Dishonored was something of a surprise hit when it arrived in 2012; the steampunk aesthetic, stealthy gameplay and teleport-based Blink powers set it apart, and the multiple ways in which to finish each level gave players plenty of room to experiment with its many different routes, weapons and locations. At Bethesda's E3 conference last night, the company finally confirmed a sequel was in the works.
Unfortunately a streaming slip-up spoiled the announcement slightly, with Bethesda accidentally broadcasting an E3 rehearsal mentioning the game on its official Twitch channel, but that didn't stop the initial trailer from exciting the gathered journalists at the presentation.
It appears to show the action moved forward by at least a decade, as players will now get to play as two protagonists. Corvo returns from the first game, but now you'll be able to play as Emily Kaldwin, the orphaned Empress and rightful heir to the throne. Each character will have their own set of unique powers, which are most likely provided by the mysterious Outsider once again, and you'll have the choice between swordfighting and stealth.
The reveal trailer shows Emily's powers, which appear to let her traverse any gap as long as there's something to grab onto at the other end, and stop time when faced with clockwork automatons. However, the clip was entirely pre-rendered, with no signs of actual gameplay just yet - meaning we could be a long way off release.
We're hoping that the new entry in the series can improve over the original game in terms of length, and finally add a New Game Plus that lets gamers experience the game with all the powers they unlocked in an initial playthrough.
Bethesda also confirmed that Dishonored: Definitive Edition was in the works for Xbox One and PS4, with an aim to release in the Autumn. It will include higher resolution graphics than the original console release and include all available DLC. It should give console gamers a chance to catch up on the story before the new game arrives, although PC gamers will have to make do with replaying the original release - there was no confirmation of the Definitive Edition making its way to the PC.
Dishonored 2 should arrive in 2016, although there's currently no confirmed release date.
