Change difficulty settings at any time from the Options menu.
Ammunition[]
- Howling Bolts:
The Howler gang uses customized pyrotechnic crossbow bolts to stun and intimidate enemies. - Grenades:
Hold a live grenade for longer to “cook” it, so it detonates closer to target. - Mines:
These weapons can be attached to any surface, even flesh. Turn rats into living, moving traps. - Crossbow Bolts:
Sometimes your crossbow bolts can be recovered from corpses or the environment.
Bonecharms and Runes[]
- Finding Runes:
Equip the Heart to find Runes and Bonecharms. - Finding Bonecharms:
Use the Heart to locate bonecharms, which grant small benefits when equipped. - Bonecharms:
Read about each bonecharm you find in the Dishonored 2 journalJournal]], and decide which bonecharms to equip and activate. - Bonecharms & Runes:
Runes and Bonecharms emit a faint “singing” sound. - Heretical Artifacts:
Collecting Runes and Bonecharms is considered heresy by the Overseers.
Combat[]
- Slide Attack:
Sprint toward enemies and slide into them to assassinate (
), or knock them out (
). - Drop Assassination:
Drop Assassinate an enemy by falling toward them and attacking just before you land. - Falling Damage:
A successful Drop Assassination cushions you against falling damage and makes no sound. - Head Shots:
Ranged attacks inflict more damage if you hit the enemy in the head, unless they’re wearing a helmet. - Finishing Moves:
Attack an off-balance or downed enemy to deliver a lethal strike. - Counter-attacks:
A well-timed block puts your enemy off-balance, so you can deliver a lethal counter-attack. - Blocking & Parrying:
Blocking is a critical part of combat. Timed right, you can put an enemy off-balance, making them vulnerable to counter-attacks. - Combat Basics:
Keep moving in combat and don’t get surrounded. - Escape!:
Combat is not the only option. Even when surrounded, you can almost always get away. - Avoiding Combat:
Use stealth and mobility to your advantage. Evade your enemies! - Pistol Range:
The pistol is most effective at close range, inflicting damage and putting nearby enemies off-balance. - Use the Environment:
Attack an enemy near the edge of a drop-off, railing, low wall, or breakable object to knock the enemy into it. - Special Bottles:
Some bottles contain flammable alcohol and will explode if thrown. Others contain ether and will render anyone hit unconscious. - Breaking Enemy Defenses:
An enemy will sometimes stay on the defensive, making it smart to switch tactics. - Witch Archetypes:
Coven witches develop different sets of powers. Learn to identify them by armor color, and use this knowledge in combat. - Bloodbriars:
Bloodbriars are huge vines shaped from Void magic by witches, and can’t detect you if you move slowly.
Enemies[]
- Clockwork Soldiers:
Bring down Clockwork Soldiers by finding and exploiting their weak spots. - Clockwork Soldiers:
Clockwork Soldiers can see in front and back. Removing the head renders them unable to discern between friend or foe. - Overseer Masks:
The metallic masks worn by the Overseers protect their heads against frontal ranged attacks. - Nest Keepers:
Some bloodfly-infested buildings are protected by Nest Keepers, whose shriek agitates the bloodflies. - The Grand Guard:
The Duke’s soldiers have checkpoints throughout Karnaca, and will attack strangers on sight. - Bloodfly Nests:
Bloodflies will attack when agitated, or when anyone gets close to their nests. Move past slowly in Stealth Mode. - Bloodflies:
Bloodfly swarms lay eggs within corpses, hatching more bloodflies. - Bloodflies:
Since bloodflies lay eggs in corpses, a higher body count leads to more infestations across Karnaca. - Rewiring Clockworks:
A Clockwork Soldier will fight for you if you use a Rewire Tool on the panel attached to its leg. - Clockworks & Chaos:
Destroyed Clockwork Soldiers don’t count toward the level of Chaos. - Bloodflies:
Bloodflies will prioritize laying eggs in a corpse over attacking a living person. Use this to your advantage to distract swarms. - Civilians and Stealth:
Bystanders won’t call for help outdoors, unless you start a fight. If you’re intruding, they will flee and alert guards. - Workers:
If workers see someone attacked in the street, they will help them fight back. - Military Officers:
Officers hang back behind the squad in combat. Take out the officer, and the squad might flee. - Howlers Attacks:
Howlers use dust made from plant toxins and industrial chemicals to disorient enemies. - Military Officers:
Officers are highly-trained swordsmen and sharpshooters. Engage with caution. - Overseers and Panic:
Overseers are zealous fanatics who never panic or retreat. - Threatening:
Civilians will call for guards if they feel threatened or witness aggressive behavior. - Public Space:
Unless you act aggressively, civilians won’t call for guards when they see you out in the streets, even if your weapons are drawn. - Trespassing:
Inside private apartments and businesses, civilians will ask you to leave, then call for guards! - Observing Magic:
The Overseers and the Howlers are on edge, and will react to magic with hostility.
