Dark Vision

Lore & Background

The power of Dark Vision stems directly from the intervention of the Outsider, a powerful being who imbues Corvo with magical abilities after he is framed for the Empress's murder. In the fictional, industrial city of Dunwall—modeled on late nineteenth-century London and Edinburgh—this ability serves as a critical tool for navigating a world filled with oppression and plague. The game features seven active powers in total, and Dark Vision is distinct in its capacity to highlight field-of-view indicators and interactive objects through barriers.

Co-creative designer Harvey Smith and the development team at Arkane Studios designed these abilities to be combined, allowing players to create varied effects. While the power reveals the immediate physical layout of a mission area, it does not show 'echoes' or spectral imprints of past events, nor does it function as a passive sense that is always on; it must be activated and consumes mana, which partially regenerates over time.

Reader's Guide

To utilize Dark Vision effectively, players must first acquire runes—artifacts carved from whale bone—which are used to unlock and upgrade the ability. Once unlocked, it is assigned to a specific control input (left hand for magic) and consumes mana when active. Mana partially regenerates after use, allowing repeated activation of lower-cost abilities like Blink and Dark Vision, though higher-cost powers such as Possession or Bend Time require mana potions found throughout the game world.

The ability reveals enemies through walls, their field-of-view indicators, and interactive objects, aiding in stealth by allowing players to avoid detection or plan silent takedowns. It is impossible to accrue all powers and upgrades in a single playthrough due to rune limitations, encouraging multiple runs with different builds. Dark Vision does not prevent detection if the player moves into an enemy's line of sight while active; it only reveals that line of sight beforehand.

The ability works in conjunction with other stealth elements like hiding behind objects or using sound to distract guards.

Did You Know?

• Dark Vision is one of seven active supernatural powers granted by the Outsider, alongside Blink, Bend Time, Possession, Devouring Swarm, Wind Blast, and Shadow Kill.
• The ability highlights interactive objects and enemy field-of-view cones through walls, aiding in mission planning without direct combat.
• Managers at Arkane Studios redesigned levels to accommodate players exploiting powers like Dark Vision rather than restricting the technique.