Arkane Dishonored 2 - Emily and Corvo's Serkonan Vacation

[Vibalist]

Those voice actors look good, but I just want to remind people that no amount of voice talent can salvage bad and/or bland writing. The first game had Lena Headey, Carrie Fisher, Susan Sarandon, John Slattery and Michael Madsen all lending their VO talents and still managed to have characters that were utterly fucking forgettable. As a matter of fact, I wasn't even aware they were using A- and B-list celebs before someone told me, as that pointless, lifeless and bland dialogue coupled with the nothing characters could've easily fooled me. I hope this isn't the case this time around.

 

[Metro]

I think Dishonored was very well-designed but it had an overarching problem in that the diversity of things that you did throughout the game was not so high. When it comes down to it, it was just blink choke blink choke blink choke all the way through the game.

Worst part of course being that all the fun ways to do your work caused high chaos.

What they need is high chaos like tactics on a low chaos/pacifist playthrough. Stuff like stun traps or distraction drones, etc.

 

[Somberlain]

Dishonored DLCs already added more non-lethal tools like stun mines and choke grenades. But yeah, there could always be more.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...t-dishonored-2s-breathtaking-concept-art.aspx

 

[Infinitron]

 

[Excidium II]

it has gameplay in the title but it's just dudes talking. Boo

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...-new-and-enhanced-powers-of-dishonored-2.aspx

 

[Siel]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...-new-and-enhanced-powers-of-dishonored-2.aspx

Emily definitely sounds more interesting for a stealth run.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...nted-with-corvo-attano-from-dishonored-2.aspx

Get Reacquainted With Corvo Attano From Dishonored 2

For Dishonored 2, the supernatural assassin Corvo returns to do what he does best. However, this isn’t the same Corvo fans of the first game remember; the stoic hero is 15 years older, making him more grizzled and experienced than before. He also has a voice this time around, which means fans will get an even deeper look into what makes this assassin tick.

Vital Stats

• Full name: Corvo Attano
• Height: 6'4"
• Eye color: Dark Brown
• Birthdate: 25th Day, Month of Nets, 1798
• Birthplace: Karnaca, Serkonos
• Voice actor: Stephen Russell (Garrett in Thief, Nick Valentine/Codsworth in Fallout 4)

Powers

• Blink – Corvo’s teleportation skill. When upgraded allows Corvo to slow down time.
• Dark Vision – Allows Corvo to see enemy movement through walls.
• Devouring Swarm – Corvo unleashes a swarm of wild rats or bloodflies at his enemies.
• Possession – Corvo and jump into the body of a rat and scurry through tunnels. When upgraded, he can also posses blowflies and dead bodies.
• Bend Time – fully stop time but when it's upgraded you can advance it a little bit as you go

Head here for a deeper dive into Corvo and Emily's powers.

Character History
As fans of the original Dishonored already know, Corvo is an ex-soldier who joined the Royal Protectors, who are essentially bodyguards to Emperor. Corvo quickly came to be known as the most capable soldier/assassin in the world. Quiet and calculating, he is also brilliant spymaster who trained with the best.

Creative director Harvey Smith on giving Corvo a voice:
“Before we kind of assumed certain things about Corvo, but that’s the strength and weakness of giving them a voice. Sometimes he says something and it might be different than what you assumed about him. He has a more assertive personality than before, so I feel like you have to know the character a bit better to write lines for him now. A lot of people had assumptions about Corvo. Was he sadistically enjoying killing people? Was he doing it for revenge? Was he just doing it to save Emily? We’re trying not to violate the broad assumptions players made about Corvo. We’re trying not to be too intrusive.”
When Corvo was young, his father died in a lumber accident outside the city, and he became estranged from his only sibling – a sister named Beatrici. By the time he was 16, Corvo entered a swordsman tournament called the Blade Verbena, which he won. His victory earned him an officer ranking in the Grand Serkonan Guard.

