GET YOUR GAME ON: Moral compass shifts in '�?�?Dishonored'

I love stealth games, so it is no surprise that �??Dishonored�?� is one of my most anticipated games this year. I first learned about this game when watching the E3 press conference, and I was blown away then.

Since June, I have been reading articles and watching trailers in excitement, and this game is definitely worth the wait. �??Dishonored �?? is a first-person action shooter in the vein of �??Bioshock�?�, but it is centered around sneaking around and killing foes silently.

Just like �??Bioshock,�?� one of the most important characters in the game is the setting. Even though it�??s no Rapture, the city of Dunwall is a breathtaking environment full of steampunk technology, spacious pathways, and interesting set pieces. The city is modeled after Victorian London, including some recognizable landmarks.

It�??s not quite as big as �??Skyrim,�?� but it is filled with many interesting places to explore full of shadowy figures, corrupt leaders, supernatural secrets, and plague rats.

The story of �??Dishonored�?� follows an assassin named Corvo, the trusted bodyguard of the empress, who was framed for her murder. Now, you seek revenge against all of the people that orchestrated your downfall.

Corvo�??s allies help by giving you an array of supernatural powers that will help you on your missions. The abilities make the game truly great and open up several play styles and options. The incredible variety of ways you can fight or avoid enemies makes �??Dishonored�?� impressively varied and amazingly captivating.

Available powers include �??Blink�?� which essentially lets you teleport to different locations, �??Dark Vision�?� which lets players see enemy movements through walls and highlights other important objects in the world, and �??Agility�?� which increases jump height and movement speed and reduces fall damage. You can also bend time, call swarms of rats, and even possess people.

What really matters is the way you can use the powers. If you are skilled enough, you can decide to play through the game without killing a single person. Of course, if you want you can kill everything that moves, but �??Dishonored�?� has moral consequence. Not only will it affect your ending, it will also impact how other characters will react to you.

The thing that makes �??Dishonored�?� so exciting for me is the �??Chaos Engine.�?� This changes events in the game so you can replay them repeatedly and never have the same outcome. Enemies won�??t be in the same place, and they won�??t behave the same way. There is a mission early in the game at a costume ball where you had to kill one of three sisters, and each time you play the target changes, for example.

The game is oozing with ambiance. It has beautifully detailed levels, amazing voice work, and an array of vibrant characters that draw you into the intrigue and make you care about the choices you have to make. The mix of amazing visuals, fun game play, and intriguing story make the game something special.

If you like FPS action, stealth, and games with moral choices, or if you just like stabbing people in the head, grab �??Dishonored,�?� a title that could definitely be a contender for game of the year.

- Robbie Vanderveken is the digital operations specialist at The Times Leader. E-mail him at rvanderveken @timesleader.com