies, then fuck it. Just because something is technically possible and the devs are thoughtless enough to try to push it onto the player without considering how much worse it makes the game doesn't mean you should do it. Cos indeed, there's no reward for playing that way.
I don't think it's ludo-narrative dissonance by the way, if being violent makes the game easier, that's not a contradiction with the story's theme, if anything it's a reflection of it. Making things easier for yourself means making it harder for everyone else, which is very much what Abele is doing. It takes more work for a good outcome than it does for a quick outcome.
Hi! Love the response, really insightful!
Yeah, I feel that the fact the game measures your performance and rewards the player with a better outcome for playing in a manner that isn't very fun is what frustrated me so much. I do mention that I feel the game should be played however you want and that is the "fun" of Dishonored for many people, but when it comes from a purely narrative space, I find myself growing frustrated if I want to see the "proper" ending. Maybe this is a case of me wanting to have my cake and eat it too, but I don't feel that it's a design problem that is out of reach especially for a talented team like Arkane.
Thanks for the comment!
I’m replaying dishonored for my channel and I agree but also disagree as well but this Series will always be one of my favorites and hopefully they come out with Dishonored 3! Awesome video tho!
You deserve one more subscriber for the good work. And yes, notes and letters are boring (yet I enjoy reading) and definitely not the best way to expand the lore. It completely breaks immersion, which is the main quality of this game... Eavesdropping NPC dialogs is way more interesting to learn more about this fantastic universe.
Great video!
I entirely agree. It's a great game, but it could have been way more consistent and definitely a masterpiece if stealth play style would have been as fun and as rewardingg as combat play style.
to be fair both first and second game had issues when it ones to favoring high chaos playthrough but i would argue at least the second game added more equipment which favors low chaos approach but yea the amount of darts lowered to 5 is not good
This might be the only video out of the few that critique this game that actually mentions the inconsistencies of the narrative. Though I'm no longer a big fan of this kind of story analysis, I nonetheless appreciate your work very much. Would've loved it even more of you were more meticulous concerning the gameplay, specifically refering to the Clockwork Mansion, which can be completed easily, even without powers, as long as you activate only the lever in the beginning, before neutralizing Jindosh, which keeps most of the Clockwork Soldiers turned off.
Weren't you going after Hypatia...well, really you were going to the Addlmyer institute, in mission 2/3 because that was where Skolov thought the Crown Killer was coming from(And of course, he was right). Since the Crown Killer was also the one to grab S boy, the point was by going there, you would find info on where to find him...which you did, that was the audio log in Hypatia's lab, where the Duke said he put S in with Jindosh to have him crack the old man of all his knowledge and secrets. Dealing with Hypatia is kind of just a side effect of you going there for info. Also, they mention the lighthouse in the mission brief, and say it covers the one approach to the place by boat, something confirmed if you search near the carriage landing, as there's two crashed boats and lots of rocks along that path, and the open sea wouldn't need the lighthouse to see you coming.
Meanwhile, Jindosh's mind freak...yeah, I admit, that one got me too. I had little problem giving the Lady Boyle to Brisby in game one, simply because I was punishing her, like the rest, for what they did to me(She knew about what had happened to you in Dishonored one, according to some notes from the Regent you could find in her home).
Also, the reason you can't present evidence against the Duke is pretty simple. It wouldn't really work. This is not a democracy, but instead an autocracy built of a confederation of city-states, and no matter what you found, he would not be kicked out because he's the ruler by right of birth. No one likes him, but no ones going to go against him just because he's a bad person
Edit 1: Not sure how you got Brianna to attack you in the video, but I can say, yes, she is someone you can aggro if you try to knock her out normally after the lens bit, so she'll fight you then, and again, without the magic she would otherwise have, which I think is a neat detail. if you use a knock out dart, something that doesn't work on her when she has her magic, it works here, and you can then loot her for a unique charm.
Also, there are a few ways into the prototype room, either finding the key in the basement(There's a note in there telling you where it is) or smashing the door in with sword via upgrade, or with a bomb/grenade.
Edit 2: You are taking these people out to help you find a way to take out Delilah. You must have missed it(I did), but in the opening, Corvo stabs her through the heart, and she shrugs it off. They mention several times they can't kill/eliminate Delilah right now, which is why you're doing this. You're first trying to free S from Jindosh, so he might be able to come up with a way, and he suggests tracking down the other witches/her second in command here in Karnaka to see if she knows, and you do find out here about the party that brought Delilah back out of the Void after she'd been sealed there(Something Billy reveals to you in one of the pre-mission briefs, BTW)
As for Jindosh, yes, it actually did stop the soldiers. No more soldiers are being produced, the ones in the bank are older models he'd sold to them prior to the start of game 2(And as a neat thing, are in fact some beta models for the originals with porcelain faces that were deemed too creepy so they went with the more bird like heads in the game proper), oh and a note in the bank says they're starting to wear out. I think the implication is only someone like Jindosh or Skolov can build the things, even with the blueprints given, as you do find notes about how no one else seems to be able to get things Jindosh builds to work right even if they take them apart and put them back together again precisely as they were.
