I finally finished playing through Dishonored and its DLCs.
Main game: It's solid. Some normalfags praise is as the most amazing and reactive game there is. It isn't. There are games that do both better, with Deus Ex probably being the best to this day. Still, Dishonored offers more interesting interactions and options for emergent gameplay than typical AAA games do. However, the alternative ways to deal with main targets are very, very heavily telegraphed and very railroad-y. It's better than Bioshock choices but not that far from them. They do not feel as earned as different paths feel in other games that boast about freedom and possibilities. The non-deadly ways to deal with key targets feel just far too convenient in most cases. The game should make you work for them a bit more. Dishonored's plot is a typical betrayal and revenge story. And choices, while limited to death and non-lethal poetic justice, help it a bit despite their issues. There isn't much meat on story's bones but it works for Dishonored. Game's world is interesting even though it feels small. It was very obvious to me that all notes and world building were taken just far enough to set the backdrop for the game but not an inch further.
Gameplay is solid, although the limit of five unconscious per area makes the game easy to cheese when going for a ghost play through. Stealth in general is OK, and abilities make it fun and more fluid than in other games. With some thought and planning, it's possible to use a combination of blinking, possession, and time stop to zoom around the map undetected. It's pretty satisfying. Abilities are very polished in general. There was a decent amount of thought given to them and to interaction they have not only with enemies but with environment and with each other. That makes combat more entertaining than being a stealthy assassin. Head-on assaults or stealth ambushes that turn into brawls are simply more fun. Even if combat and animations are basic, the amount of options offered by combining abilities keeps it fresh throughout the game. Another element that works against stealth for me is the level design. Some feel too padded and repetitive. Luckily, blinking around and possessions make crossing them relatively hassle free when playing stealthy.
Daud's DLCs are overall better than the main game. I appreciate how focused levels are in the DLCs. All the unnecessary fat is trimmed. Similarly, the abilities are a little bit more fun. Blink is bundled with freeze time and that opens a lot of new possibilities. Pull ability unlocked later on is good, especially when upgraded to move heavy objects. Choke dust is very useful and I am surprised it was not in the main game. Same with the incapacitating mines. They are obvious ideas, easy to implement, and would spice up the stealth and non-lethal paths. Only lackluster ability is one that improves summoned assassins. I think it would be better to bundle it with the summon assassins skill and maybe add a third rank to that one to give summoned assassins more abilities. As it is now, summon assassin and this skill feel a bit too expensive for what they offer. Especially with the more limited rune supply in the DLCs.
Extra objectives require more work and thought. For example, to frame one of the targets and get him imprisoned, you need to infiltrate his office, tail him and plant incriminating document in his pocket before he reaches the location of a meeting with a military official. Finding alternative ways to deal with targets feels a little bit less telegraphed to me. Oftentimes, you need to meet with people who are actually plotting against them and you need to do more legwork than in the main game to make non-lethal approaches work. And for approaches where most work is done for you, they are cost cash in the favors system. Only exception is the very last mission of the second Daud DLC. That nonlethal setup is probably the most obvious in the whole game.
Enemies are largely the same but with addition of witches and ghost hounds. Witches are a fun change of pace. They are challenging during first few encounters, especially since they surprise Daud and are unlike any other enemies (although they share some elements with assassins). After dealing with a couple of them, they will be manageable but more interesting to face than guards. Being attentive and planning engagements is all that's needed to handle them.
Story, like in the original, is nothing special but competent enough. It's another betrayal and revenge plot but this time with a redemption angle thrown in. It's spiced up with witches, and brevity of the DLCs helps the story to not overstay its welcome. What's nice is that some of the minor and secondary DLC characters are encountered in later missions. It would be nice if the main game did some of that. Instead, most NPCs are disposable and limited to single missions. Only ones that aren't are the crime lord, old woman, and residents of the hound's pub.
My only major complaint about the DLCs is that it's very obvious at times that they clearly were lower budget than the main game.
Dunwall City Trials are standard challenge maps. Most are fine but nothing special. Some challenges can be borderline impossible to max rank without getting lucky RNG.
Where the game really shines for me is the art direction. Textures look like they were oil painted, tying them thematically with the whale oil-based industry in the game. Slums look appropriately drab and the art team managed to do it without overreliance on gray and brown like most media does. They contrast nicely with luxurious locations that upper classes live in. In between them, there are factories, prisons, military installations, and other parts of the city in various states of decay. Each is unique but still feels like a part of the same world. Levels take place during different times of day too, and that goes further to make environments interesting. There are night time levels, ones at noon, dawn, dusk, afternoon, and sunset. Character design is great too. Everyone has exaggerated features but not to the extreme. Only game I remember going for something similar is Brink but that took it too far, and half characters looked like cavemen or homunculi. Dishonored does it much better, and pairs it with great costume design too. Levels and characters are in general great to look at. As is all the machinery found in the game. Only two complaint I have is that the same effort did not go into the generic NPCs and weepers. There are only few variations and they repeat often.