My Top 5 Arkane Studios Games

Arkane Studios has been making new mind-bending experiences for a while now. They have gained respect in the industry and have earned the title ‘masters of immersive sim’. I have been a huge fan of Arkane Studios and its games since Dishonored came out back in 2012. With the recently launched, Deathloop being out for sometime now- I figured now would be the perfect time to rank my top 5 games by Arkane Studios

So if you’re a fan of Arkane’s twisted narrative and innovative gameplay like me, enjoy this rundown of my favourite games by Arkane.

5. Prey

(2017)

Prey was a reboot to the 2006 game which was a cult classic. Although Prey did not have the fantasy element like Dishonored and fell instead in the science fiction category, there were many similarities. If you had played Dishonored, it wouldn’t take you much time to grasp the controls of Prey. The story follows protagonist Morgan Yu, who has been studying an alien race called the ‘Typhon’ in a space station abroad in Talos. Typhons had the ability to turn themselves into seemingly safe, lifeless objects and you basically had to defeat them. Your actions and interactions decided what the outcome of the game would be. Prey was a great new experience by the talented folks over at Arkane and conveyed the message that the studio can do more than just Dishonored. Prey was a great standalone game but pales in comparison to the Dishonored series and Deathloop, placing it in last place on my list.

4. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

(2017)

The plot of Dishonored: Death of the Outsider takes place right after the events of Dishonored 2. It was basically meant to tie the loose ends between the two games and give the narrative some closure. Players have control over Billie Lurk where she and her mentor, Daud, come up with the plan to eliminate the Outsider; the black-eyed god performing all the magic happening since the first entry in the series. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is a great game and gives the player exciting new abilities to explore but fails to meet the high bar set by the predecessors in terms of story and level design.

3. Dishonored 2

(2016)

Dishonored 2 continues the story of the previous game. Corvo Attano and his goal of protecting his daughter, Emily Kaldwin, return. Kaldwin has grown a lot since the last game- 15 years to be precise and had been overthrown as the Empress in a coup. The game allows you to choose between Corvo and Emily to play from, each having different supernatural abilities or having none at all- you choose. Dishonored 2 consists of the same non-linear gameplay, giving the player countless options on how to tackle a level according to their preferred playstyle. Dishonored 2 offers more abilities and ways to play than its predecessor. It is a close to perfect sequel to the first game. Level design in this game is phenomenal, and the Clocktower Mansion still stands out to this very day.

2. Deathloop

(2021)

Arkane’s latest game is arguably its most creative game yet. A new IP that follows protagonist Colt Vahn, who is stuck in a loop and must kill a set number of targets called the Visionaries in a day to break the loop. You can steal their weapons and powers once you kill them but if you die or fail, the loop resets and you are back to where you started. There is a catch though- Colt’s nemesis, Julianna will try to come and kill him. Julianna isn’t just another AI in the game, players can play as Julianna and go into other players’ game and hunt their Colt, making it a frustrating but super fun experience. All of this packed up with guns, gadgets, parkour and the same Arkane element gives you an astonishing experience. This idea was both genius and fresh, and Arkane managed to execute it perfectly. Deathloop is a very strong contender for Game of the year 2021.

1. Dishonored

(2012)

While all Arkane games are very well received, Dishonored manages to outwit them all. This game defined the immersive sim genre for many and consists of everything we adore about Arkane games. The story introduces us to Corvo Attano, a bodyguard falsely accused of murder forcing him to turn into an assassin. Corvo’s mission is to clear his name and protect Emily, the Empress. This game manages to outshine other Arkane games in almost every aspect including gameplay, story and level design. Dishonored laid the foundation for every Arkane game going forward to this very day and what boosted the name of Arkane as one of the most ingenious studios. Dishonored is also what helped me discover Arkane Studios and their games. It was one of the best games of its time- and the best Arkane game to date.

Arkane Studios has delivered banger after banger so it is hard to rank all its games because they are all pretty much flawless. It only gets better for Arkane fans as the studio is taking a new creative risk with the co-op shooter Redfall launching in 2022. It is something Arkane hasn’t done before and we’ll see how my ranking readjusts after the game has released.