Dishonored Review Summary

Last updated: 2026-03-01
  • Strong narrative and storytelling
  • Variety in mission execution
  • Immersive and unique atmosphere
  • AI behavior issues
  • Visual and minor bugs
  • Game instability and crashes
Dishonored header

Emotions

Archetypes

What players like:

Common complaints:

Gameplay feedback:

Performance notes:

Recommendations:

Other player notes:

Review evidence

Why players say this

What players like

Strong narrative and storytelling: The game features a great narrative and strong storytelling, with well-written and engaging stories that captivate players.

Variety in mission execution: Players appreciate the variety of ways to execute mission objectives, providing freedom and multiple approaches to complete tasks.

Praised for exceptional gameplay: Players consistently highlight the game's incredible and fun gameplay, often describing it as one of the best they have ever experienced.

Stealth gameplay excellence: The game is frequently praised for its stealth mechanics, offering multiple solutions for missions and being considered one of the best in the stealth genre.

Immersive and unique atmosphere: The game's atmosphere is described as immersive, unique, and well-crafted, contributing significantly to the overall experience.

Common complaints

AI behavior issues: The AI in the game is often inconsistent and can behave erratically, making it either too easy or frustrating to interact with.

Story lacks depth and originality: The story is frequently criticized for being short, uninteresting, and predictable. Many players find it cliche and forgettable.

Visual and minor bugs: The game has several visual bugs and minor quirks that can be annoying and affect the gameplay experience.

Dunwall City Trials DLC frustrations: The Dunwall City Trials DLC is considered tedious, difficult, and frustrating by many players. The achievements in this DLC are particularly challenging and time-consuming.

Limited non-lethal options: Compared to Dishonored 2, the non-lethal options in this game are more limited and sometimes perceived as cruel, which can be a drawback for some players.

Gameplay and performance

Variety in gameplay approaches: The game offers a wide range of playstyles and approaches to missions, including multiple ways to complete objectives and a variety of weapons and abilities.

Stealth mechanics: The game features robust stealth mechanics that require strategic planning and execution, with optional objectives and different approaches to stealth.

Multiple endings based on choices: The game includes multiple endings influenced by player actions and choices, affecting the story and final outcomes.

Open-ended level design: Level design allows for varied approaches and multiple paths, contributing to a balanced and engaging gameplay experience.

Supernatural powers and abilities: Players have access to a variety of supernatural powers and abilities, enhancing gameplay and providing different ways to approach missions.

Game instability and crashes: Several players report issues with game stability, including freezes, crashes, and problems launching the game.

Decent and enduring graphics: The game features decent graphics that have held up well over time, with a visual style that is still appreciated today.

Optimization and modding inquiries: There are discussions and inquiries about optimization mods and tweaks, including mentions of .INI files and specific graphic tweaks.

Visual and performance bugs: Players have encountered various visual bugs and glitches, as well as frame rate instability after loading.

Compatibility issues on specific hardware: The game has been reported to be broken on Windows 11 with Nvidia 50x cards, indicating specific hardware compatibility issues.

Recommendations

Highly recommended game: The game is highly recommended by many players, often cited as worth the price and a must-play for everyone.

Worth buying with DLCs: Players suggest buying the game along with its DLCs for enhanced gameplay and more content.

Gameplay improvements suggested: Suggestions for gameplay improvements include reducing the opacity of the sight, removing the objective marker, and widening the field of vision.

Recommended for stealth lovers: The game is particularly recommended for those who enjoy stealth action games.

Landmark game worth playing: The game is considered a landmark and highly recommended for its story and stealth mechanics.

Buying context

Community fair range: $2.00 - $7.00.

Game completion: 20.0h.

Story completion: 17.0h.

Dishonored has a slow start with a learning curve, but it becomes engaging once players get past the initial missions and explore different playstyles and lore.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: Slow pacing at the beginning; Repetitive stealth mechanics; Limited initial options for gameplay.

Unlock drivers: Exploring different playstyles; Understanding the lore.

Player profiles

Versatile Strategist: Adapts to different playstyles, enjoys experimenting with stealth, combat, and chaos. Motivation: Gameplay variety and mastery. Stance: buy.

Narrative Immersionist: Focuses on story-driven gameplay, enjoys influencing the narrative through actions. Motivation: Story and immersion. Stance: buy.

Critical Appreciator: Enjoys the game while providing critical feedback on mechanics and AI. Motivation: Balanced critique and appreciation. Stance: sale.

Platform notes

Steam Deck: The game performs exceptionally well on Steam Deck, with users reporting high frame rates, smooth gameplay, and no crashes. It is highly compatible and works well without additional configuration. Users have expressed high satisfaction and enjoyment, enhancing their overall gaming experience. However, there are some reports of issues with controls and graphics that could be addressed for improvement.

Extra review signals

Monetization: The reviews for this game highlight the availability and recommendation of DLCs, which are seen as valuable additions to the base game. Some players find certain DLC achievements grindy and difficult, but overall, the game is considered worth purchasing. There are no indications of predatory monetization practices such as pay-to-win mechanics or aggressive FOMO tactics.

External guides: The primary issues identified from user feedback are related to bugs and navigation problems, as well as the complexity of game mechanics and secrets. Users frequently encounter bugs that hinder their progress and require external guides to understand and complete the game. These issues significantly impact the user experience, making it frustrating and less enjoyable.

Other review notes

Demand for oil DLC: Players have expressed a strong interest in having an oil DLC added to the game. This suggests a desire for more content and expansion in gameplay mechanics related to oil.