The more Dishonored shows us of the in-game mechanics, the more we're flashing back to the black and white morality of Bioshock and Bioshock 2. We knew there were two preferred styles of play, agressive and stealthy, but the Bethesda and Arkane developers are hinting that depending on your in-game actions the ending and story tone will definitely be influenced. This is great in a way, like how in Deus Ex: Human Revolution certain plots and dialogue opens up depending on your choices. But most of those choices involved optional achievements and quest items, or defending a downed plane.
The fact that we're going to be limited in terms of game play based on an internal measurment tracking how agressive or passive seems like a downer when you're essentially a Steampunk Nightcrawler/Spider-Man/Wolverine rolled into one. The Agression gameplay shows off ledge assassinations, gun play and razor mines while freezing time:
While the Stealth footage delves into the plot and how Corvo falls from grace as the Empress' bodyguard into a "supernatural assassin." In a stylistic nod, the difficulties are laid out in different states of the clockwork mask that Corvo wears once he becomes, well, dishonored. There seems to be further emphasis, like in Bioshock, for the non-overly violent way and its a question of how much is enough to veer into either extreme.
