Dishonored: Operation Layarteb

[The Wooster]

Dishonored: Operation Layarteb

Warning: "Spoilers" for Dishonored contained within.

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[Andy of Comix Inc]

Reminds me of this clip from Doctor Who. This subtlety thing sure is hard, right?


Oh, I geddit.

He's the bad guy, right?

 

[SonOfMethuselah]

I just don't think the devs thought out that betrayal seen at all. I mean, even if you're completely unobservant, and ignore all the optional audio logs and whatnot, that mission where you go in for the Spymaster has absolutely none of the feel of a final, climactic mission. So you just know that there's more stuff coming, and since there aren't any high-priority governmental targets within Dunwall to take out, you have to start to wonder where the story's going. This alone doesn't scream 'BETRAYAL IMMINENT,' but it gives enough of a hint that the betrayal comes as no real surprise.

I love Dishonored, but it's strength definitely lies in the world it builds, not the rather flimsy characterization within that world.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I find obvious betrayals in general should be done earlier in the game while the player still believes they're still having to complete the given list of objectives before having that plot point come up.

Haven't played Dishonored yet so I'm guessing they do the betrayal at the usual time, once the evil todo list is complete.

 

[Brainwreck]

Yep, knew it right from the start. Just like I figured out the twist in Kotor right after Telos got glassed.

Now, a game that does such a twist well?
Jade Empire. The game does present some subtle discrepancies in a certain very important character's claims, but they're more... convenient than suspicious. And when you play the second time through, you can actually see how the person in question is forced to play speed chess when some of their plans get hijacked by circumstance. It's clever and cool and I loved the game for it.

 

[GoddyofAus]

A bit of a clearer Spoiler warning on the main page would've been appreciated.

 

[Denamic]

I just don't think the devs thought out that betrayal seen at all. I mean, even if you're completely unobservant, and ignore all the optional audio logs and whatnot, that mission where you go in for the Spymaster has absolutely none of the feel of a final, climactic mission. So you just know that there's more stuff coming, and since there aren't any high-priority governmental targets within Dunwall to take out, you have to start to wonder where the story's going. This alone doesn't scream 'BETRAYAL IMMINENT,' but it gives enough of a hint that the betrayal comes as no real surprise.

I love Dishonored, but it's strength definitely lies in the world it builds, not the rather flimsy characterization within that world.

So, what you're saying is that if you do not pay attention to the narrative, the narrative doesn't impact you as much? Wow, that blows my mind.

 

[JuliusMagnus]

I explore everything and I used the heart, so yes I saw it coming. Although if you didn't explore or use the heart you would be suspicious but betrayel would be not quite as obvious.

You really need backdoor plots in games like these, eventually Samuel 'helps' you. But if you saw it coming you should have been able to talk to Samuel and ask for his help.

But anyways, during my interactions with Admiral Havelock, I constantly had that other Admiral (Ackbar) in the back of my mind warning me about something.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

It was a funny comic, but I haven't actually played Dishonoured so I really would've appreciated a spoiler warning of some kind.

Also, on a note related to the comic, I thought to myself when I read the title "This must be a word spelled backwards! Lesse, Operation...Bertyala? What's Bertyala mean?"

And that just goes to show that I'm not as intelligent as I think I am.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I what to know why that bar has a shelf marked "poison."
Anyway, yeah betrayal in games is very hard to pull off successfully.

 

[MetalMagpie]

Funny incident of a game telegraphing a betrayal, but missing it because of gameplay:

Spoiler

In Borderlands 2, when Angel betrays you, I was blown away because during the fight with Wilhelm, I never heard the fishy dialogue of Angel telling you to fight when everyone tells you to run because I hit Wilhelm with a grossly overpowered rocket launcher for that level. Jack sells the defeat really well too. Funny, if my weapons were worse, I would have seen it coming.

Spoiler

On the first playthrough my boyfriend and I did, Wilhelm went down so fast that I barely got a look at him, which seemed a bit unnerving when every other character was comedically overreacting on the echo. But we just assumed we were overpowered or that it was a badly-designed boss (the Rakk Hive in the previous game also went down in a few hits, despite Angel's over-dramatic build-up) and moved on.

When Angel betrayed us, I felt like kicking myself. We had actually said the words "That was suspiciously easy" after the Wilhelm fight, and it still hadn't occurred to us that that might have been the point!

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

I was warry of the bastards from the start, and doubly so once I figured out you could point the heart at people to hear their secrets. The whole situation had such an air of doom about it, and the way they used me to do THEIR dirty work.

BTW Cornvo is a former bodyguard Grey, not a spy.

This is true, and important. It's part of Corvo's development in the story that he's goes from being a guy who just kinda obeys his superiors, to a guy who makes his own decisions for his own reasons. You're not really supposed to trust Havelock or any of the other conspirators bar a select few, but he is at least the Devil you know. Unlike the Outsider, who's motivations are above the understanding of mortals.

 

[Namechangeday]

Erin Stout the video game character therapist? I wouldn't mind it becoming canon. And I never knew bars carried poison. I'll have to remember that for next time

 

[Fappy]

A bit of a clearer Spoiler warning on the main page would've been appreciated.

Yeah.... I'd have to agree here. I haven't beaten the game yet

I kind of figured those guys were going to betray me anyway though, so I guess it's not a huge deal.

 

[WanderingFool]

I find obvious betrayals in general should be done earlier in the game while the player still believes they're still having to complete the given list of objectives before having that plot point come up.

Haven't played Dishonored yet so I'm guessing they do the betrayal at the usual time, once the evil todo list is complete.

Unfortunately, yes...

And i'm surprised it took this long for Critical Miss to make this comic.

 

[SadisticBrownie]

Yeah, I was convinced a betrayal was coming. However, I really didn't expect all three of them of to stab me in the back.

 

[FloodOne]

I didn't use the heart (except to find runes and bone charms), and I skipped most of the logs, so I actually didn't see this coming.