Dishonored Video Game Review (PC)

10/15/2012

(Photo by Thomas Joseph C. Huang)

When I arrived at work today, I saw a package with a Post-It note on it, it was from my girlfriend! When I opened the package, there it was, Dishonored for the PC! She is awesome! :]

I have heard a lot about this game and I've watched a lot of YouTube videos of it as well and this added to my excitement of the game, because the concept is something that I personally like, it's played from the first-person perspective and emphasizes on gamer choice, each mission can be carried out in either a stealthy approach, a head on kill everyone approach or a combination of both, each choice of approach merits a different outcome which ultimately affects how the story plays out.


The game takes place in a fictional city called Dunwall which reminds me of how London looked during the classical era. You are Corvo Attano, the bad ass bodyguard of the Empress of Dunwall that becomes the fall guy when she is murdered which drives you to become an assassin and seek out those who conspired against you and exact your vengeance upon them, you must also seek out and find her kidnapped daughter. But you are no ordinary assassin, you are empowered by a foreign entity that gives you magical abilities to help you on your quest.

(Maxed Out Settings)

(Maxed Out Settings)

Installing the game was a breeze, if you've ever played Modern Warfare or any game that works with Steam then this should shorten your installation process. In my case, I hadn't installed Steam on my rig yet, so I had a lengthier installation time, approximately a total time of 15 minutes. Once installed, you will have a simple introduction of all the folks that contributed to the development of the game and then you are brought to the main menu, a simple and straightforward menu. First tab I went to was the Graphics tab, since I also wanted the game to test my system, I maxed out the settings. I decided to select FXAA instead of the MLAA because I wanted to give the new Anti Aliasing technology a shot as it is supposedly better but I've never played a game that uses FXAA so I decided to give it a shot, most games I played use MLAA or MSAA.

(Light and Shadow Details)

After finalizing the graphics settings, I decided to start a new game, selected my difficulty and off we go. The game starts out in a beautiful sea setting as Corvo is on a boat on his way to Dunwall. You get to look around and observe your surroundings, so I made the most of it and did look around, left, right, behind me then up and down. I had FRAPS running so I took the liberty of taking some photographs of my boat ride to Dunwall. The detail of the environment is very well created and I was quite impressed at the lighting, shadow and reflection details that the game has to offer so far. 

(Yes, that is a whale.)

Since I am not a big fan of spoilers, I will not go heavily into the story. But I will touch on how malleable this game can be. This is actually the heart of the game, there is a certain connection that is developed between the gamer, the character and the story. Every gamer has his or her own style of play, but one can never truly apply that due to story restrictions and whatnot, only a few games allow this kind of freedom and this freedom returns in the form of Dishonored. As I mentioned earlier, the game emphasized gamer choice. Each choice directly affects your current mission and subsequently affects future ones as well. You have the freedom to rip through each level, but this will cause Chaos which is the somewhat like the stars you get in Grand Theft Auto but in this case, it doesn't decrease. More chaos means more guards, more rats (You'll get it when you play the game, trust me.) and increasingly more difficult missions and a darker ending. Or you can choose to go stealth mode and hold back the urge of just killing your way through missions, this is challenging, but possible and yields in longer playing time but easier succeeding missions, and results in a lighter ending. Or you could go with a balance of both choices. The point I'm trying to make is you can play this game on pure emotion, impulse or simply based on how you feel at the time that you're playing.

(Dual Wield = More Fun!)

The controls are quite simple whether you play it using your keyboard and mouse or the a controller which is supported by the game. As you progress through the game, you will be placed in scenarios wherein you get to familiarize yourself with the controls. I'm using the keyboard and mouse combo so it takes a little getting used to, but nothing you can't pick up quickly. Corvo is pretty much an all offense character, built to adapt the killing machine approach or the stealth approach depending on the gamer's playing style. He utilizes both hands as tools. The left hand is used to wield projectile or ranged weapons as well as his supernatural powers and the right hand is used to wield his sword for melee attacks. The combat sequences are quite straightforward but leaves you enough room to get creative depending on how you play. The game may seem huge in scale, but in reality, what gives the levels scale is the presence of multiple opportunities to complete levels and solve problems that arise, no matter what your style of play is.


For every obstacle you encounter there are at least three or four ways to overcome it. For every locked door, there's likely a balcony up high you can Blink to, or a gutter down below that can be accessed by a possessed rat. Now this game is starting to sound like you are almighty but the developers put a balance to counteract the abuse of your supernatural powers and skills, your health and mana do not regenerate. In order to regenerate these, you need to use health and mana potions which can be purchased from a specific person but will deny you the chance of gear upgrades or can be picked up around the levels, but they are scarce resources. But fret not, you have the quick save anywhere option (except during combat) which allows you to experiment various ways to resolve a specific issue, making every bullet and supernatural power count.

