Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 163:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (9/10)

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider brings Arkane’s supernatural stealth trilogy to a tight, stylish close with one of the most refined gameplay experiences in the series. While it’s more streamlined than the second game and smaller in scope, it makes up for it in clarity of purpose, atmosphere, and sheer creativity. You play as Billie Lurk, former assassin and current reluctant hero, reuniting with your old mentor Daud to kill—or redeem—the mysterious, otherworldly figure who has shaped so much of the world’s fate: the Outsider himself.

As a standalone title, you don’t need to play the earlier entries—but if you have, this feels like an earned and emotionally grounded finale. Less about empire or revenge, this story is about power, choice, and legacy.

🗝️ Pros:

• Exquisitely designed levels that reward experimentation and creativity. Every mission offers a sandbox full of layered paths, secret rooms, and clever obstacles. From breaking into a high-security vault by rewiring pneumatic tubes, to sneaking through a cult’s crumbling catacombs, the levels encourage you to explore and think laterally. No route is wrong; everything feels handcrafted for player ingenuity. The bank heist alone is one of Arkane’s best-designed levels—flexible, responsive, and deeply replayable.
  
  
• Billie’s powers are fast, fun, and stealth-focused. Billie’s three abilities—Displace, Semblance, and Foresight—combine into a toolkit that feels both empowering and distinct from Corvo and Emily. Displace lets you set a marker and teleport to it later, allowing for clever repositioning and planning. Semblance lets you wear someone’s face, adding a new layer of disguise mechanics and social stealth. Foresight freezes time and lets you scout ahead like a ghost, tag enemies, and locate points of interest. Together, they allow for a smoother, more cerebral approach to stealth. It’s less about flashy kills and more about control and setup—perfect for players who love being five steps ahead.
  
  
• Freedom of approach without moral pressure. Unlike previous games, Death of the Outsider removes the Chaos system, meaning your choices—violent or not—don’t affect the world or the ending. This frees you to play more instinctively without feeling punished for exploring or experimenting. It’s a subtle but important shift, and it makes for a much more player-driven experience.
  
  
• A focused, character-driven story with emotional weight. Instead of dealing with royalty or rebellions, the narrative is intimate and reflective. Billie is a flawed but fascinating protagonist, and her dynamic with Daud brings a sense of closure to both their arcs. The moral ambiguity of killing a literal god is treated with surprising nuance, and even the Outsider—once a cryptic observer—becomes a compelling character in his own right. The story explores themes of guilt, legacy, and redemption without heavy exposition or self-indulgence.
  
  
• Top-tier atmosphere, sound design, and performance. The voice acting across the board is strong. Combine that with Arkane’s signature audio design—whispers in the void, the clang of industrial pipes, and eerie supernatural ambiance—and you’ve got a richly textured world. The game’s look and sound evoke a gritty, surreal dream of a dying empire.

😷 Cons:

• Reduced progression and customization compared to Dishonored 2. There’s no upgrade tree for your powers, and while bonecharms are still around, there’s less mechanical variety overall. You don’t get the same build depth or room to specialize. For some, this more stripped-down approach may feel limiting, especially after the expansive loadouts and creative combos of previous entries.
  
  
• Short runtime and abrupt pacing toward the end. The campaign only lasts about 5–9 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore. While the early missions feel rich and layered, the story rushes to a close. The final level, in particular, lacks the complexity and branching options of earlier missions, which makes the climax feel slightly underwhelming compared to the buildup.
  
  
• Some narrative beats may not land without prior series knowledge. While technically standalone, the emotional stakes—especially around Daud, Billie, and the Outsider—hit harder if you’ve played the previous games and DLCs. Without that background, some plot points may feel thinner or more mysterious than meaningful.
  
  
• Less freedom to customize your character’s style of play. The powers you get are great, but they’re fixed—there’s no mixing and matching like in past games. You can’t choose between lethal and non-lethal upgrades, nor can you unlock new powers. While this makes the game more focused, it reduces the ability to create your own playstyle over time. Billie is always Billie.

Don't think of this as Dishonored 3, this is Knife of Dunwall 2, and in that respect, its amazing.

The way it completely changes the void powers mechanic from the first three entries (lets be real, the Knife of Dunwall story line was practically an entry of its own as well), and introduces a free form way of playing is so fascinating, making repeated playthroughs easy but also rewarding.

Also getting to stab that goth twink after so many years was satisfying.

Good game, but short.