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Dishonored

Game5 documents

5 documents in the library are about Dishonored, from writers such as Game Developers Conference, Extra Credits and The Game Business, the newest from 2026. Each has a summary and key insights with the page they come from.

Dishonored cover

Dishonored is an immersive first-person action game that casts you as a supernatural assassin driven by revenge. With Dishonored’s flexible combat system, creatively eliminate your targets as you combine the supernatural abilities, weapons and unusual gadgets at your disposal. Pursue your enemies under the cover of darkness or ruthlessly attack them head on with weapons drawn. The outcome of each mission plays out based on the choices you make.

Released
Oct 9, 2012
Developer
Arkane Studios
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Genres
Puzzle, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Platforms
PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360

Game data from IGDB.com

Documents about Dishonored

Cover of Arkane Veterans Harvey Smith and Ben Horne Reunite: “We’re Back to the Games We Love”
Article

Arkane Veterans Harvey Smith and Ben Horne Reunite: “We’re Back to the Games We Love”

The formation of Black Pony Immersive, a new studio founded by Arkane veterans Harvey Smith, Ben Horne, and Ricardo Bare, signals a strategic return to the immersive sim genre.

  • Arkane veterans Harvey Smith, Ricardo Bare, and Ben Horne have launched a new independent studio called Black Pony Immersive, which has been operating for one year with a team of 26 people.
  • The new studio has secured funding from an unnamed publisher to develop single-player, narrative-driven, first-person immersive sims in the tradition of Deus Ex and Dishonored.
  • Harvey Smith noted that the original Dishonored project achieved a return on investment of four to five times its total budget, demonstrating the commercial viability of the immersive sim genre.
The Game BusinessAug 2026
Cover of Whopping Xbox Leak Reveals Company’s Plans and Ambitions to 2030
Article

Whopping Xbox Leak Reveals Company’s Plans and Ambitions to 2030

A significant, accidental disclosure of confidential Microsoft internal documents has provided an unprecedented look into the company’s long-term Xbox strategy through 2030.

  • Microsoft is targeting a next-generation console launch for 2028 that will utilize a hybrid cloud architecture.
  • Internal documents reveal that Microsoft has explored potential acquisition strategies for Nintendo.
  • Hardware roadmaps through 2030 include a digital-only refresh of the Xbox Series X, a new iteration of the Series S, and a redesigned controller.
Video Games Industry MemoSep 2023
Cover of Storytelling with Verbs: Integrating Gameplay and Narrative
22 min
Game Developers Conference22 min

Storytelling with Verbs: Integrating Gameplay and Narrative

Narrative design functions most effectively when treated as a core component of game design, where gameplay mechanics—or "verbs"—serve as the primary building blocks for storytelling.

  • Gameplay mechanics, or 'verbs,' should serve as the primary building blocks for storytelling to ensure that the player's physical actions and the narrative arc remain cohesive.
  • Integrating narrative design as a core component of game design from the start of pre-production prevents ludonarrative dissonance and streamlines the development process.
  • Designers should define characterization and world stakes by analyzing the implications of player actions, such as how 'defend' implies survival while 'attack' implies aggression.
Game Developers ConferenceMar 2020
Cover of Taking Back What's Ours: The AI of Dishonored 2
61 min
Game Developers Conference61 min

Taking Back What's Ours: The AI of Dishonored 2

The artificial intelligence architecture of Dishonored 2 centers on a data-driven framework designed to facilitate complex, emergent gameplay while maintaining high performance on console hardware.

  • Arkane Studios implemented a 'shuffle bag' system for NPC barks to prevent repetitive dialogue, where action lists are shuffled during initialization and again upon completion to ensure variety.
  • The AI team utilized a 'Dynamic Space Management' (DSM) system for spatial reasoning, using influence map layers to store and propagate data like danger ratings across a grid to guide NPC movement and search behaviors.
  • To coordinate group combat, the team employed a 'crew' system where individual NPCs post requests to join a group based on shared objectives, allowing for emergent behavior while maintaining individual decision-making.
Game Developers ConferenceNov 2018
Cover of Like a Ninja - What Makes a Good Stealth Game - Extra Credits
6 min
Extra Credits6 min

Like a Ninja - What Makes a Good Stealth Game - Extra Credits

Stealth games occupy a unique space in game design, often polarizing players because they require a fundamental shift in philosophy compared to traditional action titles.

  • Stealth games should be designed as complex, traversal-based puzzle experiences rather than combat-focused power fantasies.
  • Successful stealth mechanics require making the act of waiting and observation inherently engaging, shifting the player's focus from high-speed aggression to strategic patience.
  • Effective level design must provide a versatile toolkit—including distractions, takedowns, and environmental traversal—to allow for multiple, player-driven solutions to a single challenge.
Extra CreditsMay 2013

Writers

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