Dishonored dev: Corridor games are a 'circus'

Dishonored creative director Raf Colantonio is a fan of open world and corridor games alike, but tends to feel that the latter is a little bit like a circus. Colantonio tells VG247 why giving players freedom to express themselves is more important that spectacle and rigid rules.

Speaking to VG247 at gamescom last week, we asked Colantonio if he felt that freedom to approach objectives and to express yourself in games is currently lacking in the industry, and why corridor games focus more on spectacle and giving you a big show.

"For me as a gamer yes," Colantonio laughed, "I don't know, I mean like, I think a lot of people at Arkane do love games that liberate and let you explore and experiment with systems. That's better than moving down a line and just shooting things that are coming at you."

"But that's OK," the director continued, "and I understand why the industry does that in a way. It's so hard to make games, and people want to invest their dollars in the things that are the most impactful, and put all of their dollars in special effects - it's a circus - that's why people do it."

"I understand that, but from a gamer's perspective it sucks, but it's cool because sometimes you want to play something like that and just sit there. But at the same time I don't want to only do that, you know?" Colantonio concluded.

Dishonored certainly isn't a corridor-based game, giving players a wealth of freedom to approach Corvo's assassinations however they wish - be it teleporting over patrolling guards, breaking and entering, or possessing a fish.

Yep, possessing a fish.

Stay tuned for our full Dishonored interview soon.