Breaking Down The New And Enhanced Powers Of Dishonored 2

With a steadfast dedication to the principles of simulation gameplay, Dishonored encouraged players to experiment with the vast array of superpowers it put at their fingertips.

With a steadfast dedication to the principles of simulation gameplay, Dishonored encouraged players to experiment with the vast array of superpowers it put at their fingertips. The complex ballet of interconnected systems gave players the flexibility to move through game spaces as they saw fit, taking lives at liberty, avoiding confrontation altogether, or liberally mixing play styles.

Dishonored 2 builds off this foundation, enabling player creativity with a bevy of new and enhanced powers that continually challenge the boundaries Arkane Studios creates for its world. “One of our favorite moments in development is when either someone in the game-design team or someone on the QA team comes forward and says, ‘Do you know what I did today?’ and you hadn’t thought of it,” says creative director Harvey Smith. “Then we have to decide whether to bulletproof it or further support it, but those combinatorial mechanics that can be put together in ways that are creative for the player; it’s just something that you should be able to do in games, and it’s one of our goals.”

Countless YouTube videos showcase the beautiful ballet of destruction possible for those who master the supernatural abilities, but players who preferred stealth felt limited in their approach. With Dishonored 2, Arkane wants to make sure you feel powerful regardless of your strategy.

“Last time, the non-lethal play was something that came through development, and we embraced it,” says lead designer Dinga Bakaba. “This time we knew from the start, so there is a lot of non-lethal options. I think it’s really cool because it makes you feel like some kind of Batman.”

Players also have more agency over how their powers evolve over the course of the game thanks to a new system that offers more than one upgrade to each of the abilities.

“After talking to thousands of Dishonored players over the past few years, one of the things we really wanted to do was branch out all of the powers into a tree so if you are a non-lethal player you can take the power and express in the direction of non-lethal or stealth,” Smith says. “Every tree is different. Some go in a straight line and then branch. Some fan out wide.”

Read further for a closer look at the powers bestowed to Dishonored 2’s two playable characters.