Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall

Arkane Studios

I'm a big fan of the original Dishonored. As I said in my writeup of it, it's kind of the platonic ideal of the immersive sim, a mashup of all the immersive sim classics with touches of Assassin's Creed and Half-Life 2. While not everyone loves the chaos system (and I can see where they're coming from) the game deserves its position as one of the all-time greats. And like any successful AAA game, you gotta have DLC. Dishonored's DLC comes in a couple of different flavors. Dunwall City Trials is essentially a challenge mode of sorts, intended to put your void powers to the test. But if it's story you want, The Knife of Dunwall and its followup The Brigmore Witches are what you want. (When speaking about the two expansions, they are typically referred to together under The Knife of Dunwall; this review will do the same, except when otherwise noted.)

As the name suggests, The Knife of Dunwall moves the perspective from the silent Corvo to Daud, master assassin and Empress slayer. Set roughly between Corvo's escape from prison through to just before the fall of the Regent, The Knife of Dunwall follows Daud as he struggles with the guilt of murdering the Empress, as well as the realization that his actions have put something in motion that will result in his death. The Outsider appears to him and gives him a name: "Delilah." Hoping for a chance at redemption, or at least a change of fate, Daud leads his followers in a search for the meaning behind the name. Their search takes them to a whale butchery, the Legal District, the Garment District and more, as Daud uncovers a sinister plot by a group of witches, led by Delilah Copperspoon (another one of the Outsider's beneficiaries) to seize the throne for themselves.

If you thought Dishonored was particularly Thief-y, The Knife of Dunwall is sure to please. Instead of the hub structure of the main game, the DLC is structured much more like the classic Thief games, complete with briefing videos with voiceover by Daud himself (voiced by the late, great Michael Madsen.) You're then given an opportunity to shop for gear, after which you're dropped into the mission. Generally speaking, the DLC missions play much like the base game, complete with opportunities for non-lethal methods of removing your target, like stuffing a cruel whalehouse boss into a crate bound for the far north. The main difference is in Daud's powers; while there is some overlap between his and Corvo's power set, there are some important differences. "Void Gaze" works a lot like Corvo's "Dark Vision," allowing him to see NPCs and objects through walls, but it also includes the function of the Heart by allowing you to see distant runes and charms. Daud also can summon assassins to fight NPCs for him, pull items (or people) towards him, and give his assassins extra powers and health.

If there's a problem I have with the DLC it's the reuse of places from the base game. The end of The Knife of Dunwall (the first episode) drops you in the Assassin's HQ and a small portion of the Flooded District as Overseers swarm the place; your job is to find the Overseers' plans and rescue your captured men along the way. In practice this essentially plays out like the original game, though the Overseers have no real powers except for their "music" boxes that deactivate yours. The other reused map is Coldridge; you're here to break out Lizzy Stride, leader of a gang of river pirates. About half of the original map is sealed off; Lizzy is being held in a different section. While the multi-tiered floors of the cell block allow for a lot of verticality, it's still a frustrating reuse of an existing level.

All that being said, The Knife of Dunwall is a really great expansion. The original maps are really cool, with the Brigmore Mansion being one of the most visually impressive missions in the game, a sprawling, half-flooded estate swarming with Delilah's witches. Playing around with the new powers is fun, and Daud is great as a protagonist, a conflicted character who, as the player decides, either finds a way to redeem himself somehow, or sinks further into moral ruin. If you liked Dishonored, you'll like The Knife of Dunwall; in many ways, it's arguably even better.

None Like Her

It's just a prologue, but it's a re-enactment of that fateful moment at Dunwall Tower from Daud's perspective, performed inside the mysterious dream-world of the Void. Most of it is a glorified cutscene, but when you regain control, you get to practice moving around and using your skills a little, in case you were a little rusty.

A Captain of Industry

The first real mission has you infiltrating a slaughterhouse. The front yard is smaller than it looks, and if you happen to buy the favor for a safe code it can be kind of infuriating to find. Inside is much, much bigger, and absolutely crawling with blood-stained butchers, some of whom are carrying electric saws. Cause enough of a ruckus, or disappear a few too many guys, and some of the remainder will get together to actively hunt you down. There's more verticality to this level than you'd think, but less than you'd probably want, especially inside.

Eminent Domain

There's a lot of empty properties laying around Dunwall and your target for today has been responsible for snapping them up for the Lord Regent, often by profoundly unethical methods. Legal Eagle would definitely not approve. The mission is split into two areas, a waterfront zone and a small square, the latter of which is fronted by law offices. There's only one way into the square, but two ways out; fortunately, there's quite a bit of rooftop and balcony space for you to dodge gangsters and cops with, and your target's house has so many methods of infiltration it's basically a block of Swiss cheese.

The Surge

You're back in Daud's headquarters as seen in "The Flooded District," only now it's full of Overseers. Your main job is going to be rescuing some of your fellow assassins and taking down the Overseers' commander, which will have you running all over the roughly triangular area. Other than a forward base established across the street from Daud's building, not a lot new to see.

Choosing Your Mark

A brief prologue. First, a dream — then, you're in Daud's headquarters. Talk to your men, get your gear, walk around a bit... then it's time to go.

 

 

A Stay of Execution for Lizzy 

You're back in Coldridge Prison, only this time it's a break-in, not a break-out. The easiest way in is to go undercover, which will cost you, but it'll get you deep into the prison proper. Most of the parts of the prison you saw in the base game are closed off, but now you get to explore the other side of the installation, where all the cells are. It's otherwise pretty straightforward: multiple levels, lots of places to jump around, and a cell lock mechanism that's pretty intuitive. There's only one way in and out, though, and your powers are disabled outside, so plan accordingly.

The Dead Eels

Probably the largest mission the DLC's offered so far, you're dropped in the middle of a gang war between river pirates and a street gang, fighting over what's left of a little shopping mall. You'll have the opportunity to visit both their bases as well as the sewers beneath, within which lurk some witches looking to turn you inside out. It's pretty sprawling, and while there's plenty of high perches, that doesn't necessarily mean it's easy to traverse the level.

Delilah's Masterwork

For the final mission in the Dishonored DLC (and, since you're likely playing this after the main game, the final mission altogether) you get a little taste of the countryside. As is typical for Dunwall, however, it's half-flooded, dotted with stately ruins, and patrolled by dangerous people. The mansion and its grounds are sprawling, with lots to discover; the mansion itself has a couple different ways in, but is heavily patrolled, so you'll need to make the most of the shattered rafters and crumbling attics to remain unseen. The final area doubles as an arena for the final boss, but if you're very clever, you've already figured out how to make Delilah knock herself out in a very obvious call back to the final moments of Thief: The Dark Project.

-june❤