It is probably the worst Dishonored game, but a solid game overall. The levels are far more linear than anything the series has seen before, there are far less powers and zero upgrades in the game other than bone charms, no chaos system at all, and a reused map from Dishonored 2. It has been stripped to its more barest components. However, because the overall basics of a Dishonored game are fantastic and still there, you can have fun with this incredibly short little romp that should've been DLC for Dishonored 2 as long as you can get it on sale. DO NOT BUY FULL PRICE FOR THIS. Otherwise, fun little game with some new powers and enemies.

Is this game worth full price? Absolutely not. Is this the worst Dishonored game? Yes. Is this still a good game? Of course. The Dishonored series has never disappointed.

Buy this game when it's on sale.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is the final chapter of the Dishonored series and brings the overarching story to a definite close. It's sold as a standalone game, although the length of it is more comparable to a DLC. You get five missions, one of which is the previous level just played again at night and another one is the reused Royal Conservatory level from Dishonored 2. While the game is a must buy for any Dishonored fan, I would recommend buying it from a sale, as the default price is a bit much for what is offered here. That said, let me tell you why this game is good.

This time around you hop into the shoes of Billie Lurk, a.k.a. Meagan Foster, and find yourself tasked with something impossible; Killing the Outsider. As the name of the game suggests, the five missions you go through revolve around figuring out a way to get into the Void and kill the Outsider himself, if that's even possible. As a whole the story is interesting enough for what I consider to be the epilogue of the series, and after getting closure with Corvo and Emily in Dishonored 2, DotO does the same for Billie and Daud.

If you played the previous games, the gameplay won't surprise you in the sense that it's still good and you get new powers. Sadly you only get three, two of which are very similar to previous powers from the series, but the third one is a fun ability that lets you impersonate anyone you find in the world. This leads to fun interactions with enemies who think you are one of them and gives you a lot of freedom to explore places uncontested. There's also a couple new gadgets par for the course, which are fun to play around with.

There's not much else to be said about this game. It's a DLC-sized story with enough things to make it worth playing at least a couple times through. Buy it from a sale and you'll be happy. My only hope now is that we'll eventually get Dishonored 3. The world of Dishonored is filled with interesting lore that could be spun into a new game, particularly the Pandyssian Continent that is mentioned throughout the games as this massive, unexplored tropical land mass.

For the series overall I can only say good things. It has a great story that allows for some very unique gameplay mechanics, and with the changing protagonists, lots of different points of view on the world. In my opinion, the best stealth game series to date.

Excellence stripped down to the bone - and without the charm.

Introduction
Death of the Outsider is what you get when you craft a delicious sandwich; but then remove the meat and condiments. Sure, the bread, cheese, and lettuce that are left may be quality ingredients, but without the sauce and meat you're not getting all that much flavor or sustenance. And while you're eating that sandwich, all you can think about is how much better it would be with a bit of ham and mustard. This analogy isn't all-encompassing; but hopefully you're not a vegetarian and you understand what I'm getting at.

Plot
Initially, DotO seems to have a solid premise. You play as Meagan Foster, otherwise known as Billie Lurk. She was Daud's protégée in Dishonored 1's 'The Knife of Dunwall' DLC, and the owner of the Dreadful Whale in Dishonored 2. Billie's on a quest to find Daud, her old mentor, as she has regrets and unfinished business with him that she'd like to set straight. Daud was one of the most complex characters in the original Dishonored, so continuing his story is a good choice. Or at least it would have been, had they not completely butchered it in Death of the Outsider.

Gameplay Additions
Pumping the breaks on my ire for a moment, I'll first talk about some of the fun new gameplay elements - of which there's actually only one. In DotO Billie never truly receives the mark of the Outsider, so you're not as overpowered as in other entries to the franchise. You do still have a few Void-derived powers however, such as a substitute for 'Blink' or 'Far Reach', called 'Displace', and more unique abilities like stealing an unconscious person's face to hide in plain sight. This new set of magical powers has less utility than every other in the series, but is still enjoyable to play around with. Sadly, that's where the gameplay innovation ends though.

