Best Arkane Studios Games

Arkane Studios spent roughly two decades creating some of the greatest and most immersive games of all time, something that can be easy to forget due to the developer’s inconsistent output over the last 6 years. Sure, not every release has been a success, but games like Dishonored, Prey, and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic ensured that Arkane’s legacy would always be a (mostly) positive one.

At the moment, Arkane is working on Marvel’s Blade, which could be the company’s biggest release ever, at least in terms of exposure. The upcoming project does not currently have a release date, and it could be a while longer before it materializes. Consequently, if you are itching for some superpowered stealth gameplay, you might want to revisit Arkane’s best games or even try one of their more divisive releases.

KarmaStar has not been included as the iOS game is no longer available, at least as far as I can tell.

10

Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot

A VR Treat That Is Not A Full, Satisfying Meal

Arkane’s association with Wolfenstein happened to coincide with the license’s decline in quality, although this era still produced some things of value. While the company lent a hand in the development of Youngblood, Arkane took the lead for Cyberpilot, a short VR experience that attracted very little attention when it debuted in 2019.

A short but occasionally enjoyable experience, the game puts players in charge of mechas popularized by MachineGames’ franchise. Over the course of four levels, the campaign guides players through Nazi-occupied France as they fight in favor of the resistance. Like many VR packages, Cyberpilot prioritizes style over substance, and the overly simplistic gunplay provides very little incentive for a replay; that said, this is a fine experience for the roughly two hours it lasts.

9

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

A Repetitive And Mediocre Campaign Held Together By Solid Gunplay

While Cyberpilot is little more than a side distraction, Youngblood is closer to a proper successor to Wolfenstein 2, although it does not come close to reaching the heights seen by The New Colossus or even The New Order. Set a few decades following the events of the second game, the story follows Blazkowicz’s daughters as they try to find their dad. Naturally, their search involves shooting armies of Nazi troops and robots.

Youngblood‘s moment-by-moment gunplay is fine, which should hardly come as a surprise since it is largely lifted from its predecessor. However, everything else is a mixed bag. The campaign’s structure emphasizes repetition, while the introduction of RPG-style levels for enemies only results in dragged-out encounters. The plot is also painfully forgettable and uneventful, particularly when compared to the previous entries in MachineGames’ reboot era.

8

Redfall

Arkane’s Worst Solo Game Is Nowadays Playable

Created by the developer’s Austin branch, which previously worked on Prey, this vampire-themed shooter contains many staples that have come to define Arkane, including an interesting setting and a combat system revolving around gunplay and supernatural-leaning abilities. Unfortunately, the game launched with many issues that extended beyond performance, to the point that a 30 FPS lock on the Xbox Series X was relegated to a minor squabble.

Story-wise, the campaign is set in the eponymous town that has become overrun by vampires. Redfall has four playable characters who serve as unique classes, permitting players to step into the shoes of vampire hunters tasked with freeing the town from the grasp of the Hollow Man and other vampire gods. Redfall has a fun enough premise that could have been an enjoyable mix of supernatural horrors and an element of faction warfare; unfortunately, the plot is damaged by a bare-bones presentation that neuters the characters and the world they inhabit.

The gameplay has decent points, including a solid arsenal of weapons. Not every gun is fun to use, but they are more than capable of getting the job done. However, the combat is undermined by sluggish controls and inconsistent AI enemies that seem to have a collective death wish. Visually, Redfall does not look particularly good, which might have been acceptable if so many other elements did not come across as half-baked.

After the game’s debut, Arkane released a 2.0 update that addressed some of the main issues, including the frame rate and the brain-dead AI. Redfall‘s Update 3 patch was another step in the right direction, resulting in an experience that is far better than the infamous launch version. Nowadays, the game is an OK example of an open-world shooter, even if it is nowhere close to the best entries in that genre. I would still not recommend going out of your way to play it, but if you have time to kill and a Game Pass subscription, Redfall might keep you entertained for a couple of days.

7

Arx Fatalis

Arkane’s First Game Is Still A Great Immersive Sim

Even though everyone will have their favorites, Arkane’s in-house resume is fairly consistent. Up until 2021, very little separated the developer’s “worst” and “best” projects. The company’s debut title, Arx Fatalis, is an ambitious first-person RPG set largely beneath the surface as it takes place in a world stripped of the sun’s warmth.

As with most new studios, this release shows some growing pains, be it the enjoyable but clunky combat or the occasional obtuse quest. However, Arx Fatalis also highlights exactly why Arkane has grown into such a beloved developer over the last 20 years. Like Dishonored or Prey, Arx Fatalis prioritizes player freedom through build customization and unrestricted level design. The game also utilizes a neat magic system that involves combining rune symbols to execute attacks. Although beaten to the punch by Deus Ex, Arx Fatalis was one of the first examples of an immersive sim, with the game encouraging you to experiment with solutions for most problems. Most of the game’s world is tangible and interactive, which really enhances the immersion. The campaign largely avoids relying on tutorials, instead just allowing players to discover things on their own.

Arx Fatalis is awesome, and it only ranks so low due to being an acquired taste due to its age.

6

Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic

The Most Fun Combat In An Arkane Game

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic might be the most difficult Arkane project to rank since, in many ways, it is the company’s least impressive release. The game has a weak story that does not have anything noteworthy to say, a statement that cannot be extended to most of the developer’s other releases. As a fantasy realm, Ashan was rather nondescript in 2006, and time has done little to make it more interesting.