Equipment[]
- Magnification:
Zoom in on targets for better aim, especially with the crossbow. - Magnification:
The spyglass optics in your gear will allow you to zoom in on a target location. - Amplification:
The spyglass will amplify sound when you zoom in on a target location. - The Black Market:
Hidden across the cities of the Empire, black market shops sell useful illegal merchandise and gear, like weapon upgrades. - Blueprints:
Weapons and gear can be upgraded at black market shops, using blueprints found across the city.
Gameplay[]
- Alternate Solutions:
You can assassinate key targets, or find clever, nonlethal ways to eliminate them. - Higher Ground:
Ascend to the rooftops to avoid enemies and locate alternate pathways. - Left & Right:
Bring up the Quick-access Wheel to use elixirs and left-hand gear like ranged weapons and supernatural powers. - Reading Notes:
Written notes often contain useful information or clues. - Breaking Barricades:
Break through wooden planks with your sword. - Combat and Stealth:
Fight and kill your enemies, or adopt a stealthier approach and avoid them. - Escaping Detection:
Escape is a valid option when you are detected. Sprint away, break line of sight, and hide in a safe place to evade enemies. - Improvisation:
Improvise your way out of tricky situations — distract enemies; experiment with powers; and explore for alternate paths. - Re-thinking Things:
There are multiple solutions to almost all obstacles or problems. If a situation is too difficult, approach it from a different angle. - Play Your Way:
There’s no “best” way to play: Focus on combat or stealth, play brutally or ghostlike — the world will react. - Tampering:
Characters in the world will notice broken or missing items. - Weak Doors:
Can’t find the key? Break down weak wooden doors with Wind Blast, grenades, or your pistol. - Protective Armor:
Helmets, chest armor and Overseer masks protect the wearer against projectiles.
Journal[]
- Upgrading:
Keep track of your supernatural powers and enhancements from within your Journal. Spend runes to buy more powers. - The Journal:
Check the Journal to review your current Objectives and Tasks, and to review the notes and clues you’ve collected. - Current Objectives:
Open the [Dishonored 2 journal|Journal]] to learn more about your current objectives. - Chapter Summaries:
Get a summary of your current objectives and read more about your assassination targets in the Journal. - Quick-slots:
From the Quick-access Wheel, you can assign weapons and/or powers to Quick-slots for rapid access. - Health and Mana:
From the Quick-access Wheel, you can consume elixirs that restore Health or Mana.
Mobility[]
- Climbing:
Stand next to a reachable ledge and hold the Jump button to climb. - Stow Weapons:
Hold [F] to put away your weapons. This allows you to move slightly faster. - Sprinting:
Sprint to elude enemies or build up speed for jumps. - Auto-crouch:
Hide under low tables and within other small spaces by entering Stealth Mode and moving forward into the space. - Quicker Movement:
You move slightly faster with your weapons sheathed. - Rat Tunnels:
Possessing rats, fish, and bloodflies will sometimes reveal alternative pathways. - Slide:
Sprint toward an enemy and slide in order to perform an assassination or nonlethal takedown as you approach. - Vaulting:
Sprint toward an enemy behind cover and vault into them to knock them off-balance.
