So, you’re back in Karnaca. Or maybe it’s your first time stepping off the Dreadful Wale and you’re already feeling that low-level anxiety that comes with a Dishonored 2 walkthrough PS4 run. I get it. This isn't just a "shoot the bad guys" simulator. It’s a dense, weird, Clockwork Soldier-infested playground that rewards patience but absolutely punishes indecision. Honestly, the biggest mistake most players make—and I’ve seen this in dozens of playthroughs—is trying to play Emily or Corvo like they’re in a standard first-person shooter. You aren't. You’re a supernatural assassin or a ghost, depending on your mood, and the PS4 version brings its own set of quirks, especially regarding those DualShock 4 sensitivity settings that can make or break a high-chaos run.
Choosing Your Path: Corvo vs. Emily
First things first. You have to pick a protagonist. It’s not just a cosmetic choice. If you're looking for a Dishonored 2 walkthrough PS4 experience that feels fresh, Emily Kaldwin is the way to go. Her Far Reach ability isn't just a "Blink" clone; it has momentum. You can slingshot yourself across the map. Corvo is the classic choice, and his Blink is still technically superior for precision because it freezes time for a split second while you aim it.
Emily’s Domino power is arguably the most broken—in a good way—ability in the history of Arkane Studios. You link four guards together, sleep-dart one, and they all go down. It's beautiful. Corvo, on the other hand, is the king of crowd control with Possession and Bend Time. If you want to feel like a god, pick the old man. If you want to play the game the way the developers clearly intended for this sequel, pick the Empress.
A Dishonored 2 Walkthrough PS4 Logic: The Non-Lethal Trap
Everyone wants that "Clean Hands" trophy. I know you do. But here is the reality: trying to go 100% non-lethal on your very first PS4 playthrough is a recipe for frustration. The AI in this game is significantly smarter than the first one. They look up. They notice when their buddies are missing. They hear you clucking around in the pipes.
If you're following a Dishonored 2 walkthrough PS4 guide, the best advice I can give you is to embrace "Semi-Stealth." Kill the people who deserve it. Avoid the ones who don't. The "Low Chaos" ending is actually quite forgiving; you don't need a zero-kill count to get it. You just need to keep your total murder rate under about 20% of the map's population. This gives you breathing room to mess up.
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The Clockwork Mansion: Don't Panic
Ask anyone who has played this game what the hardest part is, and they’ll say Mission 4. Kirin Jindosh’s Clockwork Mansion is a masterpiece of level design, but it’s a nightmare for a walkthrough. The house shifts. Rooms disappear. You’re being hunted by wooden machines with blades for arms.
Here is the pro tip: You can actually reach Jindosh without ever pulling a single lever to change the house. If you do this, he doesn't even know you're there. You just have to shoot the glass ceiling in the very first room and climb into the "behind the scenes" area. It skips about 80% of the mansion’s puzzles. It’s the ultimate "work smarter, not harder" move.
Dealing with the Soldiers
Clockwork Soldiers are terrifying. They have eyes in the back of their heads. Literally. If you’re on PS4, aiming for their heads with a crossbow is tricky because of the controller's analog dead zones. Use mines. Stun mines are your best friend here. Two upgrades on a stun mine will take a Clockwork Soldier out instantly without alerting the whole house. If you have to go melee, jump from a height and do a drop-assassination, but remember you have to do it twice to actually kill them.
The Sound of Silence and The Royal Conservatory
By the time you hit Mission 5, the game stops holding your hand. Breanna Ashworth is your target, and she’s surrounded by Gravesinger witches. These enemies are much more aggressive than the Grand Serkonan Guard. They blink around, they use screams to stun you, and they have bloodhounds that can smell you through walls.
A lot of people struggle with the "Oracular Sisters" puzzle here. Honestly? Don't overthink it. Most of the lore you find in the notes is just flavor text. Focus on the lenses. Finding the discarded lenses in the basement and bringing them up to the machine is the fastest way to strip Ashworth of her powers. Once she's powerless, she's just a regular person you can knock out or kill with zero effort.
Technical Tweaks for PS4 Players
Since we are talking about the PS4 specifically, we need to address the performance. Dishonored 2 had a rocky launch, but it's mostly patched now. However, the input lag can still feel a bit "heavy."
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- Turn off Head Bob: This helps with the motion sickness that some people get during the more vertical sections.
- Adjust Friction: Turn the aim friction down if you find the reticle "sticking" to enemies when you're trying to lead a shot with the crossbow.
- Quick Save Constantly: The PS4 doesn't have the lightning-fast SSD of the PS5. Your loads will take a minute. Get into the habit of hitting that Options button and manual saving before every major room entry. It saves you from replaying 20 minutes of stealth because a guard saw your toe.
Bonecharms: The Real Game Changer
You’ll find raw whalebone and runes everywhere. Use them. Specifically, look for the "Swift Shadow" bonecharm. It makes you move faster while crouching. In a game where you spend 90% of your time in a crouch-walk, this is the single most important item in the game. If you're doing a Dishonored 2 walkthrough PS4 run without crafting your own charms, you're playing at a disadvantage. Level up the Bonecharm Crafting skill early so you can stack four of the same effect onto one charm. Four "Swift Shadow" traits will make you move faster than most guards can run.
Why The Dust District Is A Maze
Mission 6, the Dust District, is where the game tries to break your brain. You have two targets: Paolo and Vice Overseer Byrne. You can kill one, kill both, or help one trap the other. Or, you can ignore both of them and solve the Jindosh Lock yourself.
The lock is a logic puzzle. It's different for every single player. You can't just look up the answer online because the game randomizes the names and the heirlooms. If you're a math nerd, sit down with a piece of paper and solve it. If you're like me and want to get on with the story, just sneak into Durant’s office in the Crone’s Hand Saloon. The solution is written on a note there. It’s much faster than trying to play Sherlock Holmes while Overseers are throwing grenades at you.
A Quick Note on the "A Crack in the Slab" Mission
This is the one with the time travel. No powers. Just a timepiece that lets you jump between the past and the present. It’s the most creative mission in the game, but also the most confusing for a PS4 player because the "preview" window on the timepiece can sometimes drop the frame rate.
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The trick here is to stay in the past as little as possible. The past is where the guards are. The present is a ruined, empty house. Clear a path in the present, jump to the past to open a door, and jump right back. If you knock out Stilton in the past, the "present" version of the house completely changes into a lush, inhabited mansion. It’s a cool detail that actually makes the later missions easier because it changes the world's state.
Final Moves and Actionable Steps
The end of the game takes you back to Dunwall. It’s a full-circle moment. By now, you should have enough runes to be a walking god. If you’ve been following this Dishonored 2 walkthrough PS4 strategy, you’ve likely realized that the environment is your biggest weapon.
If you want to finish this game feeling like you've mastered it, do these three things right now:
- Stop Reloading Saves for Every Mistake: If you get caught, fight your way out or run. Some of the best moments in Dishonored 2 happen when things go sideways.
- Invest in Agility Early: Double jumping and faster sprinting are more useful than almost any offensive power. Movement is king.
- Look Up: 99% of the guards in Karnaca never look at the chandeliers or the pipes. If you’re struggling with a room, find the highest point and stay there.
Don't over-complicate the narrative choices. Whether you freeze Delilah in a painting or stab her in the neck, the journey is what matters. Focus on finding those runes, stacking your bonecharms, and for heaven's sake, keep an eye on your mana bar. You don't want to try a Far Reach across a massive gap only to realize you're out of juice. Stick to the rooftops, keep your sword sheathed until you absolutely need it, and you'll see the end of the Kaldwin era in one piece.