Dishonored is a first-person action game. Developer arcane studios' mission is to create an immersive, visceral experience that lets players experiment and be creative in affecting the world around them. This philosophy revolves around what co-creative directors Harvey Smith and Raf Colantonio lovingly refer to as "the simulation." Against the backdrop of a revenge tale that pits the Empress' former bodyfuard against the regime that convicted him for her murder, the simulation is a complex machine that the player can affect in dozens of interesting ways.