Narrative[]
- Addermire Institute:
At Addermire, a Watchtower deters intruders approaching by boat. Most visitors come by carriage. - The Outsider:
The Outsider is a figure from myth, seen only by a handful of people in each generation. - Clockwork Mansion:
Grand Inventor Kirin Jindosh has a domed laboratory within his elaborate home that was once an observatory. - The Howlers:
Led by Paolo, the Howlers control crime in Karnaca. - Carriage Station:
Karnaca’s carriage lines connect the districts, granting passage to aristocrats and friends of Duke Luca Abele. - The Heart:
Direct the Heart at a person to hear their secrets and get a sense of their morality. - Heart Whispers:
The Heart will reveal secrets about people or places. Most others cannot see the Heart. - Lore Books:
Books provide lore and background information about the Empire of the Isles. - Imperial Safe Room:
The Dunwall Tower Safe Room contains a month’s supply of food and water. The Imperial signet rings are the only keys. - Grand Guard Patrols:
The Grand Serkonan Guard patrol outside the Royal Conservatory, but are not inside. - The Overseers:
Vice Overseer Byrne has established a temporary outpost in the Dust District. - Windbreaks:
Windbreaks have been erected to protect those living in the Dust District from the intense dust storms. - The Duke:
After old Duke Theodanis Abele died, his unprincipled son, Luca, took over as Duke of Serkonos. - The Abbey:
The Overseers from the Abbey are religious militants dedicated to fighting heresy and witchcraft. - Bloodbriars:
The supernatural vines summoned by Delilah’s coven will lash out at any nearby enemy, sometimes grabbing them. - Crone’s Hand Saloon:
Paolo and the Howlers own a bar in the Dust District that they’ve renamed The Crone’s Hand. - The Timepiece:
Unfold the Timepiece lenses to see into the alternate timeline. - Gang Activity:
Some areas around the Grand Palace are under Howler control. - The Cult of Delilah:
Delilah’s closest followers are women from across the Empire, who share some of her supernatural powers. - Witches:
Witches from Delilah’s coven can walk among bloodflies without harm. - Stilton Manor:
The Timepiece will allow you to solve odd puzzles within Stilton Manor, but can also be used to trick or bypass enemies. - Warped Magic:
Deprived of your supernatural powers and enhancement, you’ll have to rely on the Outsider’s Timepiece and your wits. - Past & Present:
Aramis Stilton’s Manor was more dangerous before it fell into ruin, back during the years that security was still in place. - Past Actions:
Armed with the Outsider’s Timepiece, take care. What you change in the past will have ramifications in the present. - Time Obstacles:
If there’s no way forward in the present, look for one in the past, and vice versa. - The Timepiece:
Using the Outsider’s Timepiece, you cannot carry bodies through time. - Time and Space:
If there’s an object or person blocking your intended “arrival” point, you won’t be able to switch time periods.
