Dishonored®: Death of the Outsider™

Okay, cards on the table: I played this back when I was younger and broke, meaning yeah! it was a pirated copy. But even then, it left an impression. Coming back now with a different lens, I can still say this: Death of the Outsider is a damn fine game. It keeps the slick, satisfying gameplay loop from Dishonored 2 and tightens it in all the right places. Movement feels great, the powers are fun to mess with, and stealth is still one of the best in the genre. One thing that really stood out to me this time: the AI is way sharper, especially on the higher difficulty settings. I actually had to think ahead, not just brute-force my way through like in Dishonored 2 sometimes. But and it’s kind of a big but the main character just didn’t work for me. Billie Lurk is… well, not my ideal protagonist. I get the whole redemption arc they were aiming for, but she never clicked. I didn’t care about her past, I didn’t really buy the transformation, and most of the time I found myself thinking: “This would've hit harder if I was playing as Emily. Or Corvo. Hell, even Daud.” It honestly feels like the whole game exists just to explain that one line from Billie to Emily in Dishonored 2: "Traveling with you has changed me." Which is fine, I guess. But it never emotionally landed. So yeah. Great game. Great design. But with a lead character I couldn’t get behind, no matter how well the rest was executed!

Killing the Outsider felt more like deleting a moody poetry blog than slaying a god. He just wanted to hang out in his void-bedroom and judge people. We’ve all been there.

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 163: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (9/10) [i]Dishonored: Death of the Outsider[/i] brings Arkane’s supernatural stealth trilogy to a tight, stylish close with one of the most refined gameplay experiences in the series. While it’s more streamlined than the second game and smaller in scope, it makes up for it in clarity of purpose, atmosphere, and sheer creativity. You play as Billie Lurk, former assassin and current reluctant hero, reuniting with your old mentor Daud to kill—or redeem—the mysterious, otherworldly figure who has shaped so much of the world’s fate: the Outsider himself. As a standalone title, you don’t need to play the earlier entries—but if you have, this feels like an earned and emotionally grounded finale. Less about empire or revenge, this story is about power, choice, and legacy. 🗝️[b] Pros:[/b] [list] [*] Exquisitely designed levels that reward experimentation and creativity. Every mission offers a sandbox full of layered paths, secret rooms, and clever obstacles. From breaking into a high-security vault by rewiring pneumatic tubes, to sneaking through a cult’s crumbling catacombs, the levels encourage you to explore and think laterally. No route is wrong; everything feels handcrafted for player ingenuity. The bank heist alone is one of Arkane’s best-designed levels—flexible, responsive, and deeply replayable. [*] Billie’s powers are fast, fun, and stealth-focused. Billie’s three abilities—Displace, Semblance, and Foresight—combine into a toolkit that feels both empowering and distinct from Corvo and Emily. Displace lets you set a marker and teleport to it later, allowing for clever repositioning and planning. Semblance lets you wear someone’s face, adding a new layer of disguise mechanics and social stealth. Foresight freezes time and lets you scout ahead like a ghost, tag enemies, and locate points of interest. Together, they allow for a smoother, more cerebral approach to stealth. It’s less about flashy kills and more about control and setup—perfect for players who love being five steps ahead. [*] Freedom of approach without moral pressure. Unlike previous games, [i]Death of the Outsider[/i] removes the Chaos system, meaning your choices—violent or not—don’t affect the world or the ending. This frees you to play more instinctively without feeling punished for exploring or experimenting. It’s a subtle but important shift, and it makes for a much more player-driven experience. [*] A focused, character-driven story with emotional weight. Instead of dealing with royalty or rebellions, the narrative is intimate and reflective. Billie is a flawed but fascinating protagonist, and her dynamic with Daud brings a sense of closure to both their arcs. The moral ambiguity of killing a literal god is treated with surprising nuance, and even the Outsider—once a cryptic observer—becomes a compelling character in his own right. The story explores themes of guilt, legacy, and redemption without heavy exposition or self-indulgence. [*] Top-tier atmosphere, sound design, and performance. The voice acting across the board is strong. Combine that with Arkane’s signature audio design—whispers in the void, the clang of industrial pipes, and eerie supernatural ambiance—and you’ve got a richly textured world. The game’s look and sound evoke a gritty, surreal dream of a dying empire. [/list] 😷 [b]Cons:[/b] [list] [*] Reduced progression and customization compared to Dishonored 2. There’s no upgrade tree for your powers, and while bonecharms are still around, there’s less mechanical variety overall. You don’t get the same build depth or room to specialize. For some, this more stripped-down approach may feel limiting, especially after the expansive loadouts and creative combos of previous entries. [*] Short runtime and abrupt pacing toward the end. The campaign only lasts about 5–9 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore. While the early missions feel rich and layered, the story rushes to a close. The final level, in particular, lacks the complexity and branching options of earlier missions, which makes the climax feel slightly underwhelming compared to the buildup. [*] Some narrative beats may not land without prior series knowledge. While technically standalone, the emotional stakes—especially around Daud, Billie, and the Outsider—hit harder if you’ve played the previous games and DLCs. Without that background, some plot points may feel thinner or more mysterious than meaningful. [*] Less freedom to customize your character’s style of play. The powers you get are great, but they’re fixed—there’s no mixing and matching like in past games. You can’t choose between lethal and non-lethal upgrades, nor can you unlock new powers. While this makes the game more focused, it reduces the ability to create your own playstyle over time. Billie is always Billie. [/list]

