The end of an era: how a standalone expansion concluded the Kaldwin saga
In short: Originally conceived as DLC for Dishonored 2, Death of the Outsider evolved into a standalone mission. It follows Billie Lurk as she hunts a mysterious entity to settle a narrative arc that began with the assassination of Jessamine Kaldwin, ultimately deciding the fate of supernatural power itself.
Released on 15 September 2017, Death of the Outsider serves as a conclusion to the narrative arc established in the original Dishonored. The story follows protagonist Billie Lurk, a former assassin voiced by Rosario Dawson, as she seeks out her mentor, Daud, to eliminate the enigmatic entity known as The Outsider. The mission takes place in the coastal city of Karnaca, following the political shifts that saw Emily Kaldwin reinstated as empress.
To differentiate the experience from its predecessors, Arkane Lyon implemented significant gameplay shifts. The developers removed the 'chaos system'—which tracked player lethality to alter the world—and replaced the traditional rune-based ability purchase system with a model where all supernatural abilities are unlocked from the start. This change was intended to encourage experimentation and provide a sense of liberation, allowing players to use their full arsenal of powers, such as the teleportation-based 'Displace' or the face-stealing 'Semblance', without the need for consumables to replenish energy.
The game's themes add narrative weight; Hazel Monforton reportedly joined the crew following an investigation linking the Outsider's demise to the ancient Greek pharmakos ritual. While critics like Tom Marks of IGN praised the detailed levels and liberal use of abilities, others, such as Alessandro Fillari at GameSpot, felt the story lost momentum. Despite mixed reviews regarding its narrative compared to Dishonored 2, the game was highly regarded, earning a spot on GamesRadar+'s list of the 25 best games of 2017.
The conclusion of the game presents a profound shift in the world's mechanics. By either using a ritual knife or having Daud's spirit pronounce the Outsider's true name—an esoteric script readable only by the dead—the player removes the entity from the mortal realm. This leaves a world where no single being decides who is granted the power of the Void.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
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