“New month, Dishonored 2 will offer even more options to play your way,” said Bethesda global content lead Gary Steinman. “In a free update, Dishonored 2 will include a New Game + mode and new custom difficulty settings. We’ll have more details on the content of this update (including the exact release date) in the coming weeks.”
The addition of a New Game + mode is especially welcome in Dishonored 2 because the early levels of the game aren’t “tutorial” or dumbed-down sections. Instead, they’re just as difficult as the rest of the game, with extremely vigilant guards, tons of traps, and enough bloodflies to make your skin crawl. Without powers like “bend time” or Emily Kaldwin’s “domino,” the first few hours of the game are significantly more frustrating than the remainder.
Though Bethesda didn’t elaborate on what “custom difficulty settings” will be implemented, we’re guessing that they’ll be related to alternate play-styles. Increasing the combat effectiveness of enemy guards could lend itself to a more interesting “high chaos” run, while stealthier players could decrease the time it takes to get detected.
A new development diary video was also released with the announcement, showing off the games’ various play-styles, include the “no powers” approach for masochists who have a few hundred hours to kill. The level designers created obstacles that are completely conquerable without any supernatural abilities.
Dishonored 2 is now available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
