At E3 2016 we got a good look at the coming sequel Dishonored 2, due for release on PS4, Xbox One and PC on November 11. We learnt that the game is set 15 years after the 2012 original. We also learnt that while we’re still in the Empire of the Isles, we’re quite a trip from the oppressive rat-plagued streets of Dunwall. Instead, Dishonored 2 is set in the sunny seaside village of Karnaca, which is modelled on the iconic coastline of Southern Europe – in particular, Italy, Greece and Spain.The E3 demo focused in on new protagonist, Emily Kaldwin. The daughter of the first game’s hero Corvo Attano, she had been ruling the land as the Empress of Dunwall prior to the beginning of Dishonored 2. However, now she has been dethroned and outcast. Emily has since followed in her father’s footsteps; becoming a deadly assassin armed with her own array of supernatural powers, bestowed upon her by The Outsider. She is in Karnaca with her father seeking something – not yet revealed – that is critical to overthrowing the “otherworldly usurper” and regaining Emily her throne.In the mission shown at E3, two local forces – the Howlers and the Vice Overseer – vie for power in Karnaca, and Emily was able to choose a side to support. It’s an important choice we’re told, which will not only define the future of the city, but also play a large role in deciding which ending you will witness. Emily chose to side with the Howlers.For this new demo at QuakeCon, we enjoyed the same mission – which unfolds in a district called Dust – but this time in the shoes of Corvo. And Corvo decided to side with the Overseer. Despite unfolding in the same sandbox, the difference in the two demos is stark, and when compared with each other, it suggests Dishonored 2 is two games in one.You see, both characters are playable throughout the entire game, (bar the Prologue, which is Emily-specific), yet have different styles of play, so can manipulate the sandbox in their own unique way. It’s ultimately player-driven, but the variety it offers is impressive.It’s every bit an extension of the game’s driving design pillar – player choice – as you are merely confronted with a location and an objective. You are then free to use your ever upgrading set of powers and skills to find a solution to the puzzle by any means you see fit. Emily is more elegant about her business, with her own set of abilities that perhaps tier her more towards stealth and deception as her main tactics. But it’s clear that the older, male hero is a bit more heavy-footed. A bit more prone to taking the ultra-violent path, perhaps.Corvo retains all the skills and abilities from the first game, ensuring a familiar playing landscape for those who simply wish to return into the popular character’s skin once again. For example, while sneaking towards Paolo’s – the head honcho of the Howlers – location, Corvo finds himself supressed by a nest of Bloodflies. Using possession, he dives into the skin of one of the Bloodflies then moves in bug form to a safer location to return to human shape. The sequence shows just how handy the power can be, and instantly floods the mind with numerous strategic opportunities to utilise in future encounters.It’s clear the level design has opened up, and players have more freedom to get up, in and over buildings and objects (as does the AI), as well as being offered more tactical options from a higher vantage point. Whereas in the Emily demo great use was made of that verticality, in the Corvo demo, a completely different route through the stage is taken. More like the first game, it bounces between the streets and internal locations, feeling more claustrophobic and frantic as a result.Corvo does devise a rather grand escape. In the demo’s most crowd-pleasing moment, the limp body of an unconscious Paolo is thrown over the side of a building. Corvo slows-time as the body falls, Blinks down towards a threat on the street below who is killed dramatically in the diving motion, leaving Corvo enough time to turn and catch the falling body as the world returns to normal.Interestingly, Corvo wasn’t meant to be part of Dishonored 2 when development began – it was a relatively late decision to add him and his skillset to the game-world. It’s his inclusion, however, that makes it feel like this is two games in one. Until we have time to truly explore this sandbox and test its limits, we won’t be able to see how the level design holds up to two competing character skillsets seeking the same objective – will they truly feel unique, or did Arkane have to go out of its way to show something different in its two demos?As it stands, Dishonored 2 appears to offer even greater player-choice. Especially given the branching narrative - this particular mission really has four different experiences to offer depending on who you play, and which side you choose. Has Arkane bitten off more than it can chew? Or will the game offer mission after mission of incredible player freedom? We’ll find out in a few months.: In an interview with Harvey Smith, co-creative director for Dishonored 2, following the initial publication of this article, we got further clarification on how the character select will work. As it turns out, after the initial prologue, you will choose either Emily or Corvo and be stuck with that choice for the remainder of the game. However, there are more options in the Dust stage than initially thought. You can choose to assassinate both targets, or neither. So in truth, the plot has only thickened.