(Heads will roll, pun intended.)

There is a certain aspect of the game that is very reminiscent of the Splinter Cell games, not just the stealth aspect. But the fact that you have a lethal and non-lethal approach to enemies, as well as a variety of choices in terms of hiding or disposing the bodies of your foes so as not to alert suspicion. You also have the ability to pick up certain items and throw them to create distractions or divert the attention of enemies in order for you to either go about your business undetected or set them up for a killing spree. Another thing that I enjoy with this game is the gore (sadistic, I know.), I like blood and gore because it adds realism (although sometimes exaggerated, I'm not complaining >:]) to the game. Dishonored is no stranger to this, which adds to the overall awesomeness of the game.

Due to the many choices you can make and options presented to  you, the game is easily replayable, many many times.

If I say anymore, I would definitely spoil the game, so go out and grab a copy and experience the the epicness for yourself!

Here are few a screenshots to help you see the graphical greatness that this game has to offer.

(Shadow Details.)

(Shadow Details.)

(Where's your head at?)

(Don't go swimming.)

(Environment Effects.)

(Smoke Effects.)

(The Outsider.)

(Blink.)

(Sunrise.)

(What better way to get your point across?)

(Headless.)

(Corvo's Ink.)

Ranking:

Story: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 9/10
Soundtrack: 7/10


_____________
The Wraith:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme3
GPU: Sapphire HD 6870
RAM: G. Skill Sniper (16GB)
HDD: Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black
PSU: AeroCool Strike X 1,100w 80 Plus Gold Modular
Case: Antec LanBoy Air


Monitor: Viewsonic 24" VX2439WM 1920x1080 Full HD
Sound System: Creative Inspire 5.1 A500 SBS Surround Sound System

My First Overclock Attempt: AMD Duron 850MHz Spitfire

Overclocking. If this term sounds alien, allow me to share my knowledge about it. This is based on research, gathered knowledge and personal interpretation. So here it goes:


Overclocking, what is it? Overclocking is the process of getting your hardware to run faster than what was specified and tested by the manufacturer. The simplest way to describe it is pushing your hardware to it most stable limits. Overclocking is not limited to the CPU but also extends to your GPU, your RAM as well your Motherboard Chipsets (Northbridge Chipset and Southbridge Chipset, I'm not too familiar with this yet, but I do know it's possible.) But for this article, I only attempted to Overclock the CPU because my current test system has no GPU and pitiful RAM.


Now I hear the "purists" screaming "Why!? Why would you do that!?". Well, to put it simply, overclocking is done to get the most out of your current hardware (while maintaining stability of course.) with little to no cost, the little cost would probably come in the form of cooling hardware since heat will play a factor in your overclocking, more on this later on.


At this moment, I assume I'll be hearing something like "Okay, great. That's all good stuff. But what's the catch?" Well, as with anything in life, there is always some degree of risk involved. I'll list down some of the most common risks (as well as possible solutions to mitigate some of the risks) involved when one decides to overclock:

1. Overheating. When you are overclocking, temperature will always be a factor. Increased speed = increased temperature of hardware being overclocked. This can be decreased by installation of a proper system cooling.
2. Increased probability of system crashes and failures. Take note, I said probability, not certainty. This probability can be decreased (if not removed) by proper benchmarking and testing to get the most stable overclock possible.
3. Voiding your warranty. Unless it's stipulated in your warranty or specified by the manufacturer, damage caused by overclocking is generally not covered by warranty.
4. Decreased Hardware lifespan. Doubling the usual wear and tear will double the speed of deterioration (the same with most objects used in life).

These are the top risks in my opinion.

Now, with the presence of risks, there is also the presence of benefits which I will list below:

1. Increase in system performance.
2. Money saved from buying higher performance hardware.
3. Increased understanding and appreciation for your system, hardware, generally increased knowledge. (This is priceless in my opinion.)
4. Bragging rights. :] (if successful of course!)

These are the top benefits in my opinion.

Now let's get into the meat of this article. The actual overclock, as mentioned above, was only done directly to affect the CPU.

