While the first screenshot and magazine cover for Bethesda and Arkane Studios’ next game, Dishonored, did well enough to introduce the title, it didn’t give gamers much in the way of gameplay details. Thankfully, that magazine cover held beneath it a set of very juicy details, which have now been revealed and show that Dishonored is a mixture of Bethesda elements gamers know and love, and some entirely new mechanics.

First and foremost, it’s best to clear the air and reveal that Dishonored is not an open-world game in the vain of Elder Scrolls. While players might have differing experiences as they work their way through the story of Corvo, a bodyguard framed for killing his Empress, there won’t be the type of exploration gamers come to expect from the developer.

What there will be instead is an experience that is unlike anything gamers have seen before. By combining magic in the form of slowing time, summoning AI-controlled rats, and possessing animals/humans with steam punk-inspired assassination combat, Arkane Studios has given the player a ton of different tools with which to complete objectives.

“Powers” won’t come in the traditional elemental form that gamers are familiar with, but instead will carry unique properties. But the magical elements won’t end with these abilities, as the player will be able to buff their character with whalebones and increase the power of their skills and abilities with enough runes to warrant two playthroughs.

Speaking about the level design, Bethesda revealed that the way in which a player approaches a mission or scenario would be all about choice. For example, when encountering a woman being held hostage by a group of bandits, the player will be presented with a wealth of options. One of the key ways to discover those options will be through vertical experimentation. What exactly that means in the context of Dishonored, we don’t know, but it sounds awesome.

Finally, Bethesda wanted to leave players with a brief summation of the experience they are trying to craft with Dishonored:

"Games can either be described as rollercoasters - which is all crafted and very high-drama - or that time when you were 16 and you and your friend broke into an abandoned house and you had the most intense moments waiting for the door to open, and then there were moments where, 'Ah, I expected something grand to happen but nothing happened; it was just an empty room.’ [We] want the latter.”

There you have it, you’re first introduction to the world and gameplay of Dishonored. While each of these elements sound intriguing, without seeing them in action it’s hard to really comprehend them completely. All we can say is the game sounds pretty amazing.

What do you think of these first details for Dishonored? Which seems most intriguing to you? How do you feel about the linear inclinations of the game?

Source: Game Informer (via NeoGAF)