Edit 3: Not a bad run through the level...also there is a guide on steam for the puzzle. It has to use similar elements, merely changing their placement in the puzzle...and no, I couldn't figure it out. riddles like that were never my forte. Still, I think the fact that they allow you to skip the level is kind of neat myself. And there is plenty of reason to engage with it if you want, but it's not always there. Also, just in case you missed the note. It's not just any witch's hand that mobster has, that's the mummified hand of Granny Rags from the first game, the old lady on the street you meet in missions 2/3 of that game, and in the sewers later on.
Also, it's kind of an easy answer, but the reason Delilah isn't trying to stop you is there not quick communication line between the cities. It would take her a week to send a note to the Duke. Her quick line was to the other witch, a statue you can talk to Delilah through yourself in the museum. Otherwise, she's a week of hard travel away, if not more. More importantly, she doesn't have to stop you, or so she thinks. After all, if her plan is successful, she's not just going to take the Empire from you, she's going to unseat a God and take his throne too.
Edit 4: Delilah tells the Duke to take the statue at the end of the party. Also, the statue is what they're talking about as 'a thing of bone', not the spirit inside it. That's what's keeping Delilah bound to this world. Think of it like the Dead Man's Chest from Pirates of the Caribbean 2. She carved out her heart, and now she can't die until it's been killed.
I would also like to add the reason people berate Emily is because the Duke is only able to act like he does, I.E. corrupt and with impunity, due to her not taking her duties as Empress seriously. Basically, she's allowed the local lords to rule as they see fit, never reigning in the worst of their excesses, never bothering to keep an eye on them. In the basement of the time mansion level, she'll even comment on what she might have been doing that night, 3 years ago, when she should have been stopping what was going on.
Oh, and the roof is merely one way up. You can walk around the side, stealth through the center, or around the ceiling rafters, etc. Each one requires a different skill set, and some give more options than others. Plus the fact that the Duke/Double can be in one of 5 locations, some of which are crawling with guards means simply getting to his room won't always do much for you. Basically, that speed runner got really lucky they were in the position they were in.
Edit 5: The same note that tells her how to make the rune(Which is basically just a 'place item here sort of thing') also tells Emily that unbalancing the number of runes will screw over Delilah. How she knows it works is...well look all around you? Magic works, and she's literally in the same place Delilah made the runes originally, so she's just crafting one more. Basically Delilah was cocky and didn't get rid of the extra supplies. Oh, and there are several ways not only into the towers, but also to the top of the tower. Okay, 3 in, and 2 up, but still, you don't have to do those other ones, though the alternate way up is more of an easter egg for those who played the first dishonored, as it was also a way up there Corvo mentioned in his Dunwall tower level.
I have nothing on why she doesn't kill you, save I don't think I've ever had her find me when I give the spirit back, so she doesn't know where I am, and is instead issuing a challenge for me to come and get her(unaware I can sabotage the painting). As for why she can't be knocked out until her spirit is returned...I assume it's the same reason she can't be killed, she's not all inside herself, and can shrug off damage/things she doesn't like. Think Lich. She's immune to most status effects.
Oh, and the reason she just goes into the painting at the end, even after the fight is over confidence. She doesn't think you could have sabotaged her, so she assumes that, with the ritual complete, she'll be able to just go inside, and it will 'pop' the painting in a way that causes it to overlay on reality, making her not only empress, but goddess of all she surveys, forever. What you did causes it so the pop never happens, but she'll never realize it, instead trapped inside part of the Void that alters to her desires. Basically a Lotus Eater Machine, and she'll never bother anyone again thanks to that.
Canonically, BTW, you stab her, as her spirit is with the other dead around the Outsider in the finale of the next game.
Edit Final: I will say, the upgrade system is a lot better in some ways then presented(And yes, bone charm crafting is excellent, as you can stack bonuses using more bone charms of higher levels, which can lead to some awesome stuff). That said, I won't argue that upgrades favor combat over stealth, though I think there's a reason for that. Stealth is supposed to get you through an area, undetected. In that sense, the best route is always straight shots, don't stop sort of things. So that's why the upgrades you can buy to make it better are more limited, so you don't need as many resources to max them out, compared to combat focused ones, which encourage you to engage with the level in every aspect to refill resources and such.
Oh, and one final thing. You can indeed go back to the 'safe room' from the start of the game at the top of Dunwall Tower. It's got a neat thing in it if you locked the bad guy from the start of the game inside. Otherwise, it's the room you pass thru using the secret way to the top of the tower.
All of this being said, a neat video, and one I enjoyed listening to, even if I could find flaws in some of the things said, you did a great job presenting your own points, and assembling footage for this. Great work sir, and keep it up.
