Arkane discuss creating Dishonored games in new Noclip documentary

Noclip has released an hour-long documentary on the making of the Dishonored series. The authors talked to Arkane about all aspects of these two games, from creating a concept to designing impressive levels like the famous Clockwork Mansion.

The first Dishonored could have been designed in a different setting. “[Todd Vaughn] had this idea of a game like Thief, but medieval Japanese,” says Sébastien Mitton, art director of Dishonored. However, Arkane abandoned this idea to avoid clichés and focus on the culture they knew the best, which is the European, London-inspired world.

Arkane also thought that games as a medium are better at guilt and can make players feel responsible for their actions. That’s why the studio decided to build the whole story and gameplay around this concept.

The big part of the documentary is dedicated to Clockwork Mansion, a signature level from Dishonored 2. It was inspired by the first Doom and other games on its engine, like Heretic and Hexen. “In those games, you can find a button, and you don’t know what’s going to happen when you push it. Everything around you can change,” explains Daniel Todd, who designed this fan-favorite level.

You can watch the whole documentary below. Noclip is now also working on the full documentary on the making of Prey, another famous game by Arkane Studios.