Stealth vs. Combat Approaches for Each Mission
Dishonored is designed to accommodate a wide range of playstyles, offering distinct advantages and challenges whether you choose to be a phantom of the night or a whirlwind of destruction. This guide will outline the general approaches for each major mission, highlighting how stealth and combat can be utilized.
1. Escape Coldridge Prison
Stealth: This is primarily a tutorial mission. Focus on learning the basic mechanics of movement, cover, and non-lethal takedowns. The linear path makes it easy to avoid guards. Use vents and shadows to your advantage.
Combat: While possible, combat here is less efficient and more risky. Guards are numerous and can quickly overwhelm you if you're not careful. Focus on using the environment to your advantage if forced into a fight.
2. Dishonored
Stealth: This mission introduces more complex environments and guard patrols. Utilize Dark Vision to scout ahead and plan your routes. Blink is essential for navigating rooftops and bypassing patrols. Prioritize non-lethal takedowns to keep chaos low.
Combat: The open areas can be challenging for pure combat. Guards are equipped with firearms and swords. Using powers like Possession or Bend Time can create openings, but sustained combat can quickly escalate.
3. High Overseer Campbell
Stealth: This mission offers multiple infiltration points into the Boyle Estate. Rooftops and the sewers are excellent for stealth. The goal is to reach Campbell without raising too much alarm. Using sleep darts or chokeholds on guards is highly recommended.
Combat: The Overseers are well-trained and can be dangerous in groups. Direct confrontation in open areas is ill-advised. Utilizing powers to isolate and eliminate targets quickly is key if opting for a combat approach.
4. The Clockwork Mansion
Stealth: The shifting architecture of the mansion provides unique stealth opportunities. Use the ability to reconfigure rooms to your advantage, creating new paths or blocking off pursuers. The Clockwork Soldiers are a significant threat, requiring careful avoidance or precise disabling.
Combat: Facing Clockwork Soldiers head-on is extremely difficult. They are heavily armored and possess powerful weaponry. If combat is unavoidable, focus on exploiting their weaknesses, such as their turning radius or using powers to stun them.
5. A Crack in the Slab
Stealth: The time-travel mechanic is central to stealth here. Use the Void to observe past and present guard movements, allowing you to bypass them with ease. The objective is to retrieve the key and escape without altering the timeline negatively.
Combat: Combat is generally discouraged due to the temporal nature of the mission. Altering events through combat can have unforeseen consequences. If necessary, quick, decisive actions are best.
6. The Royal Conservatory
Stealth: The Conservatory is filled with guards and dangerous flora. Use Blink to navigate the verticality and avoid patrols. The music boxes are key to disabling the Arc Pylons, which can be done stealthily.
Combat: The Bloodflies and guards can be a formidable combination. Area-of-effect powers and well-timed sword attacks can be effective, but managing the environment and multiple threats simultaneously is challenging.
7. Death to the Empress!
Stealth: The final mission requires careful planning and execution. Infiltrating the palace with minimal detection is crucial for achieving a favorable ending. Utilize all your learned skills and powers to bypass the elite guards and reach your objective.
Combat: The Empress's guards are the most skilled in the game. Direct combat is extremely dangerous and will likely lead to a High Chaos ending. If you must fight, focus on using your most powerful abilities and environmental hazards to your advantage.