Dishonoreddevelopers Arkane Studios are working on a new game,Deathloop, where players have to take down eight “visionary” targets on the island of Black Reef before a time loop resets, bringing everyone back to life. While the premise is very different to that ofDishonored, the game appears to have a lot in common with its predecessor in terms of combat.
Dishonoredhad some fantastically unique magical abilities that players could use as assassins Corvo Attano or Emily Kaldwin. It’s already clear from the gameplay trailers thatDeathloopwill let players do short range teleportation similar to the Blink ability inDishonored 1and its sequel, and that they’ll have access to a power that pushes enemies away like Windblast. However, there are more fun abilities whichDeathloopshould take fromDishonored, especially since the new game will not make distinctions between violent and pacifist runs like Arkane’s older IP.
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Domino
Domino was one of the bestnew skills introduced inDishonored 2, adding a totally new dynamic to the game for players who pick Emily Kaldwin as their character. This ability links the fates of the NPCs under its control. The player starts with the ability to link together two targets. If players upgrade the skill to the max, they can link up to four NPCs together. If one of them is knocked out or killed, they all are. This skill could be particularly useful forDeathloop’s Colt with multiple targets in the same place, like in the “Two Birds One Stone” trailer. However, it would likely be managed differently to prevent it from being too overpowered in a game with only eight main targets.
Bend Time And Possession
WithDeathloop’s setting of Blackreefstuck in a time loop, the Bend Time ability fromDishonorednot only makes sense, but is perhaps one of the most likely to be taken from Arkane’s last series. Bend Time allows the player to set up some wonderfully creative kills. Players are able to slow down time and, if they upgrade the ability, they can even stop it entirely at the cost of much of their mana.
Projectiles like bullets stop in mid air, and in combination with the Possession skill, players can even make a guard walk in front of a bullet he just shot at the player. Bend Time and Possession open up a world of satisfying and creative ways to take on combat inDishonored, and would likely do the same inDeathloop, especially when time itself is the name of the game.
Semblance
Semblance is one of the coolest additions toDishonored, though many players may have missed it. The ability was only included for Billie Lurk in theDeath of the Outsiderexpansion pack forDishonored 2. The ability allows Billie to appear exactly like the NPC that the power is used on. Not only is this great for stealth, but when possessing certain important characters the player can even unlock unique experiences. There may be times inDeathloopwhere it makes more sense to impersonate one of the eight targets than to kill them right away, such as impersonating the scientist Egor Serling to gain access to Aleksis Dorsey’s party using his invitation.
Foresight
Foresight is another great power inDishonoredthat was only added forBillie Lurk, but which would totally make sense in an island where time manipulation is everywhere to be found. This ability allows the player to pause time, but instead of manipulating events, they get to walk ahead to check out an area and any potential threats in advance. They can even use it to Blink to areas they might not have otherwise known about or been able to reach which, assuming the Blink-like power seen in the trailers operates similarly to the one inDishonored, could make Foresight an invaluable addition to any assassin’s repertoire.
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Devouring Swarm
Devouring Swarm might have to be reskinned to fit into the sci-fi world ofDeathloop. It’s one of the most grizzly and gothic powers that players can use isDishonored, and ties directly into the story of both games by allowing players to summon a swarm of rats who devour the enemy without leaving a trace. It’s a cool ability, but ultimately one thatDishonored’s Chaos systempunished using by making kills contribute to the game’s “Bad” ending.Deathloop’s time loop makes Colt a total pragmatist when it comes to stealth and killing, which could make a skill like this far more satisfying to use.
Doppelganger
The Doppelganger ability allows the player to create a fake assassin to draw the attention of the guards away from themself. By default these body-doubles just stand there waiting to be spotted, but with the proper upgrades they can be used in combat. InDishonored, however, unleashing an unruly doppelganger was a surefire way to stack up bodies and risk getting a worse ending to the game. If put in Colt’s hands, Doppelganger could be a more useful ability, especially with rival assassinJuliana “Jules” Blakeon the hunt for him. After all, if she reveals herself by shooting the double, that could buy Colt all the time he needs to take her out and continue his mission.
Mesmerize
The Mesmerize ability allows Emily to summon a strange spirit from the void which puts the guards who look at it into a trance. As with many ofDishonored’s abilities, the more Mesmerize is upgraded the more guards it can affect at one time. This is another skill that would likely have to be reskinned inDeathloop- after all, there is no Outsider or Void inDeathloop’s storyas far as any fans know.
Nonetheless, Mesmerize is a useful skill for non-violent playthroughs. While non-violence won’t be necessary inDeathloop, it could prove to be far easy than taking on certain groups of enemies all at once as Colt battles through Blackreef in an attempt to kill his targets, break the loop, and make his way home.
Deathloopis set to release on May 21 for PC and PS5.
