I haven’t played many developers' entire catalog of games, butArkane Studiosis one of my finest exceptions.
FromArx FatalistoRedfall, every work bearing the team’s signature has passed through my hands, so I have every reason to consider it among the 20th century’s best studios.
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The company has created several masterpieces in the stealth andimmersive simsgenres, although I’ve always considered one of them to be above the rest.
Therefore, to end the debate over which is the most remarkable Arkane Studios game, we must ask a single but complex question: betweenDishonoredandDeathloop, which is the best?
Dishonored
Although both titles' core gameplay has different intentions, the two feature a strong sense ofstealth, but Dishonored is the undisputed winner.
While Deathloop features refined mechanics built precisely on the foundation of Corvo’s adventures,the latter leans much more toward staying in the shadows, evident in both the available arsenal and the level design.
In contrast, Colt Vahn’s game is a more equitable experience that provides a larger number of options for different play styles, providing an outstanding balance that, nevertheless,doesn’t completely excel at stealth.
Arguably, this is a lopsided comparison given that both titles pursue different gameplay objectives, but it’s still a great starting point toseparate what makes each one great in its own right.
Considering what was mentioned in the previous entry,the only consistent decision is to regard Deathloop as the best game when it comes to direct action.
While Dishonored allows you to be a machine of destruction and presents interesting gameplay tools to do so, the array of instruments Deathloop places at the player’s disposal to wreak havoc is much more satisfying.
You have more types of weapons and ammunition, as well as a tendency toward open confrontations with numerous enemies simultaneously, resulting inadrenaline-pumping shootouts that don’t even come close to taking place in the city of Dunwall.
As a stealth game, Dishonored is superior, but as an action game, Deathloop is the better alternative, which is the main difference between these two excellent creations' gameplay.
8Level Design
The difference between the gameplay intentions of Dishonored and Deathloop is important for the discussion of which is better becauseit shifts the goals pursued by their level design.
Stealth games have an advantage in this debate, as the spatial layout is crucial for the mechanical exercise of infiltration, while in action games, they serve a more scenic component.
This isn’t particularly the case with Deathloop, as its gameplay versatility forces it to have wonderful, highly detailed level design with dozens of playable options, butDishonored’s is practically incomparable.
I’ve walked the streets of Dunwall more than 10 times, and I still find new ways to access places I thought I knew by heart.Blackreef is a marvel,but Dunwall is an unforgettable place.
Arkane Studios is better at creating universes than main stories, as their scripts often suffer from a certain predictability that’s only overlooked by the wonder of their worlds and characters.
In a direct duel, Deathloop presents a more striking premise thanks to itstime loopand extravagant antagonists, thoughDishonored develops a more competent story that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last second.
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With so many betrayals, plot twists, and constant discoveries that lead you to piece together the story gradually,embodying Corvo generates much more immersion than playing as Colt. It involves us much more in the gameplay decisions, mainly thanks to his mute character.
One of Dishonored’s greatest wonders is the way it allows you to shape the story and circumstances through your actions as a player, not through choosing one dialogue or another. Thus, itcreates a spontaneous journey whose story is experienced more than witnessed.
6Characters
I genuinely believe the character department is the only real difference between Dishonored and Deathloop, with the former being vastly superior.
Aside from the likability of Colt and Julianna,I don’t feel the Visionaries are developed enough to generate anything emotionally in the player’s incessant pursuit of their lives.
On the other hand, Dishonored’s appearances are much stronger, involving both companions and antagonists through cinematics, sporadic dialogue, and secondary objectives that give them authenticity and substance.
The Outsideralone outshines Deathloop’s entire cast, but if we add Granny Rags, the Pendletons, Daud, Slackjaw…the scales are too tilted toward Dishonored.
5Art Direction
Both works convey dystopian cities with incredible settings that are easily among the century’s best, so it’s a tough call here.
Dunwall more closely fits the vision of books like 1984, and Blackreef resembles what Aldous Huxley proposed in Brave New World, soI think choosing one over the other is a purely subjective matter,as both are perfectly designed.
While I’ve always loved the way gameplay and aesthetics merge in Dishonored through player choice,I think the strictly artistic feel is more distinguished in Deathloop, with its colorful contrasts and extravagant buildings.
Including character and enemy design, visual effects, and particles for powers and weapons, the newer of the two has a finer, more polished result I find beautiful to look at every time I replay it.
4Objectives
Calling ‘objectives’ what we would normally call ‘bosses,’ the structure for facing the main antagonists is similar in both cases, where the real challenge andfunlie in the area they’re in.
In this context, Dishonored is a more linear production, allowing you to solve everything through infallible stealth and adding an extra challenge if you want to go for the non-lethal option, which is truly magnificent.
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Despite their differences in genre and style, these franchises are set in the same worlds.
Despite this,Deathloop strikes me as much more creative in its approach, as each Visionary has unique mechanics and puzzles to confront and conquer, creating a changing dynamic that can’t be reduced to executing the same tactics repeatedly.
I don’t want to underestimate Dishonored’s method to objectives, but Deathloop’s inventiveness and the way everything comes together in the final loop assemblea tremendous experience that truly ranks among the best sequences Arkane has ever created.
3Replayability
That being said, when it comes to finding reasons to replay them, Deathloop suffers from the same problem as games likeOuter WildsorReturn of the Obra Dinn: you can’t erase your memory to relive it as if it were the first time.
The game’s content relies entirely on your ignorance of its secrets and solutions, so you’re able to’t experience a journey even remotely close to the original.
In contrast,Dishonored is a game where each level presents seemingly endless possibilities, giving you dozens of alternatives to tackle each mission and allowing you to see new things every time you restart a campaign.
Seeing the small variations in the ending based onyour decisions, discovering a new way to enter locations, trying to beat the game without using powers…Replayability is much more present and satisfying in Dishonored, so there’s no comparison.
2Skills and Weapons
By just mentioning that Dishonored has Blink, arguably the best ability in video game history,it’s difficult to find a perspective where Deathloop can take advantage.
Deathloop’s firepower gets as much attention as Dishonored’s arcane skills, which is why the former’s magic is limited and the latter’s weapons are also narrow.
However, in this trade-off that prioritizes one playstyle over the other,Dishonored proves more creative and innovative, allowing you to perform actions like summoning rats or possessing enemies that truly enhance the level design.
Meanwhile, in Deathloop, you have numerous variations of pistols, rifles, snipers, and more, but they’re still reinterpretations of tools seen endlessly in the interactive medium.
Therefore,Dishonored’s powers are superior to Deathloop’s weapons in creating engaging gameplay situations within their respective contexts, so it once again emerges as the victor.
While the whole discussion may seem more one-sided than it really is,Dishonored is certainly much more to the stealth genre than Deathloop is to the action-shooter genre.
Their similarities demonstrate Arkane Studios' incredible talent in areas like level design and worldbuilding, and their differences exhibit the company’s ability to excel in varied environments, but ultimately,Dishonored is its most robust creation.
Deathloop builds upon its spiritual predecessor and improves on several of the key elements that made it great, though Dishonored better fulfills its intentions and offers a more fun, immersive, and surprising experience.
Both are fantastic games that areamong the best of their respective years, and I find that undeniable. Regardless, whileDeathloop will be remembered as an excellent title and little else,Dishonored stands as one of the best stealth games in history.
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