Bethesda are certainly enjoying a lot of attention, and for many different reasons. Between “Fallout 4”, “The Elder Scrolls 6” and “Dishonored 2”, the studio can’t get a break from all the rumors. And the strange part is, they haven’t even announced anything officially yet, this is all coming from their fans and some critics in the industry.
And while “Fallout” and “The Elder Scrolls” are enjoying most of the spotlight, there is also some discussion about the next “Dishonored”, and even speculation that we might see the game this year at E3. This is just a rumor so far, and Bethesda have of course not said anything officially, but there seems to be a strong indication that the studio is going to announce something major at E3 indeed. Of course, it’s still possible that this is about one of their other games, and we have no way of knowing until E3 rolls around.
What could the next “Dishonored” do in order to revive fan interest in the title though? The first game was received very warmly, and it’s still being talked about today. However, the market changed since then, and “Dishonored” actually inspired a stream of stealth-action titles that followed it, which quickly filled that niche of the market. In the end, if “Dishonored 2” comes out today with a similar style and gameplay, it will not get the same kind of positive reception, because it will not be that original anymore.
There have been rumors that the next game is going to push the violence to its limits, with a lot more action and dramatic scenes, instead of focusing on stealth so much. The first game was already quite violent, despite trying to present itself as a peaceful stealthy shooter, and some players were slightly annoyed by the clash in presentation that this caused. It also reportedly affected the game’s immersion potential for some people.
“Dishonored 2” could also show off some new technology, as it would be the perfect game for that purpose. Of all three titles we mentioned above, it’s definitely the one with the best cinematic potential, and Bethesda could benefit a lot from using it as a showcase for their any engine technology that they might be working on. If that’s the case, they could possibly transform the game to a more cinematic experience, making it play more like a movie. On the other hand, that would mean having to sacrifice the game’s openness to some extent, and considering that this was one of the main features of the first title, that might be a bit of a bad decision in the end.