Kicking off our Top 10 of 2012. Ben and I have been talking about doing this for a while now. So I welcome you, one and all! Zephyria and Extreme's top 10s of 2012!

Our first game is one that we both can agree is freaking amazing. It's the one of the only AAA titles this year to actually be a new IP, rather than a sequel.

It's about the Empress' Bodyguard, his fall from grace and subsequent hunt for those that dishonored him. Yes...it is...

God...what can I say about this game? It was freaking amazing. But I'll go over some of my favorite parts, consider this a review as well.

Before I get into what I love about it, I have to point out two flaws that, while not glaring, are still pretty bad.

First, is the story. It's predictable as hell. I expected the massive plot twist at the end, and you'd be blind not to. And for second, it's length isn't very long. I finished it in less than six hours. But it's just so replayable that in the long run, length doesn't REALLY matter all that much.

ON WITH THE GOOD!

1) Stealth.

Here's the bread and butter of the game. The stealth aspect. I seriously think this is probably the BEST stealth game released in recent memory. At LEAST Since Thief 2. The mechanics are so tight. And if you manage to get caught, the combat is punishing but fair. You can survive, but you'll probably be severely wounded along the way. If you're aiming for the "Mostly Flesh and Steel" achievment, it gets pretty hard to remain stealthy and not get caught near the end, where most ledges and vertical surfaces are JUST far enough that you won't be able to teleport to them with the basic blink power with no upgrades.

2) Graphics.

This game looks freaking AMAZING. And unlike most games that I say that about, it doesn't go for a realistic look at all. It goes for a highly stylized graphical style. Most of the characters in-game look like they were torn straight from a political cartoon. All the politicians and corrupt people are tall and spindly, with oversized heads, as if to say "Hey, We can't do good in combat, but we're corrupt as hell" On the other side of the spectrum, we have the guards and other defenders. These characters have had their heads drastically reduced in size, and their hands increased in size. This just screams "Hey, we're not smart, but we will f**** your day up."

The shadow effects are also impressive, as are the textures. But that's not as important as the general art style itself.

3) Level design.

Let me tell you. The level designs in this game are phenomenal, right up through the last level. As I said earlier, making some jumps is harder, but that's about the only gripe I have with it.

Otherwise, the levels are all full of excellent hiding spots, where you could either sneak past everybody, strangling people when you have to, or just blazing through, collecting all the bone charms, runes, and murdering everybody you come across.

As I've only played the stealthy nonlethal route, I can't tell you how well the level design is for somebody that prefers violence, but I'm pretty sure it's just as good for a violent playthrough.

Oh, even Extreme liked this game. He quite enjoyed the Bioshock and Half-Life influences, and the Soundtrack.

"[8:31:22 PM] McJobless: A brilliant mix of everything that made Half-Life and BioShock so wonderful, with a memorable soundtrack and one brilliant stealth system. You must play this game."

So, overall, Zephyria's score? 9.5/10

Highlights of the game: The Graphics, The Gameplay, The Level Design.

Cons of the game: Predictable Storyline, Not a very long game.

I had to source that image of the characters off from a website. I can't take screenshots of Dishonored. This is where I got it from.

Up next: Another Assassin game, that takes a decidedly different approach.