In the already established conflict of progress and nature, the former won and the latter is in steady decline. The City(still the setting, which, along with several area revisits, allows us to see the change said victory has wrought) has gone from a theocracy(who needs strict rules when the threat is gone?) to a police state, under the corruptible rule of Sheriff Truart. Hammerites remain, but are out of power. The Keepers watch carefully as the "cousin" of aforementioned order, the Mechanists, gain influence. Under the leadership of Father Karras, they manufacture and sell the technological wonders of industrialism. The other major faction, the Pagans, are all but gone. With this imbalance(this continues the stimulating exploration of universal themes, with no judgment, merely bringing up pros and cons alike of different ways of doing things), something horrible may soon happen
of course, Garrett(Russell, speaking in a hushed, secretive, in-control voice) doesn't care about any of this. Until he's targeted, and has to unravel a conspiracy to ensure the one thing he truly cares about... his own neck.
In most ways, this is like the original – hence it accurately being called "essentially an add-on". You move between shadows, hiding out of the light, and always aware of the surface you're on(stone is noisy, wood less so, carpet is completely silent) as well as how fast you move across it. You and NPCs alike can tell where each other are based on the sound that travels(they'll cough, or say something to make it clear if they're aware of you, or downright spotted you), and sight. The here-upgraded Dark Engine has accurate(somewhat; this was the first attempt at it) physics, meaning anything can be picked up, thrown, etc. Graphics remain the weak point(even with the few glitches), though the attention to detail of it, and the audio, are what make this such an atmosphere-laden, immersive experience. Piecing together what is going on is done mainly via the quotes from sacred texts usually found in pre-mission briefings(making great use of silhouettes both to maintain the mood and somewhat to hide visual limitations), notes/books and overheard conversations, rather than relying on the narrow perspective of the protagonist – he isn't interested. Let me be blunt here, his unflinching amorality is definitely part of his appeal.
They listened to feedback; this is what the audience wanted. Switching world-building for story starting sooner and being more intricate, nearly eliminating undead and supernatural encounters, and placing you almost exclusively in urban locations, this is the all-stealth title that it should be - you are never forced to truly reveal yourself(you may even be able to ghost it... depending on your skill, you choose the circumstances of encounters, whether to harm or only knock out, and whether to leave everything untouched). Levels are varied, vast(necessary to allow for the increased complexity of them, the map now highlights where you are, and shows where you've been), with multiple paths(shortcuts are discovered, along with risk, and reward, as you explore), non-linear in layout and approach, ranging from a bank, several mansions, dockside warehouses and the woods. You frame, steal, tail, case and more. After the period was established, we get an adventure within it, where expectations are played with. Twists and clever writing abound, credible, fleshed out and focused.
With three difficulty settings(determining how many objectives you have to complete; this tends to ask you to infiltrate, accomplish something, and get safely back out), this will challenge everyone, and, with respect(I don't always feel like this kind of experience, either) it is not for the impatient, action-demanding or casual gamers(to put it another way: those who don't actually want a sneaking VG). It took me 40 and a half hours to complete, as a bit of a perfectionist... without finding everything, however. Given all there is to find, this is fairly replayable. The easy to use interface remains - played an FPS? You can sit right down and play this. It is your playground, to do what you will - provided, of course, that you stay on top of things, and earn the freedom(of where to go, what to do, etc.). As long as you accomplish what you're out to do, it's very open. Unfortunately, certain issues have not been fixed. You can't tell if an object will be picked up or added to the inventory. At times, you get stuck in surroundings, sometimes even requiring loading to proceed. And you still aren't ensured quietly disengaging from ladders or ropes.
In addition to humans, you now also have to deal with electronic foes. Sentries, cameras and robot guards(with a furnace on their back, which you can use to your advantage), all dangerous, hard to deal with and tense like you wouldn't believe. Adorned with the face of Helios as carved in marble, they will investigate anything they think is off. Your manufactured eye allows you to zoom at any time(similar to when the bow is at its strongest), as well as engage Scouting Orbs - a slightly bouncy ball(throw it over a wall, or down from up above) that, once landed, you look through, and can turn 360 degrees, for as long as you want - to gather intel, take note of patrol paths, etc. You can even pick it up and reuse it, as much as you want! New potions include Invisibility(!) and Slow Fall, the latter allowing you to survive far drops. We also get the much-needed Flare, that you can hold or toss, and will last you some seconds. You can affect your surroundings as far as getting past enemies unseen, such as by using special arrows - Water to douse a torch, Moss to grant something to walk on that won't give you away, etc.
There is a lot of disturbing content and some bloody violence in this. I recommend this to any fan of steampunk and games that reward planning and taking care with everything you do in a game. 8/10