Rehashed Content
The second most egregious flaw in DotO (we'll get to the first later) lies in how much gameplay content is rehashed. Portions of this aren't bad - the stealth and combat are ripped straight out of Dishonored 2 - but are as magnificent as ever, so I won't fault that. My biggest problem is with the level design. Every location in Death of the Outsider is either startlingly linear, used more than once, or is swiped from DH2. Arkane Studios is known for stellar world building, so I was shocked that the whole experience felt like I was backtracking through Dishonored 2. I'm not sure what the dev's were thinking, but a spin-off game shouldn't have its most noticeable design feature be that it's "the same as before, but moderately worse."

Nostalgia & Lore
Getting back to the story, DotO does have two tricks up its sleeve: narrative nostalgia and valuable lore. Daud and Billie Lurk’s return flows in tandem with the first Dishonored's DLC's, so it's pleasing to see these supporting characters get another self-contained expansion, regardless of how misused they were. The one truly impeccable piece of the narrative puzzle is the writing of the Outsider's backstory. This being is as compelling a character as he was in the main series, and is more developed than ever in Death of the Outsider. But, he keeps his mysterious allure: they don't overplay him. A desire to learn more about who the Outsider is and how he came to be is the best reason to play DotO.

Boring Characters & Storyline
I've filibustered for long enough, let's get to my biggest problem with Death of the Outsider: Billie and Daud are horribly written in this expansion. Whereas Billie was a guarded but seemingly layered character in DH2, peeling back the veil in DotO shows that she's really no more relatable than a brick-wall. Her voice actor's performances are stoic, and nothing ever drives the player to identify with her motivations. It wasn't even adequately explained why Daud means so much to her; in their last interaction 15 years prior she literally tried to kill him. As for Daud himself, he was once the most bad-@ss assassin in Dunwall next to Corvo - now he's a dying old man with no depth whatsoever. His redemption is non-existent; he's instead reduced to a regretful senior citizen. No one wants to see that version of Daud. All in all, the writing and characterization in this spin-off is just absolutely shameful.

Conclusion
If you've read this far you're probably wondering why I recommend DotO. It comes down to a catch-22 situation: the base stealth-action gameplay is still incredible, and the Outsider's personal story is worth experiencing for yourself. The rest of the content is near-abysmal by series standards, but I have to recognize the high-points for what they are - reason enough to play DotO if you're a fan of the franchise. Its value is decent as well, 8-10 hours in length makes this expansion a bargain, especially on sale. I wouldn’t recommend this to someone who is only a passing admirer of Dishonored though, as nothing in Death of the Outsider impresses more than what's found in the mainline games. I'm happy to have learned more about the series lore, but this sandwich needed some damn roast beef and au jus.

I had a contract out to kill a mime. I planned to lure him into an alleyway by chucking bottles at his head, then Displace behind him and cut his throat. The bottles didn't phase him, then I got frustrated, messed up the displace, and teleported inside him -- at which point he burst like an overripe tomato and painted the walls with gore. If you can't get behind exploding a mime from the inside-out, don't even talk to me.

Billie is brutal as hell. I love it.

Okay serious review though:

NB, I have a pretty solid gaming computer, and I'm playing on medium settings. I have experienced 0 technical issues thus far. I understand a lot of the negative reviews are from people who are having issues running the game -- PLEASE check the required specs before buying because this does seem like a serious problem.

Pros:
* Billie has a much smaller pool of powers, which leads to a much more deliberate and stealth-heavy gameplay style. As Corvo you could always fight your way out and it was super fun, but playing as Billie is TENSE in a way I haven't encountered in a long time.
* Big maps, lots to explore.
* GREAT dialogue/writing. ♥♥♥♥ the haters: easily the best writing I've seen in a Bethesda game, pretty good writing fullstop. There's even occasionally these little poetic flourishes that I would love to see more of.
* Genuinely challenging in a way more games need to be. Play smart or you're gonna die.
* Despite the short length, there's a really satisfying progression/customization system with the bone-charms. Instead of runes, there's just increasingly powerful and interesting bone charms (much more than in previous DH games) that add a lot of variety to the play.

