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Why Dishonored Is One Of The Best Games Of 2012

A wild swing away from the sequelitis that dominated 2012, Dishonored from Arkane Studios and Bethesda empowered players with an alluring combinations of tactics, powers, and tools. This new IP was featured as our cover story from August 2011 (click here to enter the content-filled hub from our studio visit) and it had a couple of editors fighting for it to be named as the Game of the Year. 

Watch the video below to watch Game Informer's Andrew Reiner and Matt Bertz talk about their experience with Dishonored and what made it stand out in a year of excellent releases.

For another discussion focusing on the ending of the game,check out our episode of Spoiled featuring Andy McNamara.

Click on the banner below to enter our hub for an entire month of coverage dedicated to the best games of 2012.

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Comments
  • Pretty good game, but despite the "multiple paths" toward your objective, there were only two ways to play: Kill everybody or don't kill anybody. Plus the game's tutorial straight up tells you how to get the best ending. Where's the fun in that?

  • Dishonored was my GOTY. I already look forward to more games from this world.  

  • Dishonoured is boring and bland, very much overhyped, typical for Bethesda games.
  • I tried to play Dishonored and did not get into it. I don't know why but I just did not.

  • I have so much to play right now but I want to play this game soo bad. Once I beat the stuff I have this is the #1 game on my radar

  • Dishonored is just behind Mass Effect 3 as my personal GOTY. Mass Effect 3 has more replay value, although I am looking forward to going back for my 'low chaos' Dishonored play through.

  • The Dunwall City Trials DLC just opened a ton of fun and interesting things. They took some great things you could do in gameplay and put them in their own little game modes, and the music in this game is right up there with Killzone and Portal. This is definitely GOTY for me. I also can't wait to see where they take a sequel and who this outsider guy is.
  • This was definitely my GOTY, as well. I had a hard time finding true, legitimate flaws in the game that made me stop to call to them out.

    For some reason, stealth-optional games like this and Deus Ex just strike a chord with me.

  • That song that they had playing in the background. What is that song? I liked the sound of it and need to hear it in all it's glory.

  • I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked Dishonored. To be honest I can't really pick a GOTY this time. I played so many good games this year that it would just be too difficult to pick a winner. I'm all better now, but had allot of down time due to an injury. I played and finished more games this year than I think I ever have. I think that 2012 has been a great year for the gamer.
  • One of my favorite games this year , it's just way to awesome.

  • Dishonored was ok, it gave you some really cool powers but not much else. The combat system was so bad it made me want to throw my controller at the wall. The only games this year that really deserved GOTY were Mass effect 3 even with the messed up ending, and The Walking dead. Of those two I'm glad TWD got it, it is really the best games if the last few years.

  • Can't wait to try it out.  It looks really good.

  • I really want to play this!!

  • They said everything that was on my mind as well.  A great game.

  • the people look to fake and the hands are to big on this game

  • Laughable. Its not a dog by any means. But it was derivative of Bioshock and Skyrim in a few ways, and there are several other issues. Graphic detail and textures, collision-detection in melee fights, the stealth mechanic was too rudimentary, and the story line was uninspired and un-involving. The acting was excellent in several areas, but the story and the flat-ness of the character of the enemies (masks don't help, neither does the typical, dolt-ish nature of their personalities). It really just seems like GI always needs a story to pull out their collective asses, and as usual, it's a reach at best, and utter, myopic garbage at worst. Oh, but I forgot, being honestly critical is equal to being negative, and much of the industry has blinders on anyways.
  • the game was great not ground breaking it feels like a bioshock game and thats not a bad thing. BUt ,in a year as weak(personal opinion) as this in gaming it should be goty its a new ip and great world.we gotta start giving credit to new ips now a day since if u dont sell well you ill be out of business(thq r.i.p)