Powers[]
- Supernatural Powers:
Equip the Heart to hunt for Runes, then spend them to acquire or upgrade powers. - Upgrading Powers:
Runes can be used to gain or upgrade supernatural powers. - Powers & Sneaking:
For stealth, use Blink (Corvo) or Far Reach (Emily) to move from one cover position to another. - Mobility Powers:
Blink (Corvo) and Far Reach (Emily) are useful for stealth, exploration, and evasion; not just combat. - Vertical Exploration:
Agility allows you to jump higher and explore higher places. Combine Agility and Blink or Far Reach for extra distance. - Stopped Time:
If you stop time, you can attach a Sticky Grenade, Mine or Springrazor to an enemy. When time resumes, the device triggers. - Possession:
If you jump or fall from a great height, possess a person or animal on the way down to break your fall. - Dark Vision:
This supernatural power allows you to observe enemies through walls while hidden behind cover. - Greater Dark Vision:
This enhancement will enable you to see Clockwork Soldiers and security systems through walls. - Bend Time:
When time is stopped, nobody can see or hear you, enabling you to sneak past enemies without alerting them. - Possession:
Survive difficult combat situations by possessing an enemy and “hiding” inside them as you make your escape. - Mesmerize:
This supernatural power is versatile, allowing you to assassinate mesmerized enemies, or sneak past them while they are unaware. - Doppelgänger:
When badly wounded, summon your Doppelgänger and leave it behind to divert your enemies as you escape. - Combining Powers:
Link your Doppelgänger to enemies with Domino, then attack your own Doppelgänger to affect them all. - Possession:
Possessing people allows you to bypass security devices like the Wall of Light, if your host is authorized to pass. - Bend Time:
Projectiles stopped in mid-flight can be collected. - Rats and Bodies:
Rats summoned with Devouring Swarm will devour corpses and (sometimes) sleeping enemies, leaving no trace. - Domino:
Use Domino to link an enemy with a hapless civilian in order to take out the enemy. - Dark Vision:
Upgrade Dark Vision to spot valuables through walls. This helps when you are short on resources. - Shadow Walk:
Shadow Walk makes you silent and harder to see. But enemies will still perceive a moving shadow if you get close. - Shadow Walk:
While in Shadow Walk form, you will still take damage from enemies and security systems.
Resources[]
- Spending Coin:
At any of the black market shops scattered across Karnaca, you can spend money to buy or upgrade weapons and gear. - Gathering Resources:
Steal belt items from unaware enemies, or loot their bodies if they are unconscious or dead. - Scarce Resources:
Cut off from your allies, you must explore and scavenge to replenish ammo, collect coins, and find elixirs.
Security Systems[]
- The Arc Pylon:
This security device will release a powerful arc of electricity when any unauthorized person, or animal, comes too close. - The Arc Pylon:
The Arc Pylon is a powerful, stationary security device that produces a deadly arc of electricity. - Jury-rigged Traps:
Disarm trip-wire traps and loot the ammunition found inside the launcher. - Windmills:
In Karnaca, security systems are wind-powered. Follow the power lines to the Windmill and shut it down using the lever. - Electrified Systems:
The Wall of Light and Arc Pylon will not harm those recently attuned to them, such as on-duty Grand Guard personnel. - Rewiring:
Using Rewire Tools, you can turn a Wall of Light, Arc Pylon, or even Clockwork Soldiers to your advantage. - Alarms:
The Grand Guard will sound an alarm to call for reinforcements. - Watchtowers:
Avoid a Watchtower’s searchlight. Once you’re spotted, the Watchtower will sound an alarm and attack you. - Rewiring:
Using Rewire Tools, most security systems can be rewired, reversing their effects.
Settings[]
- Saving:
Save your game often. - Screen Brightness:
Brightness can be calibrated from the Options menu. - Difficulty Settings:
Change difficulty settings at any time from the Options menu. - Quick-save:
Quick-save and Quick-load are available from the Pause screen.
Stealth[]
- Making Noise:
If enemies hear suspicious sounds, they will come to investigate. - Moving Quietly:
Sprinting and running make your footsteps louder, alerting nearby enemies. Moving slower in Stealth Mode is completely silent. - Stealth Mode:
To sneak, go into Stealth Mode and stay behind cover. Low light makes you harder to see only at a distance. - Sneaking & Listening:
Eavesdropping sometimes reveals useful info. - Hiding Bodies:
Pick up dead or unconscious bodies to carry them to a hiding place. - Leaning:
Leaning out from behind cover enables you to watch enemies and eavesdrop undetected. - Nonlethal Takedown:
To avoid killing, choke an enemy unconscious, or knock them out by dropping from above. - Nonlethal Attacks:
Use sleep darts to knock your enemies out before they enter combat or sound the alarm. - Stealing Belt Items:
Pickpocket enemies, or loot their bodies, for coins, ammo, keys, and sometimes notes. - Throwing Bottles:
Throw empty bottles to distract enemies momentarily. Hit an unaware enemy in the head to knock them unconscious.