Dishonored

Bethesda doesn't have enough good things to say about Dishonored. The game has been "exceeding expectations," as PR Chief Pete Hines recently said to Destructoid, and he couldn't be happier because great news for his game means less work for him. What's the great news? Well, Dishonored sold a killing over the holiday weekend, even becoming the number one game on Steam with a reduced price thanks to the Autumn Holiday Sale.

In response to the game's excellent reception, Hines claims that Bethesda "clearly have a new franchise on their hands."

"I can tell you that Dishonored is far exceeding our sales expectations, which is especially cool considering it's new IP facing a host of well-established franchises this quarter. We did terrific numbers again this past weekend, both in stores and on Steam, where Dishonored was listed as the #1 selling title over the holiday weekend. And Dishonored has really sold well overseas. So, we're very pleased and appreciate all the fans that have supported Dishonored and Arkane. We clearly have a new franchise."

This is great news for just about everyone involved. Of course, the fans benefit the most because they get the chance to play more Dishonored games. Arkane Studios is now officially a contender with a profitable franchise under its belt. Bethesda has been trying hard for years to land a side-series to complement their bread winners, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, turning to experiments like Brink, RAGE, and even WET of all games. Now, they seemed to have finally found a viable solution to fill that role.

I can't help but feel a little skeptical about Dishonored being a franchise, though. It's a wonderful game on its own merit, one of the best this year has to offer. However, much of the allure and hype surrounding this game was purely because of it being a straight up new IP, a breath of fresh air amongst an ocean of sequels. I look at this game and wonder where they could possibly take it.

Perhaps if they took a two or three years to plan how to pace it out and really create something special in the sequel again, much like BioShock: Infinite or The Elder Scrolls, then I can see fans welcoming it with open arms. However, that would negate what I think Bethesda wants to do with the franchise, which is use it as a hold over between their big RPGs. I would hate it if Dishonored became an annual franchise and morphed into the monster many people believe it stood against.

Dishonored is available for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It's a load of fun, and Bethesda is charging only $5 for a huge upcoming DLC package. Check it out now if you have yet to see what all the hype is about.