Gameplay is just as fun as it's ever been in the series, but the story and character isn't quite up my alley. I can appreciate the attempt to provide answers to the mysterious lore this series has, but, imo, the answers provided are a bit on the weak side. The intrigue and mystery and sense of not-knowing-for-sure that was present in the first game sort of withers away a bit in this one. Billie as a character is pretty lackluster as well. A lot of her dialogue gave me edgy-15-year-old vibes. People who have had terrible lives like her rarely talk or act the way she does, so it's sort of unbelievable and overly dramatic feeling at times. That said, I still recommend the game on sale. It's not as good as the other two, but if you loved the first games, you'll at least enjoy this one.

Don't think of this as Dishonored 3, this is Knife of Dunwall 2, and in that respect, its amazing. The way it completely changes the void powers mechanic from the first three entries (lets be real, the Knife of Dunwall story line was practically an entry of its own as well), and introduces a free form way of playing is so fascinating, making repeated playthroughs easy but also rewarding. Also getting to stab that goth twink after so many years was satisfying.

I don't remember a single thing from this game. Maybe I do but its Dishonored so you won't really be disappointed. Fun fact my sisters cat is named after a character in this series.

The game is fun to play, but it's short compared to the 2 first Dishonored games.

Definitely worth a play if you're craving for more dishonored. I'm actually liking it more than DH2 is some aspects.

It's the same as Dishonored 2, good gameplay but a weak story. Why do we need to kill the outsider? Because he made me do bad things. That is not a good enough for a world like this one. They treat Daud like the DLC in the first game wasn't his choice, age him 50 years, making him useless. Also there's no benefit or disadvantages doing missions in High or Low chaos. Some extra objectives are literally kill everyone in this mission and get rewarded or don't harm anyone and get rewarded, different missions but still. I do like the new powers and weapons. You also get a lot more unique charms than generic ones. There is also the unique level design, you do revisit some old maps/the same map but they've changed. If you like Dishonored, get this one but if you are new to the franchise don't get it. Go play the first one (with DLC) then the second game AND THEN play this one. Great game, good gameplay, what the fuck was that story, kinda recommendation.

Maybe not as great as first Dishonored but still worth to play

The weakest part of the whole franchise. The devs were being lazy by reusing maps, I was expecting dlc with new assets. And why is mission 2 and mission 3 played in the same map?

I love playing as a badass woman with badass abilities

It's really fun. It is a small game, but honestly if you enjoyed the other Dishonored games, its worth it. Personally, I find it to be the most re-playable of the Dishonored games. (rip the chaos system)

It's an another Dishonored and it's once again great: visuals, atmosphere, characters, level design, stealth gameplay

It's.....good. Good but mixed. Level design and # of ways you can play are varied and well designed just like the rest of the franchise. Appreciate the little callbacks to the earlier games like with Duke Abele's painting and things such as. I actually enjoyed having a more limited set of powers and working within them to get shit done. Unfortunately the weakest part is the characters imo. Nice to have Billie and Daud back but as characters they just weren't very interesting. And the melodramatics and "philosophy" just get a bit tiring imo. the ending is also very anti-climactic. Your options are either[spoiler]stab the outsider or convince Daud to free the Outsider from his place in the void, with a little bit of added dialogue depending on your choice. it is cute how the mark is really just the outsider's name lost to time and history. but either way it ends in the same line about how "now the Outsider's gone but the void's still out just outside our reach and hey, who knows somebody just be affected by it somehow" as if to set up future entries. Sure I'm playing it so long later but t's been 8 years now. Sadly I don't think we're getting anything else Dishonored anytime soon. it just feels bad to have it end in an anti-climactic way, hard cut to main menu and that's it.[/spoiler] in the end, worth playing for fans of the franchise, hard to recommend to anyone else

A nice addition to the dishonored series

all that you need - are 3 superpowers https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3507992610

dishonored my goat i require Another one

very fun

Unremarkable. 7/10

Unremarkable. 7/10

The rats speak to me.

VERY GOOD GAME

Now we need Dishonored 3.

Amazing

Good if you liked Dishonoured 2.

The Emo Dude is ded.

WHY DID DAUD DIE??!!