As a soldier, Corvo organized assaults against criminal gangs and rogue city states within Serkonos. But when he turned 18, Corvo was assigned to serve the Emperor in Dunwall, where he was ultimately assigned to protect the young princess Jessamine Kaldwin. He was 19, and she was 12 – but when Jessamine was 18, they became lovers. Throughout their time together, Corvo remained her loyal bodyguard, courier, and spy. Their romance was never “official,” but together they had a daughter named Emily.

In the first game, Corvo was accused of the assassination of Empress Jessamine. Thanks to the help of an underground movement, Corvo escaped execution and was able to track down the conspiracy to overthrow the empire. Corvo’s hunt ultimately lead him to a man named Daud, the leader of a group of assassins called the Whalers. The original Dishonored featured a number of different endings depending on whether or not players saved Emily and/or killed Daud, but in the canonical ending Corvo saves Emily and spares Jessamine’s assassin.

An Aged Assassin
At the start of Dishonored 2, Corvo has aged more than 15 years. “He’s wondering how long he can keep protecting his daughter,” says creative director Harvey Smith. “He knows that someday somebody’s going to come for her, because she’s the Empress, and she needs to be able to stand on her own.”

If players choose to play as Corvo, they’ll discover whether this aged hero still has what it takes to compete with the best assassins in the world. When a new threat challenges the throne of Dunwall, and Emily is displaced from her hometown. Corvo springs into action once again, traveling to his hometown of Karnaca in search of the villain behind this new plot. Corvo hasn’t been back to Karnaca since his mother died not long after his move to Dunwall, so Dishonored 2 is something of a homecoming for the hero.

 

[Durandal]

[spooler)garrett is going to die protecting emily in one of the endings[/spoiled]

 

[toro]

[spooler)garrett is going to die protecting emily in one of the endings[/spoiled]

wrong franchise!?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...ted-with-emily-kaldwin-from-dishonored-2.aspx

Get Reacquainted With Emily Kaldwin From Dishonored 2

Sequels are usually the place for studios to refine the backstories of their main heroes. While Dishonored’s original assassin is returning for the sequel, Arkane took the opportunity to turn Empress Emily Kaldwin into a playable protagonist as well. Last time we saw Emily she was a young princess in need of rescue. In Dishonored 2, she’s grown into a capable assassin who can stand toe-to-toe with even the toughest of the royal guard. Here’s how she grew from feeble princess to fearless empress.

Quick Stats

• Full name: Emily Drexel Lela Kaldwin
• Height: 5’10”
• Eye color: dark brown
• Birthdate: 2nd Day, Month of Rain, 1827
• Birthplace: Dunwall, Gristol
• Voice actor: Erica Luttrell (Keesha Franklin in The Magic School Bus, Darla in Fallout 4)

Powers

• Far Reach – Similar to Blink in that it lets Emily travel short distances relatively quickly. Far Reach isn’t actually a teleport skill, so enemies can see Emily when she moves. Emily can also use Far Reach to grab objects and enemies and bring them closer to her.
• Dark Vision – Allows Emily to see enemy movement through walls.
• Mesmerize – Emily conjures a strange tear in the universe that consumes the attention of nearby guards.
• Domino – Using a psionic tether, Emily joins up to four enemies together. Whatever happens to one afflicts the others.
• Shadow Walk – Emily transforms into a small, etherial shadow creature, which can move relatively unseen through environments and rat holes, or be used to perform perfect assassinations.
• Doppelganger – This clone of Emily is perfect for distracting guards or setting up terrible chain reactions in conjunction with Domino.

Head here for a deeper dive into Corvo and Emily's powers.

Background History
Empress Emily Kaldwin is well-educated and accustomed to a position of privilege. However, her personality was influenced by an early tragedy.

Creative director Harvey Smith on Emily’s relationship to Corvo:
“They’re father-daughter, so obviously there is a bond there. We hint that she has responsibilities as Empress, but as the senior person he has strong views about how things should work, but at the end of the day she trumps them, so it’s a father daughter relationship, but also one where she’s in charge, so it becomes complicated. Also there’s another layer there in that Corvo is marked by the Outsider and has a secret that nobody else knows, and Emily can sense that he is keeping secrets from her."
As a girl, Emily dreamed of going on adventures with pirates and sea monsters, and loved digging up treasures and rare artifacts. The original Dishonored tells the sad story of how Emily’s mother was assassinated before Emily was kidnapped in a plot to overthrow the empire. In the canonical ending, Emily is rescued by Corvo, who brings her back to Dunwall where she begins her new life as a monarch.