Cons
* Short. Probably 4-6 hours if you're burning through the plot, 6-8 at normal speed, maaaaybe 12 if you're a completionist.
* Doesn't seem as replayable as DH1 or DH2 -- the limited powerset means you're probably only gonna play the campaign through once or twice. High Chaos/Low Chaos, done.
* Lots of reused assets (even whole maps like the Conservatory) from DH2.
* Have encountered a few scripting bugs that really shouldn't have made the live game, mostly relating to moving between zones -- there's contracts that require you to knock somebody out then dump their body in x, but then you can't get the body to x because it requires a new map to load and your kidnap-ee disappears.

Pro OR Con depending on what you want out of it:
* Graphics identical to DH2. Don't expect it to look any prettier, but don't expect to need a new graphics card either.
* This is NOT an action game (see below)
* A lot less forgiving than other DH games. Billie has 0 ability to tank, even by the standards of an assassin, and screwing up WILL get you killed. Her movement skill is slower and doesn't go as far, her face-steal barely lasts long enough to make it useful -- you have to plan methodically to have any hope. It's much more of a traditional stealth game in the vein of Thief than a stealth-action hybrid like the other two.

Hell, let me elaborate on those last two points (and the first Pro). I am an old-ass man, and I remember Stealth games of the 90s. If you got caught by a single random guard, you had decent odds of making it out alive (if you got it over quickly). Two guards? RUN. Billie plays like that -- she hits hard and fast, but one solid hit will take her down. Billie MUST stealth, and her abilities play into that very heavily: she gets no combat boosts outside of equipment upgrades, she knocks herself over if she teleports into somebody, and she has Foresight, which is probably the best stealth/recon tool I've ever encountered in a game. Even with the twin-blade and some of the beefier late-game bone charms she's still a total glass cannon. Billie is not meant for front-on assaults at all: she's meant for

1) avoiding combat all-together and
2) meticulously planned surgical strikes

She's so fragile, you start avoiding even unecessary assassinations, in case somebody is watching. When violence does happen, it's fast, tense, bloody, frightening. If there's two guards standing together, you better learn to wait until one of them leaves before you go for the throat. It kinda reminds me of the recent Atomic Blonde: the fights play out like close-combat between a (highly trained) woman and a (decently-trained) man would play out IRL -- to win, the woman has to tilt the scales, and fight fast, dirty and brutal.

There's a real tension and desperation to the way Billie handles that I haven't seen in literally decades. You will spend five full minutes lurking on a drainpipe so you can drop down and kill one measly guy without being noticed. You'll hear that musical sting that means you've been rumbled and just immediately bug out because there's no way you're winning a fair fight. You'll run, find somewhere new to strike from, spend another ten minutes planning while swearing under your breath.

If that sounds boring to you, this isn't your game. If you miss the days of Thief: the Dark Project, this is right up your (heh) alley.

EDIT: this has been rewritten quite a lot, as I've now completed the game. Initial review was first couple of hours, this should cover everything.

yeah the outsider sucks get his ass

Death of the Outsider is a standalone expansion for Dishonored 2, set in the city of Karnaca after the events of the main game. You play as an assassin called Billie Lurk, instead of Emily or Corvo, and as the game’s subtitle suggests, you’ve been hired to kill the void god.

Billie can use three magical powers. Displace allows you to teleport to reach high ledges or get behind enemies. You can also kill an enemy by teleporting into them, although this is risky because you’ll suffer some damage as well. Foresight freezes time while your spirit floats outside your body, allowing you to scout ahead. Whilst in spirit form, you can set a teleport destination which can be activated when you return to your body, and you can mark enemies, allowing you to see them through walls. Semblance allows you to temporarily disguise your appearance as a guard or a civilian, and then move through an area as if you belong there.

