Dishonored 2 will throw some challenges at you early on. There’s a basic few things you can do to make sure you’re prepared for the troubles ahead. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you through the beginning of the game.
Editor’s note: These tips don’t necessarily fit all play styles, but have fun with Dishonored 2. Challenge yourself and ghost your way or kill everyone. We won’t judge you.
Chaos System 101
There’s basically three ways of playing Dishonored 2: kill no one, kill anyone, or fall somewhere in between. However, there’s two ends of the spectrum: Low Chaos and High Chaos.
Low chaos means you kill only when necessary, hide the bodies and try your best to stay hidden. High Chaos means you don’t care about anything and go in guns blazing. You can try to remain completely hidden and “ghost” your way through, but it won’t be easy if you’re a newcomer. You’ll need a lot of patience.
Save often
There are times in Dishonored 2 where you cannot go back to a level and you might’ve missed something you need. For example, you might miss a safe combination you need to leave and progress the game. This is annoying, but having multiple save files will cause for less frustration if you do have to go back.
DO NOT OVERWRITE YOUR FILES. YOU’LL BE KICKING YOURSELF WHEN YOU GET STUCK IF YOU DO.
Run away
There are two playable characters in Dishonored 2 : Corvo Attano and Emily Kaldwin. Both are strong assassins and can hold their own in a fight. However, don’t be afraid to runaway from a fight. You can easily get surrounded by enemies, which can be overwhelming. Sometimes blocking with your sword won’t be enough to survive. You’ll need to flee and recover before moving on.
Don’t be a brute
Stealth gameplay is encouraged in Dishonored 2 . In fact, if you want to hack and slash your way through a level you’re in for a rough ride. So, learn to master stealth techniques early on. Use a Sleep Dart to knock out your enemies and avoid a sword fight. You don’t have to kill everything in sight to complete the mission.
In fact, you can completely ghost your way through Dishonored 2. You’ll have to stay out of sight, avoid detection and get creative when hiding the bodies. Killing people won’t affect your ghost rating, but it’s easier to ghost through when you avoid taking lives. Shadow Kill is a tool that will help you assassinate targets and hide bodies. USE IT. Ghosting is
Of course, you can be savage and cause chaos, too. This is why we encourage multiple save files, just in case you want to mix things up and not travel too far back.
Abilities...use them
Abilities are attached to Runes. You either collect these during your exploration or purchase them. You don’t need them per say, but they do help when you’re trying the Ghost or Merciful tactic. Be warned, it will be much harder to remain incognito without abilities. Ghosting your way through is challenging enough, having no abilities will severely hurt your chances of remaining hidden.
That said, there are some abilities you’ll want early on. For Corvo, you’ll definitely want his Possession ability. Possession allows you to merge with an animal by paying a high Mana cost. That said, animals will help you avoid detection by security and move quickly to your desired destination. Possession is your friend if you want to stealth your way through.
For both Emily and Corvo, you’ll want Dark Vision, a stealth ability that allows you to see through walls, detect guards, and plan how to infiltrate a location. Dark Vision also requires Mana. However, if you let your Mana regenerate properly, you won’t lose any after using Dark Vision.
Crossbow is your friend
What better way to take out your enemies than with a weapon that’s virtually silent. You want to upgrade your crossbow as soon as you can. You can purchase most improvements at the black market, but some require you to find special Blueprints. Below is the list of a few upgrades for your Crossbow you should look out for listed by name and where to find its Blueprint, should it require one.
Accuracy: Improves accuracy
Ancient Howl: Howling Bolts disable magic users (Master Ammo Blueprint from The Royal Conservatory)
Bolt Capacity +5 (+10): Adds +5 to your Bolt capacity, and then +10 when you purchase the second upgrade
Coffin Nails: Fires Bolts quickly (Master Blueprint Crossbow from the Royal Conservatory)
Extended Bolt Range: Can hit targets from a further distance, Bolts fly faster
Instant Sleep: Purchase Sleep Darts
Reload Faster: Decreases reload time
Want free ammo? Disable tripwires and you’ll be rewarded with bolts. You’re welcome.
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Have any tips for stealth newcomers to Dishonored 2 we might’ve missed? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Dishonored 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on Nov. 11.
