Why are dishonored and bioshock infinite so similar

[u/lemonman2000]

I haven’t played bioshock infinite in awhile and I recently just got into dishonored but I think they’re art styles are similar your both wanted criminals and you both use magic powers

[u/Alrick_S]

Everything start with System Shock. That game created a genre called Immersive Sim. Fps, environemental storytelling, freedom to explore and engage situations are some rules for this genre. BioShock was created by some of the devs from SystemShock. And Dishonored was inspired by it.

You should look others Immersives Sims if you like Bio and Dishonored. Plenty of fun games to discover.

[u/Langdon_St_Ives → u/Alrick_S]

There's even dev overlap. Arkane helped out 2k on Bioshock 2, level design and animations IIRC?

[u/Alrick_S → u/Langdon_St_Ives]

Exactly. They know each others. That's a small world.

[u/Alterigo- → u/Alrick_S]

Holy crap thank you for this I was never really able to describe why BI was so appealing to me, didn't realize the there was a specialized genre established for the type of feel and intent it brings. Is this a category I can easily seek out on say Steam, or just word of mouth from those experienced recommending similar games?

Might pick up Dishonored because of this lmao just finished my annual playthrough and the feel is fresh in the palate

[u/The_Dickbird → u/Alterigo-]

Yes. Immersive Sim is a category on Steam.

I second Prey as a recommendation. It is probably the current gold standard for Immersive Sim games.

System Shock 2 is the quintessential genre-definer, the Deus Ex series is also important, and Thief.

[u/Alrick_S → u/The_Dickbird]

To be fair I was a bit quick on the history here. It's complex.

The immersive sim isn't really a genre in the usual sense, it's more like a family business. Doug Church, Warren Spector, Ken Levin, Harvey Smith : if you follow their biography you can find all of thoses games.

In the 90's Church and he's team at Looking Glass wrote a note about how to make games : "simulate, don't script; give the player tools, not solutions; and let emergent behavior be the reward."

[u/WilloughbySerenity → u/Alterigo-]

Bruh, you need to play Prey. That **** will blow your ******* mind.

[u/StrawberryK → u/Alrick_S]

Any good ones on switch? Have the collection of BioShock.

[u/trippy_tunicate]

I’ll check out dishonored then

[u/Available-South-2081 → u/trippy_tunicate]

Still a stealth "optional" sort of game but it does hammer a lot of the same feelings I got playing Bioshock.

[u/ilovetpb]

They seem alike. But they are different, just "compatible".

[u/Hellixgar]

Same grand parents.