Billie’s weapons include a sword, a gun which fires regular, electrical and incendiary bullets, and a couple of grenades and mines. She can equip bonecharms which provide buffs to traits like sword damage, movement speed and maximum health, or alter the functions of her magical powers. You can craft new bonecharms to combine or strengthen their traits. Billie can also listen to the thoughts of rats. In theory they can tell you secrets to help achieve your objectives, but in practice their words are just a bunch of nonsense.

Level design is mostly pretty good. Some of the environments are recycled from the main game, but there are some new ones mixed in too. The streets of Karnaca serve as a hub area which you’ll return to a few times, and provide multiple paths to reach each mission location, which usually take place in their own dedicated map. As with the previous Dishonored games, the main strength of the game is that players are free to choose their own playing style. Each map provides you with plenty of opportunity to use your powers for a stealthy, non-lethal approach, or you could just rush in and kill everybody. The highlight for me was the bank heist mission. Three ways to get inside, an optional objective which can significantly influence the level of resistance you face, and bonus points for letting me use my maths skills to crack a bunch of safes :)

The most common criticism that I saw of DotO when reading other Steam reviews was regarding its length. And although it is shorter than the main game, my playthrough lasted for 11 hours, which still represents good value for money. Of course it will be shorter if you just focus on the main story, but each mission also contains a few optional contracts which reward you with extra coin that can be used to purchase upgrades for your equipment at the black market trader.

The story and voice acting are pretty good, and technical performance is fantastic. I easily achieved a constant 60 fps with most major settings maxed, and I never crashed. Controls are fully rebindable and work great with mouse and keyboard. The only slight problem I noticed was a couple of times during fights against multiple enemies, I retreated into another room and closed the door behind me, and an enemy’s head and body clipped through the door as they continued to attack me. I suspect this is a bug, but I suppose they could have had access to some kind of secret void power.

Ultimately, if you enjoyed the previous games in the Dishonored franchise, you’ll enjoy Death of the Outsider. Its more of the same, on a slightly smaller scale. If you haven’t played Dishonored yet, you’ll be better off starting with the first game, for story reasons.

Not bad - Not bad!

Dishonored is famous for its flexible gameplay, allowing the player to approach any given situation as they wish. As a fan of the series, I had high hopes for Death of the Outsider. Sadly, it’s a step in the wrong direction, making it an undesirable end to the franchise. Despite this, it’s an enjoyable title.

If you’ve yet to figure out, your goal is to kill the Outsider. “Death of the Outsider” - it’s right there in the title. From a game with such a name, you’d expect a climactic conclusion to the series; that’s not the case. The majority of the game feels like a first act that goes on for too long - the rest is a sudden and slightly disappointing finale. For its grand themes, the narrative doesn’t do a lot. The road goes in one direction, with no turns along the way. Dishonored’s story was never the focal point, but this is a new low.

When you hear about the premise, you’d expect a focus on the supernatural. It’s here, but not in the way I wanted. On a thematic level, there are many uncanny elements. On the other hand, the locations you visit are too reminiscent of the previous game. I anticipated otherworldly areas, with a focus on the mysterious Void, but Death of the Outsider didn’t deliver. You spend most of the time on the streets of Karnaca, infiltrating gang hideouts and battling the city guards.

But what is the story about? We play as Billie Lurk, a character you’re familiar with if you played the first game’s expansions. After many years of separation, she’s on the lookout for her former master, Daud. This character played a pivotal part in the first game, but now, he’s but a shadow of his former self - both in the story and in regards to the writing. Daud’s screen time is minimal, and he doesn’t play a big role as the narrative unfolds. He’s there to present you with a goal, and that’s it. It would’ve been nice to see him in action one last time, but that wish isn’t fulfilled.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2329990472

While that header is an exaggeration, it’s a good representation of what went through my head while I played the game. Death of the Outsider is less flexible than its predecessors, with only a few options for the player to pick between. Gone is the vast selection of powers; we’re presented with three, alongside two abilities unlocked along the way. There’s no way of upgrading these, and you get them all no matter what; you can’t tailor them to your own playstyle. In terms of replayability, there is a New Game+ mode. It grants you three powers from Dishonored 2, but it feels like an effortless way of encouraging a second playthrough.