Haunted by these traumatic events, Emily can occasionally be melancholy and dramatic. Thankfully, she developed a keen mind despite her hardships, and grew into a capable leader.

“Dunwall is better under Emily,” says creative director Harvey Smith. “It’s not crushed by the rat plague anymore. It’s still a big, dirty industrial city filled with corruption, but it’s better under Emily. There are no walls of light or tall boys or arc pylons. She drained the flooded district and restored it as a financial quarter. Every year, she has the city celebrate the anniversary of her mother’s death in a giant celebration.”

The Assassin Queen
By day, the young Empress administers over bureaucrats and court officials, mediating disputes, negotiating treaties, and occasionally silencing insurrections. At night however, Emily trains with her royal bodyguard (and father) Corvo Attano. Knowing that at any moment she could face an assassination attempt similar to the one that killed her mother, Emily constantly seeks out new thrills by running through the alleys and along the rooftops of Dunwall.

“She’s different than Corvo because she’s an Empress,” Smith says. “She was born in a palace. She had the best education. She had the best clothes. She always had the best food…so it’s a little weird that the empress, who was formerly the richest person in the world, is picking pockets and looting rooms? She’ll say things like, 'I’m on the ropes here,' or, 'look at what I’ve been reduced to,' and acknowledge the ridiculousness of the situation.”

In Dishonored 2, Emily’s greatest fears become a reality, and she is hit with another conspiracy to overthrow the throne of Dunwall. However, unlike her mother, Emily escapes to fight another day and travels south to the city of Karnaca, in search for information behind those who displaced her from her kingdom. Only those who choose to play as Emily when the game releases this November will find out if she’s strong enough to live up to her father’s legacy.

 

[Roguey]

Damn, people in Dishonored world are tall.

 

[Infinitron]

They shouldn't have made Corvo so tall, he's supposed to be this light-bodied Mediterranean sneak in a land of burly not-Englishmen.

 

[Excidium II]

He has huge hands.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Found a screenshot:

 

[vortex]

Awesome! Can't wait for this.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Spoiler

 

[Rahdulan]

I don't know how much of that is touched up for promotional purposes, but damn those models are a step up from the first game.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Less than one month and we'll finally see gameplay.

 

[nil]

Every year, she has the city celebrate the anniversary of her mother’s death in a giant celebration.

That...doesn't seem right.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featu...all-take-a-tour-of-dishonored-2s-karnaca.aspx

Goodbye Dunwall: Take A Tour Of Dishonored 2's Karnaca

The original Dishonored introduced us to the plague-ridden streets of Dunwall, but for the sequel, Arkane Studios is taking a trip south and exploring an entirely new island in its fictional steampunk world. Welcome to the corrupt, bloodfly-infested city of Karnaca.

A Cultural Gem
Karnaca is the southernmost coastal city in the Empire of the Isles and the capital of Serkonos. The city maintains its own police force, the Grand Serkonan Guard, which serves as the nation’s military as well as an urban protection force.

Often referred to as the “Jewel of the South,” Karnaca is a major tourist destination for the upper class. The southern isle of Serkonos is generally known for its cuisine, which features a lot of heavily-spiced dishes. However, many visitors are equally fascinated by Serkonos’ traditional dances, which are often very sensual and are passed down through the generations starting at a young age.

One of Karnaca’s main exports is silver, which is mined locally. Unfortunately, the mines sit next to the Wind Corridor, an area of extremely aggressive air currents. The heavy winds are a result of an odd geological phenomenon: a giant cleft mountain that sits at the edge of the city. Winds from the ocean funnel through this cleft and blow across the mines at high speeds. As a way to tap into this wind, the local townsfolk have set up an elaborate set of tubes and wind turbines that help power the city.

