Dunwall was a terrible, terrible place to call home in the first Dishonored game. Dirty, infested with rats and the kind of plague that resulted in cysts that you’d see on the Reddit r/popping thread, Dunwall was crap. Good news! You won’t be touring that wretched hive of scum and villainy in Dishonored 2. Bad news: The city of Karnaca may be even worse.
Even though its described as “Jewel of the South” for the upper-class tourists who visit it, the city is still infested with Bloodflies, corrupt officials and plenty of famine. A mining city that Dishonored protagonist Corvo called home, it was originally ruled by the Duke Theodanis Abele, who was considered a pretty decent monarch by the people. And then things took a turn for the worse. “The mining area of the city used to be called the Batista,” creative director Harvey Smith said to Game Informer.
It was the functional blue collar district, and there was a mine baron there named Aramis Stilton who worked his way up from being a miner. People generally like him because he worked with the miner’s families, and he didn’t drive the miners too hard.
When Dishonored 2 begins, it’s in the city of Karmaca that the game will unfold. But after spending decades away from his homeland, Corvo finds that Duke Theodanis Abele is dead and a newer Douche has taken over. Even worse, Stilton has gone missing from the mines he oversaw. “In Stilton’s absence, the new Duke is driving the mines at double the rate,” Smith said.
So dust is falling on that part of the city constantly, and the wind storms are kicking dust up all across the city. The wind is coming in from one direction so sand piles up on the sides of the buildings. People walk around wearing masks. Conditions are horrible and miners are dying, all for the name of profit.
And thus the Dust District was born. It’s this industrial sector will players have to deal with dust storms that impact on the gameplay, obscuring their view at random intervals and probably working it’s way down your digital crack. The dust storms are a double-edged blade however, as the Grand Serkonan Guard will also find it difficult to spot you within one.
Here’s where things get slightly trickier however. The Dust District is home to several factions, which includes the Howlers led by Paolo. They’re fed up with the new duke, and want a revolution. But they don’t exactly care who gets in the way of their war, often hurting innocent civilians in the process. “They don’t see themselves as a gang per se,” Smith explained.
Paolo sees himself as a man of the people. The Duke is corrupt. The Grand Guard is corrupt. The Overseers are tyrannical, but he feels like he’s the true spirit of Karnaca. He grew up here, he eats the food, he’s a man of the people, and he wants to return Karnaca to the way it should be. He sees himself justified in the same way members of the Russian mafia or criminals of any stripe often see themselves.
And then there’s the Abbey of the Everyman, known as the Overseers who rule the city with a devout fist according to their dogma and belief system. And that belief in a moral highground has put the Overseers on a collision course with the Howlers and Paolo in particular. “So the Howlers and Overseers are fighting in the Dust District, and everything’s going to shit,” Smith said.
The people are suffering, the miners are living in terrible conditions, and everyone is suffering in the storms and the dust. On top of all that, you have the Duke who is engaging in malfeasance.
And that’s why the city happens to have sections cordoned off with electrical barriers, that is a recipe for disaster as the factions wage war. It’ll be up to players to slip in and help out either the Howlers or the Overseers while discovering the true cause behind the disappearance of Aramis Stilton. And find a way to keep that damn dust out of their eyes. Urgh, sand. IT’S EVERYWHERE!
Last Updated: May 19, 2016
Alien Emperor Trevor
May 19, 2016 at 10:05
I’m really looking forward to seeing JHB in a game for the first time.
Ottokie
May 19, 2016 at 10:08
Judging from the last pic, you can see about 3-4 km ahead. That’s already much cleaner than JHB
VampyreSquirrel
May 19, 2016 at 10:31
So it’s not an accurate environment? *RAGE* RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE
Ottokie
May 19, 2016 at 10:36
Something like that 😛
Captain JJ bound
May 19, 2016 at 10:19
haha!
Admiral Chief Protector
May 19, 2016 at 10:22
I avoid that place with everything in me
Captain JJ bound
May 19, 2016 at 10:19
Everything’s going to sell?
Original Heretic
May 19, 2016 at 10:19
I really hope this is as good as the first game. Dishonored was amazing.
Captain JJ bound
May 19, 2016 at 10:28
Expect this to price at R800 on Steam. So if I cant get a physical copy of it somewhere, there’s no way I’m buying it until it’s at least 60% off, to put the price on the right level.
Admiral Chief Protector
May 19, 2016 at 10:32
*75-90%
Captain JJ bound
May 19, 2016 at 10:50
I don’t understand what Bethesda’s deal is with SA pricing.
Dane
May 20, 2016 at 10:03
Nice screenies!