If you liked Arcane, you should play Dishonored 2

Arcane concluded its second and final season last Saturday. The adult animated action series produced by French studio Fortiche, set in Riot Games’ universe League of Legends ended with a finale that was as spectacular as it was bittersweet, confirming the resolution of several major character arcs and the future of Piltover and Zaun’s continued coexistence.

Fans of Arcane shouldn’t be too upset by its absence, though, as showrunner and co-creator Christian Linke told Polygon that Riot and Fortiche are already working on several unannounced projects in the League of Legends universe. That’s fine in the long run, but what about the good? now?

If you’re looking for something, somethingto help you out while you wait for Fortiche to return to the world of Runeterra, your first reaction might be to boot League of Legendsof course, or maybe even Team Fight Tacticswhich recently received a new set themed around the second season of the Netflix show. I’m going to make one more suggestion though: as long as you’re familiar with it Arcane and not the rest of the Riot universe, don’t play League of Legends. Play Dishonored 2.

You’re probably wondering, “Why shouldn’t I play? League of Legends? I love those characters and that setting; I shouldn’t play the game Arcane is based on?” Normally I would agree with that sentiment. But while the characters and setting of Arcane are pulled directly out League of Legendsthe story and plot are more or less a large-scale invention for the show, woven from the fragmentary character sketches added to the game over the last fifteen years. Moreover, the moment-to-moment gameplay is of League of Legendsa MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) game à la Dota 2 or Heroes of the stormis a far cry from the atmosphere and visual style of Arcane.

Dishonored 2however, fits that description almost perfectly – especially in its appearance and steampunk-inspired atmosphere. Although bookended by sections taking place in Dunwall, the main setting of the first Dishonoredthe 2016 sequel is set primarily in Karnaca, the southernmost tip of the empire. Like Dishonored‘s Dunwall, and even more relevant Arcane‘s Piltover and Zaun, Kanarca is a city characterized by the great divide between the haves and the have-nots. The island’s upper class is comfortably ensconced in lavish, modernist apartments and palaces on the island’s green top, while the lower castes are expelled to the offal-soaked docks, dust-choked canyons and bloodfly-infested hovels in the most uninhabitable corners of Karnaca.

If there is one thing Arcane And Dishonored 2 parts abound, it is their love of architecture, especially turn-of-the-century styles such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Karnaca confidently earns its moniker as the ‘Jewel of the South’ in the Dishonored universe, with an aesthetic that combines the Mediterranean style of Greek, Italian and Spanish architecture with extravagant touches of Art Nouveau-inspired artwork. The architecture of Piltover Arcane is strongly inspired by art decowith its elaborate stained glass windows and gold accents, while Zaun’s undercity draws most of its aesthetic from a combination of steampunk and art nouveau – especially in the various posters and illustrations that decorate the city’s interiors.

The visual style of Arcane also shares more than a few common points of contact with Dishonored 2with its angular character silhouettes, sharp profiles and richly detailed facial features and expressions. Dishonored 2 is one of the visually most beautiful games of the eighth console generation, and that is no wonder Arcaneone of the most visually distinctive and adventurous animated series in recent memory, would share a plethora of common inspirations.

While Dishonored 2The premise of a deposed empress fighting to reclaim her throne from a despotic immortal sorceress may seem several degrees removed from ArcaneThe feud between siblings turned into a civil war, there are more than a few similarities in the stories when you take a closer look at both. Both focus on societies on the brink of civil unrest, with wealth inequality and class differences on full display. Both prominently feature supernatural adversaries in the form of Arcane‘s Black Rose Society and the Brigmore coven of witches led by Delilah Kaldwin, Dishonored 2‘s main antagonist. And gifted scientists of genius play a crucial role in both Arcane‘s and Dishonored 2‘s stories, with Viktor in the former and Kirin Jindosh in the latter. As if that weren’t enough, Viktor’s Hexcore-corrupted form and personality bear a striking resemblance to that of the Outsider, the supernatural entity that has appeared in every Dishonored game to date and exists as an anthropomorphic manifestation of the ‘Void ‘, a primordial natural entity. dimension that essentially functions as Dishonored’s equivalent to the arcane in Arcane.

If you’ve looked Arcane and you wondered what it would be like to play a game where you could effortlessly leap over the rooftops of a city like Piltover, or sneak through the underbelly of Zaun unnoticed, then you’re in luck; Dishonored 2 is exactly the game that delivers that experience and much more. Even if first-person stealth games aren’t your forte, I guarantee you won’t regret it Dishonored 2 only an opportunity based on the strength of its environment and the construction of the world. And hey, if you happen to enjoy it, you can easily pick up the rest of the Dishonored series and dive deeper into the dark fantasy world.

Dishonored 2 is available to play on PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One and via Game Pass.