That wholesome dialogue between the guard and the servant is a lot nastier if you killed a lot of people in the levels before ;)
EDIT: I also disagree with most in your video. I feel like most of what you regard as game design mistakes or inconsistencies are minor and the replay value of such a game mandates, that you can't do everything in one playthrough. Good video, but agree to disagree
I may have been a bit harsh when it comes to the idea that the game, as a product and experience, is "bad". I really love the dishonored franchise, so, reflecting on this video now, I would have wanted to express further that this was talking PURELY about the clean hands' playthrough of the game. The game design "mistakes" were mostly due to their counterproductive nature when it comes to that specific experience.
I appreciate your input though! Thanks for the feedback!
@@SeppoCJ Ok, might have slipped past me that you were talking only about this kind of playthrough, your criticisms make a lot more sense regarding a specific kind of playthrough. Explains why I was so confused by some of your talking points. But in that regard you're right, the clean hands playthrough is ambivalent. On the one hand it's the obvious goal to finish the game like this, on the other hand it is artificially made much harder than it has to be. Addermire station for example, the two guards playing cards on the stairs: I remember countless times trying to stun them, only for one to fall on the bottle and burn them both :D But that is one of the things I love about this game, even if you have the same powers, the same gear and the same skill to tackle a specific situation, it will be different in some aspect every time.
Overall I understand your point much better now, and like I said, very good video :)
Uh, they literally say Billie saw the Crown Killer flee with Sokolov towards the Institute. That’s why you go there. Hypatia as a target was due to her being the head of Addermire and a known good person so likely to provide information.
It’s clear you need to play through the game with a bit more focus, because the story portion of this vid is poorly done. You miss information, allow your bias to take over the point and contradict yourself often. Comprehensive vid nonetheless and the effort was appreciated.
Hi! Thanks for the comment!
I do mention, albeit through text, that the Crown Killer goes to Addermire (12:34 - pop up text). My main critique when it came to discussing the motivation behind Emily's travels through Karnaca was to contrast the fairly sloppy motives Dishonored 2 has compared to the motivations in the predecessor. Overall though, I do stand by my point that the reason for you going to Addermire was still not as well described as I feel it should have been, but that clearly just didn't catch me as it did yourself.
This also wasn't really meant to be a "comprehensive critique" rather, just a commentary and nitpicking of my experience with this game upon my return to the franchise after 3 years (Yes, the titling could be improved haha). I would be the first to admit that this isn't my best-structured video as there were a few things I mention but don't elaborate on, the audio isn't the best and my points are a bit scattered. But I have worked to improve this in my more recent uploads. I really appreciate the criticism and try my best to ascertain the larger point that people who comment on my videos make, but I am really confused about you claiming my bias was influencing my ideas. It's clear that I didn't emphasize it enough, but Dishonored 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, if anything my bias towards the game is positive. So when you're talking about my bias, I can't really put a finger on what specifically you're talking about, but I would love to hear what you meant!
Thanks again for the comment! I really appreciate it!
Nice
When you talk about a game like dishonored, it is incorrect to say that there is a "right" way to play it. BUT you have ruined your "clean hands" experience by trying to combine that with a "ghost" walkthrough.
A week ago, I completed the game with the following conditions:
1. No murders
2. No magic
3. Disable hints about mission objectives in the interface options
4. Don't be afraid to get detected
These rules gave me a fresh perspective on the gameplay and level design.
I ran through the levels, threw bottles (or bottles with a stun mine attached), climbed high places right in battle in order to jump on the heads of opponents, actively used the ability to slide on the floor in order to then instantly stun the enemy, shooted at the doors in order to break them. It was pure fun!
I'm not trying to say that Arcane did everything right - I've faced the same issue as you did in my previous tries. But still, I highly advise you to try this path of "aggressive pacifist", because if you love this game, after such a walkthrough you will love it even more.
Regarding your last point, it's weird how adding more stuff is just blanket thought of as good. To put a worldbuilding document into player's attention, there has to be an understanding of some sort of trade-off. Dishonored 2 is worse at this than 1: besides plain words and audio tapes, you also get the talking heart and the player's inner voice - in an incredible multidirectional assault on your information sensors.
I feel like I'm in different modes when doing something and when analyzing incoming information, and the switch isn't free or instantaneous. When observing something with the intent of moving, like a goalie does when anticipating a strike, you react much quickly to a stimulus than if you were eating popcorn reading a book and suddenly had to throw yourself prone on the ground to catch an incoming ball. A lot of stealth gameplay is about silently observing and anticipating, and so the constant switch into popcorn mode is jarring as heck, and its puzzling how the team behind the game had zero restraint in this regard.
Is it just me or is it much more difficult and frustrating to be stealthy in dishonored 2 than it is in 1? Like in 1, I want to be stealthy n non lethal because the plot kinda calls for that , but in the 2nd game rhe story is so secondary I really just don’t even care to be patient n stealthy, I always just end up massacring everyone lol
Your voice exactly sounds like Jesse Eisenberg in Social Networking. 🙂
Hmmm...needs more masala
Wait a sec. This guy is just ripping of micheal's Last of Us Accessibility Review! Unsubscribed
first
Man this guy is just ripping off Dunkey
Great vid!