At core, this is a good game. The gameplay loop remains intact, and while limited by the lack of variety, there’s still room for experimentation. Each mission allows you to explore a detailed location brought to life by environmental storytelling. You have a specific goal, but how you achieve it is up to you. Do you stay unnoticed, sneaking past enemies, or take down every obstacle in your path? Perhaps you’ll find a shortcut, which allows you to tackle the situation in a different manner? There are many possibilities.

Central to the Dishonored experience is the matter of life and death. Do you kill an enemy or incapacitate them? There are many tools, both deadly and non-lethal. Billie has two weapons: a gun and a crossbow. The latter can fire both standard and sleep darts. The hook mine, when placed on surfaces, pulls in a nearby enemy, before finishing them off. There's also the hyperbaric grenade, which unleashes a gas cloud upon impact, rendering enemies unconscious.

Billie's powers are fun to use despite the limited selection. Displace places a marker, which she can then teleport to - as long as it’s in her line of sight. Foresight allows her to leave her body and spy on her enemies. Finally, with Semblance, she can assume the appearance of another person. It can come in handy when you want to blend in.

There are new additions as well. Billie can take on bounties, optional objectives granting rewards if completed. Sadly, a few of these need you to kill a target. I would’ve liked an alternative approach for players like me who prefer to inflict no harm. Speaking of killing, the biggest change is the removal of the chaos system. In the first two games, if you killed too many, the game would punish you; upcoming missions would include more enemies, and the ending would be darker. This revision results in a game where a violent approach is accepted. Some will like this, others will not.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2329991231

Arkane Studios’ home field is level design - the area where they always flourish. This entry is no different; each mission offers many ways for the player to experiment using the tools at their disposal. While Dishonored isn’t loved for its narrative, many adore its lore and atmosphere. Death of the Outsider continues this trend, with a haunting atmosphere juxtaposed with the false sense of security among the rich. Walking the streets of Karnaca is an experience of its own, and I enjoyed exploring every little corner of the southern Europe-inspired city.

There’s something special about Dishonored’s art style. Its oil painting-styled visuals never cease to amaze, and the sequel took it a step further by improving the visual fidelity. The visuals of Death of the Outsider are identical. It uses many of the same assets, and is set in the same city. It looks good, but from a standalone title, you’d expect more.

Daniel Licht returns to compose yet another great soundtrack. While similar to that of the previous games, certain tracks stand out. It’s eerie and otherworldly, with a touch of sadness - in other words, just what you’d expect from a Dishonored game. It only has 21 minutes of music, but given that this is a short game, it’s acceptable.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2328889826

Intel Core i7-10700K, RTX 2070 Super, 16GB DDR4 RAM @ 3200Mhz, Intel 660P NVME M.2 SSD | 1440p

• Performance: The performance issues of Dishonored 2 are gone, but the game doesn’t run as expected. It fluctuates quite a bit, with 130 FPS in some areas, and 90 in others. It’s acceptable, but could’ve been better.
  
• Polish: On multiple occasions, I encountered a visual glitch where certain windows would turn black at a distance. It doesn’t seem to be random, as it happened to specific windows.
  
• Controls: The game plays well with a mouse and keyboard, and I never felt the need to use a controller.

In many ways, Death of the Outsider feels like a DLC and not a full game. It doesn’t help that what’s on offer here is shallow in scope. The writing is dull, and the lack of replayability disappointed me. Nonetheless, the experience is enjoyable, and there’s fun to be had here; I just wish there would’ve been more to see. If you like Dishonored’s gameplay, this is a game worth buying. However, if you’ve yet to see what this series has to offer, I’d recommend you buy one of the previous games.

• Rating: Good
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The Dishonored Series is one of my all time favorites. Death of the Outsider expands upon the lore and gives you a deeper look into some of the already well established characters. If you like the Dishonored series this is an amazing entry in the series and I cannot recommend it enough.