Here is a short overview of the system I tested this on:

(The Spitfire Test System, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

PC Age (approximately 10 years old, hasn't been used in 5 years)

CPU: AMD Duron 850MHz (Codename: Spitfire)

Motherboard: Biostar M7VKG

RAM: 128MB PC-133 MS3828UPP SDRAM 100MHz

Graphics: Onboard (Microsoft S3 Graphics ProSavage 8A26)

PSU: Frontier 235w

Cooling System: No case fans,1 PSU exhaust fan

Case: Closed case with very minimal airflow vents

OS: Windows XP

(No overclock statistics, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

Now that you know what I'm working with, here is the initial no overclock statistics of what my CPU is currently running at (see image, my apologies for the quality, there was interference with my iPhone's camera and the monitor). I was able to check these statistics using the freeware called CPUID CPU-Z. It's commonly used for viewing the current hardware statistics of your machine. As you can see, the core speed is steady at 850MHz. You only need to focus on the lower left section labeled "Clocks (Core #0)

Now upon restarting, I entered the BIOS menu by hitting the Delete button, I looked around to see what I could tinker with and found that this Motherboard is not too Overclocker friendly, I only found 2 customizable areas (the other one will be mentioned near the end of this article), the first one I found was under this sequence: Frequency/Voltage Control -> Linear CPU Clock Function (the default value is Disabled) -> Enabled function. Enabling this function now allows you to make modifications to the CPU Clock which has a range from 100MHz-132MHz. I've decided to try my adjustments in increments of 5MHz as it is recommended to gradually test. The CPU Multiplier is locked at 8.5 (This is a CPU limitation as well as a Motherboard limitation in this case) however I did a little research (see reference below) and I read that the CPU can be unlocked by making a physical adjustment to the L1 Golden Bridges on the surface of CPU itself which would unlock the CPU Multiplier allowing you to make adjustments here as well (I'm not comfortable enough to try this one out yet, but when I decide to do so, I will write about it, don't worry.). Another side note, apparently, adjusting the CPU Clock function directly increases the Front Side Bus (FSB) speed. The value that you set under the CPU Clock Function is the same as the value for the FSB speed, this will give you an increase in your overall Core Speed. (example: Setting the CPU Clock function value to 105MHz = 105MHz FSB Speed). Getting your Core Speed using this method is done through this simple formula (FSB x CPU Multiplier = CPU Speed/Core Speed, the example for my stock CPU: 100 x 8.5 = 850MHz)

The setting of this value apparently affects the DRAM Timing of your RAM as well, it also takes the same value set for your CPU Clock function.

For the benefit of transferring knowledge:

"Front Side Bus (FSB) - The Front Side Bus is the most important bus to consider when you are talking about the performance of a computer. The FSB connects the processor (CPU) in your computer to the system memory. The faster the FSB is, the faster you can get data to your processor. The faster you get data to the processor, the faster your processor can do work on it. The speed of the front side bus depends on the processor and motherboard chipset you are using as well as the system clock." (Source Website: http://www.directron.com/fsbguide.html)

Reference for Duron CPU Multiplier Unlocking: (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/duron-600.html)

For the purpose of this article when I say I adjust the FSB, I am referring to the CPU Clock Function in the BIOS that has a directly proportionate change to the FSB.

(Test 1 @ 105MHz FSB, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

For my first overclocking run, I set the FSB to 105MHz and this resulted in a Core Speed of 892.7MHz, the system successfully booted to Windows. I performed simple benchmarking (opened multiple programs simultaneously, left running for 15 minutes, it's a short time, I know.) The CPU Temperature went up to 48 degrees Celsius from it's original 47 degrees Celsius. (See Test 1 image)

(Test 2 @110MHz FSB, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

Now for the second run, I set the FSB to 110MHz and this resulted in a Core Speed of 935.5MHz, the system also successfully booted to Windows. I performed the same simple benchmarking as the previous test. Upon checking, the CPU Temperature went up to 50 degrees Celsius. (See Test 2 image)

(Test 3, Threshold Reached, Photo by Thomas Joseph Huang)

And for the next run, I set the FSB to 115MHz and this resulted in the computer freezing at the initial boot screen after the settings in the BIOS were saved. But based on the initial screen, the potential Core Speed would have been 978MHz. Upon resetting the machine, this resulted in a BSOD forcing me to pull the plug in order to reset the BIOS back to normal. This is the current threshold of my PC. (See Test 3 image)

And this is where my attempt has temporarily ended. However, I do not consider Tests 1 and 2 successful Overclocks because I need to run a complete benchmark and stress test on this to make sure that the system runs and stays stable. After that is when I can determine the success of my Overclock. I suppose you could call them partially successful Overclocks.


Just an additional side note, I also found that you can also adjust your DRAM frequency using these steps in the BIOS for this Motherboard: Advanced Chipset Features -> DRAM CLK, here you have 2 options: Host CLK and HCLK+33m, the second option means your Host Clock plus 33MHz, in this case the Host CLK is at 100MHz which means there can be an additional 33MHz boost for your RAM. 

This attempt experience was a good learning opportunity for me to get know the inner workings of a PC as well as tinker with technology which is something that I enjoy. I now have a side project apart from building my rig: overhauling this system and rebuilding it into something  and pushing its limits again. >:)


*apologies for the photo quality, there was some interference between the monitor and my iPhone camera.

I will gather some benchmarking tools and run more tests on the current system, stay tuned for that article!