Such a strong sense of atmosphere

[Lampglow]

I'm listening to the soundtrack and from the music alone you really get the vibe of the setting. Bleak, corrupted, rotten, despair, diseased. But also the visual side:
- Deadly rat swarms
- Bodies and weepers
- Hovel-like streets contrasting with the ornate Victorian elegance of the mansions of those with wealth and power
- General grime and dirt
- Whales used as a power source (whale oil). Suits the generally cruel vibes of the place.
- Militarised dictatorship
- Little in the way of trees or nature

[Lar Dass]

Yup, the atmosphere and tone make this one of the best immersive sims of all time, that too added with the artstyle of the gritty looking people makes this a hell of an experience

[asarokk]

I concur, the atmosphere is absolutely and delightfully dreadful. The only other series I feel that managed to capture and implement such a dreadful but artistic atmosphere is Bioshock.

[whit]

I personally like looking out at the landscapes the best...getting somewhere high on the dreadful whale...smoking a bowl (getting higher)..and just staring around, in the second game. I really like the world building and story with the first game and it's dlc. Just like the looks of the second game better.

[barzai]

The whale oil thing is based on actual history. Whaling was a huge industry in the 19th century owing to the need for whale oil to light lamps, as a replacement for paraffin.

Petroleum was eventually substituted for whale oil on account of the demand outstripping the supply, which is why so many species of whales were hunted to near-extinction.

The one thing they changed in the game is that the actual extraction of the oil was historically done at sea--a bloody, ugly business to be sure, but much more efficient than bringing the whale carcasses back to shore. To say nothing of the problems of towing around bloody, putrefying whale carcasses.

The whalers would go out for months--sometimes years--at a stretch. Some of them stayed out longer than intended as they hunted whales well above the Arctic circle and would become entrapped--not to say, entombed, as also happened--in the ice.

It was a dangerous, bloody, filthy business. But it was the cornerstone of emerging industry.

[asarokk]

Originally posted by barzai:

The whale oil thing is based on actual history. Whaling was a huge industry in the 19th century owing to the need for whale oil to light lamps, as a replacement for paraffin.

Petroleum was eventually substituted for whale oil on account of the demand outstripping the supply, which is why so many species of whales were hunted to near-extinction.

The one thing they changed in the game is that the actual extraction of the oil was historically done at sea--a bloody, ugly business to be sure, but much more efficient than bringing the whale carcasses back to shore. To say nothing of the problems of towing around bloody, putrefying whale carcasses.

The whalers would go out for months--sometimes years--at a stretch. Some of them stayed out longer than intended as they hunted whales well above the Arctic circle and would become entrapped--not to say, entombed, as also happened--in the ice.

It was a dangerous, bloody, filthy business. But it was the cornerstone of emerging industry.

Correct, the Industrial Revolution pretty much went hand in hand with the whaling industry, which was actually already a buzzing industry in the 18th century, but with technological advancement and engineering ingenuity the industry developed into a much more lucrative business and was a boon for economical growth, that is if the voyages were successful or the ships were able to return. Despite all the advancements, whaling was one of the most dangerous professions, high risk of injury, and death - in all aspects of whaling.

And you're right, almost the entirety of the work surrounding whaling was done at sea, leaving very little to do back on land. I think the developers brought the work to land, to showcase better the gruesome aspects of whaling and in turn to up the "creep factor" in the game's atmosphere. I think they made the right decision.

[WhiteKnight]

It's one of the reason why i keep coming back. Everything is excellent done. I wished they were more Dishonored.

[asarokk]

Originally posted by WhiteKnight:

It's one of the reason why i keep coming back. Everything is excellent done. I wished they were more Dishonored.

Same here. I remember something from last year that Arkane was saying they were not done with Dishonored, but they were taking a break from it. Whatever happens next in the world of Dishonored, will be new since the Kaldwin storyline is complete.

[Valden21]

The sense of atmosphere hits even more when you look at the outside of some of those buildings and think about the nature of the organizations which use them. The Abbey of the Everyman, for instance. Big, imposing building which oppresses everything around it; it's home and headquarters to one of the most oppressive, most corrupt groups in the setting.

[Cortes]

Every single aspect of this game is at least good but atmosphere is placed at the top of the list.

[Dunedain]

Yes, the Dishonored games are absolutely dripping with atmosphere. :) The look is a bit bleak and worn and overcast, and yet they also have a beauty to them. The Thief games probably come the closest to a similar atmosphere, but those games are more medieval. The Victorian European look and feel of the people and the towns and cities is wonderful in Dishonored I and II, works perfectly with the distinctive stylized look they use.

I wonder if they will make a re-master of the first game to add in high res textures and DX12, maybe even do it for both games. They could relaunch the re-mastered games on PC and the latest consoles and get new players to experience them, and we might get Dishonored III then. :)