Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials

Developer: Arkane Studios | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks | Release Date: 2012 | Genre: Action / Adventure / Stealth | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Dishonored is a game that shook up the stealth genre by giving players the freedom to be as sneaky or bloodthirsty as they want to be. It also introduced players to a fantastic world and interesting lore along with a great cast of characters. Dunwall City Trials is the first add-on pack for Dishonored, but anyone expecting more of what made the game so great might be in for some disappointment.

If it is not already apparent from the name Dunwall City Trials is a collection of ten different challenges, each with its own distinct map. These challenges are divided into stealth, puzzle, movement, and combat categories, with players graded on a three-star system as well as points depending on how well they perform. Dunwall City Trials also add new achievements to the game and online leaderboards for bragging rights. Unlike the main game, there is no saving and loading during the challenges. In addition, players are restricted regarding what powers or items they have during each challenge. The result is a mixed bag of distractions that don’t exactly offer the best showcase of Dishonored’s best elements.

In the stealth section corner, Dunwall City Trials features “Mystery Foe” and “Burglary.” They are aimed at players who enjoyed sneaking around unseen in the main game but lack the narrative elements that made it so fun to eavesdrop on NPCs. In Mystery Foe, players are tasked with infiltrating a small palace and assassinating a specific target. To find out who the target is, players must find and read the four clues that are scattered about the map. Each clue narrows things down a little more, so it is possible to kill your target without having to read all of the clues. However, getting spotted or taking down the wrong target will result in the quick failure of the challenge. Burglary requires players to infiltrate a mansion and steal six golden clockwork eggs without getting spotted more than three times. The mansion is also filled with other valuable trinkets that players can pilfer for extra points. Things like the randomized placement of items and targets provide the two stealth challenges with some replay value, and overall they are amongst the best offerings in this add-on.

Players who didn’t mind some high chaos killing in the main game will enjoy the combat trials in this DLC. Back Alley Brawl is a straight-up fight against waves of progressively more challenging opponents, while Assassin’s Run supplies a crossbow with unlimited ammo and rooms full of enemies to use them on. Finally, there’s Oil Drop which is basically just a shooting gallery featuring whale oil barrels flying out of a train. Again, players are given unlimited ammo to shoot at them, but missing some results in health loss from the explosion when they hit the ground.

Bringing up the puzzle trials are “Bend Time Massacre” and “Kill Chain.” Both of these require players to work out how to kill a set amount of targets in the shortest time possible. In the case of Bend Time Massacre, it must all be done in the space of a few seconds, while Kill Chain gives players a few seconds between each kill. Last up are the movement trials “Bonfires,” “Train Runner,” and “Kill Cascade.” Bonfires is a glorified checkpoint race where players must reach a series of highlighted spots as quickly as possible, while Train Runner is a short obstacle course. Last but not least is Kill Cascade, where players make their way down a series of steep platforms as quickly as possible while performing drop assassinations along the way.

Completing the challenges in this add-on rewards player with concept art that can be viewed in a gallery and a few also has “Expert” modes that can be unlocked. These feature the same challenges but increase the difficulty quite a bit. For example, Kill Cascade introduces fall damage in expert mode while Burglary takes away all of your supernatural powers. Adding to the replay value, there are also hidden dolls to find on each challenge, and these require players to veer off the beaten track.

Overall, Dunwall City Trials features plenty of content, but unfortunately, it’s not exactly the type of content that most players would have liked. There’s nothing new to learn about the game world or characters, and the rigid nature of the challenges is a step back from the freedom in the main game. The game still looks good, though, and each challenge looks like it is in the Void thanks to the number of objects floating about and the weird geometry of the landscapes. However, don’t expect the same banter between NPCs as in the main game.

Players who loved Dishonored and want more of the same are better off getting the two story-based add-ons for the game. Dunwall City Trials is a nice distraction but despite the replay value, not something that will hold your attention for too long. Each challenge is worthy of a playthrough or two, but only the truly dedicated will stick around long enough to get all the achievements. Although we don’t recommend splashing out for this add-on on its own, it is included with the Definitive Edition of the game, which is a better option in terms of value for money.