Japanese setting and Doom-inspired mansion: the documentary Noclip about the creation of Dishonored has been released

The authors of the Noclip channel have released an hour-long documentary about the creation of the Dishonored series. They talked to Arkane employees about all aspects of the games — from concept development to the design of variable levels, including the Mechanical Mansion that impressed many players.

Dishonored was originally planned as a game in the setting of medieval Japan. However, Arkane specialists did not understand this culture very well and were afraid that the world would turn out to be too cliched. That’s why the studio decided to choose a London-inspired setting.

Arkane also believes that games are best suited to cause a person to feel ashamed. To do this, the studio has developed a system that makes you feel responsible for your actions and the chosen style of play.

Separately, the documentary tells about the creation of the famous Mechanical Mansion from Dishonored 2, which has become one of the most discussed and recognizable levels. The main sources of inspiration for the location were the first parts of Doom and other titles made on its engine, like Heretic and Hexen. “In those games, you pressed the button and didn’t know what was going to happen. Everything around you can change,” explains designer Daniel Todd, who designed this level.

According to Noclip, they shot the materials for the film last year, but they have collected them into a single project only now. The team also continues to work on a full-fledged documentary about the creation of Prey, another notable Arkane game.