Yet, despite those criticisms, Dark Messiah is still an easy recommendation due to its fantastic combat system, which compares favorably to Arkane’s subsequent releases. This RPG is a murder simulator, and the game makes extra sure that players have all the tools they could need to create magic, both literally and figuratively.

5

Deathloop

Maybe The Most Polarizing Arkane Game, But It Can Be Brilliant

Deathloop follows Colt, an assassin trapped in a time loop that can only be broken once he completes his task (to kill eight targets in a single day). This process is complicated further by the arrival of another assassin who targets the protagonist, and they can even be controlled by a second player. While not completely devoid of a story, Deathloop is more action-driven than most of Arkane’s other releases, particularly the company’s 2010s output.

The game is built upon a combat system that feels like a compilation of the developer’s previous projects, combining gunplay, stealth, and unlockable abilities. The time loop mechanic is rather forgiving and encourages players to not only try different approaches but also accumulate information on each target in the service of subsequent runs. As great as it is, Deathloop can be a rather polarizing experience, particularly since its inherently repetitive nature can give way to boredom after a while. The game’s less-than-fantastic enemy AI also becomes more and more evident with each new restart.

4

Dishonored: Death Of The Outsider

A Fantastic Expansion With Stellar Gameplay, Level Design, And Characters

Someone’s mileage with Death of the Outsider, Dishonored 2‘s standalone expansion, will likely come down to expectations. Compared to other entries in the series, this project reduces build and playstyle options; basically, Death of the Outsider casts players in an already well-defined role (Billie Lurk) that does not present as much wiggle room for experimentation as Dishonored 2. The expansion is built around Emily’s three core abilities, which are instantly available and do not change all that much throughout the campaign. As there is no Chaos system, there is not much reason to opt for a pacifist run, outside of wanting a change of pace. That said, it is still an option, even if it is not rewarded.

Death of the Outsider‘s narrower approach might put off a few long-time Dishonored fans, but this creative decision has its benefits. For one, the expansion has some of Arkane’s tightest and strongest level layouts since they are designed around fewer potential approaches than the mainline entries. The combat system has also been tweaked to encourage more liberal use of Billie’s abilities, resulting in the best moment-to-moment gameplay in the Dishonored series. Billie, in general, is a great character with a well-defined personality, a lingering past, and complex motives that make her feel human rather than a power fantasy. Despite not having a morality meter, Death of the Outsider still includes narrative choices that matter and have consequences.

3

Dishonored

The Most Important Arkane Game

Dishonored put Arkane on the map, and some might argue it is still the company’s crowning achievement. The campaign follows Corvo, who is falsely accused of killing Dunwall’s Empress; naturally, he sets out to right this wrong. Narratively, Dishonored is among Arkane’s strongest works, as the developer did a fantastic job of not only fleshing out its protagonist and supporting characters but also building a captivating world that has enticed players to embark on repeat visits.

Dishonored emphasizes flexibility in its maps and missions. Players are allowed to choose their preferred method of approaching scenarios, and they can decide whether they want Corvo to kill everyone on sight or take a quieter pacifist approach. This freedom encourages repeat playthroughs, especially since Dishonored has multiple endings. While still passable, the game’s combat is among Arkane’s weaker efforts, although that mostly has to do with its age.

2

Dishonored 2

A Sequel That Outdoes Its (Great) Predecessor In Most Ways

Mechanically, Dishonored 2 improves on nearly everything that worked in its predecessor. Following a quick introduction, players get to pick one of two protagonists: a returning Corvo or the Empress herself, Emily. While their core mechanics are largely similar, they both gradually unlock unique abilities that distinguish them from each other. Consequently, Dishonored 2 is arguably Arkane’s most replayable game, especially since both Corvo and Emily support various playstyles. Narratively, the leads essentially follow the same storyline, which is decent but does not reach the heights of Dishonored or Arx Fatalis.

While the plot might not be out-of-this-world amazing, Dishonored 2‘s world more than picks up the slack. The game primarily takes place in Karnaca, a gorgeous, lively, and adaptive city that is brimming with overt and subtle environmental storytelling. More importantly, Karnaca works beautifully as a sandbox to encourage players to carve their own identities. Overall, this entry is the best Dishonored game.

1

Prey

The Best Arkane Studios Game

Prey drops players in a desolate space station that happens to have an alien infestation. With little context and rather general directions, players venture out on an intense, dizzying, and unforgettable journey that balances action, stealth, and horror elements. Prey moves at a deliberately slow pace when compared to Arkane’s other projects, a decision that heightens the setting’s atmospheric and unsettling nature.

Talos 1, the space station, is Arkane’s greatest sandbox, a statement that is not made lightly. Even though it can be disorienting initially, Talos 1 is expertly designed and, at times, comes across like an expansive puzzle that needs to be carefully solved. As the more interesting abilities are not unlocked until a few hours in, Prey‘s combat takes a while to fully get going; however, once it does, it is a great deal of fun. More importantly, the game leaves it entirely to the player to make their way through this story, giving them the tools to experiment but rarely emphasizing a solution. All abilities have multiple uses and reward creativity, inspiring many moments where you try something that seems impossible, but it ends up working. Although not featuring a morality system, Prey‘s human and typhon upgrades have a notable impact beyond just skills, as they effectively change the protagonist’s being.