Dishonored research

Dishonored
A Bethesda Game
http://www.dishonored.com/

Dishonored is a first person RPG game made by Bethesda and released in 2013. It features a steam punk themed world, with the main character a magical assassin, with unique powers. ‘You are the once-trusted bodyguard of the Empress. Framed for her murder and driven by revenge, you must become an infamous assassin, known only by the disturbing mask that has become your calling card. As you navigate a world torn apart by plague and oppressed by a government armed with strange new technologies, the truth behind your betrayal is as murky as the waters surrounding the city. The choices you make will determine the fate of the world, but no matter what happens your old life is gone forever.’ (http://www.dishonored.com/#/media) The use of steam punk environments and technology in Dishonored are the key influence in my work, with similar aspects to my own idea. The dark city where the game is based is also inspirational, as it is Victorian styled, in the industrial revolution era.

Character Design
The character design in Dishonored is very steam punk influenced, with a strong resemblance to Victorian Era costumes. The characters I decided to study closely are Emily, the young princess as well as the generic male characters costumes in the game. First of all, Emilys character is a similar age to our own main character, with her design being influential to our characters design. She is also a princess, like our character, so her clothing will match her status and convey this well. Looking at her outfit, we can instantly tell that she is wealthy. This is because of the use of clean, frilled clothes, with the use of the colour white also being used to connote innocence and purity. The use of frills and bows is very Victorian influenced, with her short hair and trousers conveying a tomboyish streak to the girl. The male characters in the game all bare a similar look to those in the Fable games, with the poorer males wearing dirty shirts and trousers, and the upper class men wearing smart, clean suits, with canes. The design of the male characters is quite Victorian looking, with the use of plain, long sleeved shirts and boots for the poor, but the use of top hats, usually used to portray wealth, creates a steam punk fantasy feel to their design. The wealthy are always portrayed wearing long posh suit jackets and collared shirts, with long trousers tucked in long boots. Their appearance is always smart, with hair styled smartly, and always cleanly shaven. This is used to create a strong contrast between the wealthy and the poor in Dishonored. This contrast is something we will need to explore, with our game idea also focusing on a royalty with the poor living in dark cities.

Environment Design

In Dishonored the player explores different environments focused around one city. Therefore, all of the environments follow the same Victorian look. There is a strong contrast in the environments, with the wealthy having large, posh houses, and the poorer sections of the city having run down homes. Studying the image above, there is strong influence from Victorian housing in the structure and design of the building, with the large doorway and windows, and tall chimneys. The house is also made completely of concrete and stone, the more expensive building materials at this time. Looking at the poorer areas of the city the buildings are rusted, and surrounded by sewage. They are also extremely tall, conveying many families living in cramped conditions together. The design of the poorer houses also features a Victorian look, with stone also being used, with some also having wooden beams to support them. The design of the slums is very influential to my work as the poorer section of our world will also be conveyed in a similar way, with the use of darkness and sewage to create an image of disgusting living conditions.