Dishonored: Definitive Edition

About Dishonored: Definitive Edition

Dishonored: Definitive Edition brings Arkane Studios' 2012 hit to PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 platforms. This release packages the original adventure with its Game of the Year content under a new label, though the PC version received no graphical upgrades over the previous GOTY edition. The game drops you into Dunwall, a plague-ridden industrial city filled with steampunk tech and supernatural threats. You play as Corvo Attano, the former royal bodyguard framed for regicide. With a flexible approach to every mission, you use magic, weapons, and gadgets to navigate a world where stealth or loud violence are both valid options. This compilation includes the base game plus three major story expansions and bonus content, offering a complete package for anyone who missed the original release on older consoles or PC.

Gameplay

You move through Dunwall using parkour to scale walls, drop from rooftops, or crawl through vents. The core loop involves selecting targets while gathering intel about their routines. You can eliminate them silently with crossbow bolts or daggers, use supernatural powers like Possession to command rats or turn enemies on each other, or simply shoot your way through guards with a variety of firearms. Every encounter changes based on your chaos level, which rises when you kill indiscriminately and lowers when you remain unseen. The game tracks how many people die during your playthrough, altering the story ending and the atmosphere of the city itself. You can also tackle the standalone trial missions or explore the narrative expansions that flesh out the world and introduce new abilities.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community rates this title highly with an IGDB score of 82 out of 100 based on twelve reviews. Players report average playtimes ranging from 15 hours for a straight run to over 30 hours for completionists hunting all collectibles and achievements. The dominant community mood is "satisfied," with users frequently praising the freedom of approach in mission design. Critic consensus mirrors player sentiment, noting that the game won over 100 Game of the Year awards upon release. Review snippets from our database highlight the satisfaction of mastering multiple playstyles within a single mission. Users who finish all DLC content report an average completion rate of nearly 45 percent, suggesting this is a title many stick with until they see every outcome.

PlayPile's Take

This edition works best for players who want a complete story without hunting down separate DLC purchases. The price point remains reasonable given the amount of content packed into the package, including three substantial expansions. Achievement hunters will find plenty to do since the game tracks your chaos level and completion status across all missions. If you enjoyed the original release or missed it entirely on PC in 2013, this version delivers the full experience without needing updates. The lack of visual improvements for the PC build does not hurt the core design, which still feels tight and engaging today. Pick this up if you value player agency over graphical fidelity.

Storyline

Dishonored is set in Dunwall, an industrial whaling city where strange steampunk-inspired technology and otherworldly forces coexist in the shadows. You are the once-trusted bodyguard of the beloved Empress. Framed for her murder, you become an infamous assassin, known only by the disturbing mask that has become your calling card. In a time of uncertainty, when the city is besieged by plague and ruled by a corrupt government armed with industrial technologies, dark forces conspire to bestow upon you abilities beyond those of any common man, but at what cost? The truth behind your betrayal is as murky as the waters surrounding the city, and the life you once had is gone forever.