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Dishonored 2 is Bethesda's answer to the question, "What would happen if the Dishonored DLC was turned into a full game?"

The World

Dishonored 2 sees a departure from the oil painting streets of Dunwall into the water coloured city of Karnaca. The graphics are significantly improved this time around which can cause even high-end computers to chug. The world is much more immersive this time around and it can be easy to get distracted while exploring the detailed, but still closed, levels.

You can choose to either play as Corvo, the protagonist of the first game, or Emily, his daughter. Both protagonists are voiced and each have a unique set of magical powers that reflect their personalities and role in the world.

The decision to voice the player character based on the Dishonored 1 DLC, where the player controlled another assassin named Daud, was a good one. The player character will comment on many things happening in the world around them, making for a less detached experience.

Powers

Powers have also been expanded in this game. Not only does Emily have a quine set of powers from Corvo but both Corvo and Emily's powers have small upgrade trees for each ability. There is bone charm and rune crafting for both playable characters which allows for even more customization.
Dishonored is a series that prides itself on player choice and the sequel has done a lot to improve on that.

The Story

Among the things that Dishonored 2 has taken form the DLC of Dishonored 1 is the story. If you have not played the Dishonored DLC, Knife of Dunwall and Bridgmore Witches. you will be left in the dark about a lot of important information. There will be characters whose presence are not explained and story beats that wont make sense. If you have played KOD and BW, you will here the same things repeated over and over, plot twists will fall flat and you will be bored of the redundancy by the end. Dishonored 2 does its best to expand the history and lore of its characters and the world, however, what the game doesn't understand is that some questions are better left unanswered.

Achievements

For the achievement hunter, Dishonored 2 is significantly easier than its predecessor. The Dunwall Trials are not present in 2, making the checklist of achievements far easier to achieve. All 50 achievements can be acquired through a minimum of three playthroughs.

The game has great replayability, like the first game, but having multiple playable characters and a wider set of powers improves on this even more.

The Missions

Also in following the footsteps of the first game, the mission structure is almost a bit too similar. 9 missions, the first with no powers, a mission about the gangs, and a mission taking place at Dunwall tower. The Final mission of Dishonored 2 was a great moment and did not feel, as I expected, like cheap fan-service to the first game. Rather, it felt like a grand finale, finishing the series where it began. If you played Dishonored 1 then this mission was a great test of your memory from the first game and it felt like you were actually in the shoes of Corvo/Emily, finally returning to your home.

New Game +

A similar structure to the first game results in a similar major flaw, however. The game is too short. It feels like you are just getting all of the fun powers to play with and then the game is over. Arcane Studios did recognize this problem but instead of making a longer main game, a New Game + mode has been added for continued play after the ending.

Conclusion

Pros
Beautiful Graphics
Level Design
World Design
Character Depth
Replayability
Player Choice and Freedom
Expands upon the story

♥♥♥♥
Will not run on low end systems
Leaves unfamiliar players with too many questions
Story/missions is too similar to the first game, feels like a retelling of the DLC
Too Short