GamesStealthDishonored 2’s best level took inspiration from BioShock 2’s time-traveling story moment: “We wanted to push that idea a bit more"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesStealthDishonored 2’s best level took inspiration from BioShock 2’s time-traveling story moment: “We wanted to push that idea a bit more"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Arkane)
Dishonored 2 is filled with interesting level design, but its A Crack in the Slab mission in particular owes a lot to BioShock 2, according to designer Thomas Boucher.
In an interview withPC Gamer, Boucher says “In BioShock 2 there is one level where you can travel between the past and the present. For A Crack in the Slab, we wanted to push that idea a bit more, use it as a gameplay tool this time. We asked ourselves, what can we offer players with this mechanic that other games have never tried to?”
Bioshock 2 used this trick to show the stark contrast between the extravagance of the past, and the dilapidation of the present day. However, you weren’t able to directly switch between the two versions.
Arkanegave players the direct ability to hop between the past and present in A Crack in the Slab. This allowed for exploration and crafty puzzle solving. Of course, creating such a level requires a few development tricks, which Boucher also explains: “It is a little trick, which is basically to build multiple maps within a level. One map for the present, and one map for the past, for example, with us then teleporting the player from one to the other.”
While it is designed to feel like you’re hopping between the same map, it’s actually two separate levels and the game is just moving the player between the two individual maps Arkane had created to pull this off. While Bioshock 2 put out the idea out there, Dishonored 2 decided to take it even further. Inspirations come from all over and it’s how the genre evolves over time.
If you’re a fan of Dishonored 2 and other immersive sims,check out the new indie stealth game Ereban: Shadow Legacy
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”