GB Feature: Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall Review
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Although there are only three missions, there are actually four all-new maps to explore, as each mission is split across two sections. These new areas are just as large, if not larger than any of the levels seen in the original game, so this actually works out to a fair amount of content. Each of these levels, in the spirit of the original game, has lots of little hidden areas to explore, optional side-quests which will often help you complete the main objectives, and of course, plenty of collectable Runes and Bone Charms to find. These new locations don't look especially different, as they're mostly built out of the same art assets seen in the original game, but they are used to good effect, with some visually striking and atmospheric scenes to come across. There are also dozens of new books to find, complete with extensive, sometimes very lengthy and interesting lore entries, that are sure to please those who are interested in Dishonored's world and back-story.
The Chaos mechanic makes a return as well, with your choice in how to complete missions and your body count influencing whether you send the world into a High Chaos or Low Chaos state. The influence of Chaos does not seem to be as big as in the original game; I didn't notice any different objectives or more difficult enemies present playing on High Chaos. However, some dialogue sequences and cutscenes do change a little bit, so there is still some reason to play through the story twice. As The Knife of Dunwall's story ends in a cliffhanger, to be continued in an upcoming add-on, perhaps it's Arkane's intent to have Chaos make more of a difference in the next chapter. Unfortunately, this also means the sudden ending to The Knife of Dunwall leaves you with more questions than answers, but not necessarily wanting more thanks to the drab, one-dimensional characters and lack of interesting stakes.