Men Of The People
Karnaca has had its share of famines and corrupt government officials, but the city has also seen extended periods of peace. When Corvo was young, the city was ruled by the Duke Theodanis Abele, who was widely regarded as a benevolent and fair leader. Theodanis was actually the official who offered Corvo as a gift to the royal family (click here for a deeper dive into Corvo's past). However, Theodanis isn’t the only important political figure in Karnaca in recent memory.

“The mining area of the city used to be called the Batista,” says creative director Harvey Smith. “It was the functional blue collar district, and there was a mine baron there named Aramis Stilton who worked his way up from being a miner. People generally like him because he worked with the miner’s families, and he didn’t drive the miners too hard.”

Unfortunately, near the beginning of Dishonored 2, a mysterious inciting incident drives either Empress Emily Kaldwin or Corvo back south. When they arrive in Karnaca, they discover that the old Duke Theodanis Abele has died. A new duke has taken his place and he is corrupt, abusing the city’s economy for his own gains. Even worse, the beloved mine baron Aramis Stilton has gone missing.

“In Stilton’s absence, the new Duke is driving the mines at double the rate,” says Smith. “So dust is falling on that part of the city constantly, and the wind storms are kicking dust up all across the city. The wind is coming in from one direction so sand piles up on the sides of the buildings. People walk around wearing masks. Conditions are horrible and miners are dying, all for the name of profit.”

All this dust has earned Batista a new name: the Dust District. While exploring this industrial sector, Emily or Corvo will have to deal with the massive dust storms that kick up randomly throughout the game, obscuring their view. Thankfully, these dust storms also inhibit the Grand Serkonan Guard’s vision, which should make it easier to get the drop on them.

War Of Factions
Amidst the ruins of the Dust District, several factions have arisen to fight for control of the city. The first of these factions is a gang called the Howlers, which is led by a man named Paolo. The Howlers have banded together to push back against the new Duke and what they see as a corrupt regime. Unfortunately, their tactics are harsh and even put the local citizens in danger.

“They don’t see themselves as a gang per se,” says Smith. “Paolo sees himself as a man of the people. The Duke is corrupt. The Grand Guard is corrupt. The Overseers are tyrannical, but he feels like he’s the true spirit of Karnaca. He grew up here, he eats the food, he’s a man of the people, and he wants to return Karnaca to the way it should be. He sees himself justified in the same way members of the Russian mafia or criminals of any stripe often see themselves.”

In contrast to the Howlers is a religious sect called the Abbey of the Everyman. Commonly called Overseers, the followers of this sect believe they are the shepherds of the people, and unless their followers stick to the seven strictures their mortal souls will be at risk. The Overseers actually believe people like Paolo are leading the city of Karnaca astray morally, and they have moved into the Dust District because they believe Paolo is a heretic and may even be in possession of a rare black magic artifact.

“So the Howlers and Overseers are fighting in the Dust District, and everything’s going to s***,” says Smith. “The people are suffering, the miners are living in terrible conditions, and everyone is suffering in the storms and the dust. On top of all that, you have the Duke who is engaging in malfeasance.”

As a result of all this turmoil, the Grand Guard erect electrified defensive barriers, called Walls of Light, around the whole district, creating a boiling pot of cultural strife that is ready to roil over. As either Emily or Corvo, players will have to slip inside the Dust district, decide if they want to empower the Howlers or the Overseers, and ultimately discover the secret behind Aramis Stilton’s disappearance. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until November 11 to make those choices.

 

[Metro]

"called Walls of Light."

They were in the first game -- why the need to reintroduce them to the player?

 

[LESS T_T]

Non-GameInformer previews are coming out:
http://www.pcgamer.com/dishonored-2-preview/
http://www.gamereactor.eu/previews/414533/Dishonored+2/
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dishonored-2-a-journey-through-emilys-assassinatio/1100-6439831/
http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/05/17/dishonored-2-a-mad-game-made-by-mad-minds

one more:
http://www.gamesradar.com/dishonored-2-is-both-bold-departure-and-careful-refinement/

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Those two screenshots I believe haven't been posted yet:

Emily and Corvo painting: