This month, Game Informer is running Dishonored 2 as its cover story and inside it is an in-depth piece with Arkane Studios' Creative director, Harvey Smith. Harvey is clearly an inspired man as he cites Demon's Souls and its Developer, From Software as examples that the studio intends to follow in regards to how it treats Dishonored 2.
"When [From Software] made Demon's Souls, it broke every rule that a AAA publisher would tell you was smart thinking at that moment, and it launched this franchise and this team…We think similarly. There is a lot of our game that nobody sees. We're throwing away huge amounts of work from that perspective. But from our perspective, that's what makes it special–the fact that as you proceed through the game, you constantly have this sense that it's much bigger than what you're doing."
That's certainly an audacious comparison, but assuming that Smith isn't just blowing hot air for the sake of idealism, Dishonored 2 could have the makings of a very special and focused game. He says:
"If you make all your decisions based on what you think is selling well, you end up with this kind of indistinct mess…Whereas if you go with what is in your heart as a gamer, that's kind of how we think. It doesn't make financial sense, but counter-intuitively, that's how you get rewarded financially."
I don't think anyone would argue with his point on games designed to sell well being "indistinct messes", but I would hope they have more than just "what's in their hearts" to make the game great. Fortunately, it sounds like they do, focus.
Smith confirms that the game has no co-op, citing the fact that it would "destroy" the game they are trying to build. "Our game is about observation, stealth, taking your time, and playing at your own pace." he says. And this makes sense in terms of eliminating co-op from the equation. The nature of Co-op gameplay basically demands a faster pace be set, which is counter intuitive when observation and stealth are two of your game's biggest pillars.
Dishonored 2 launches on November 11th, 2016 for PS4, PC and Xbox One.
Source: [Game Informer]
