The Dishonored series is one of the best stealth-action franchises, with the first game being a really stand-out entry. The Dishonored games are known for their high level of detail, polish, and refinement, especially when it comes to explorable locations. The first game in particular is made up of some intricate locations from houses to docks to factories.
One of the best locations in the first Dishonored is The Hound Pits Pub. This rundown and derelict location is more or less your hub area in the game. You will return to this location a lot for missions, items, and upgrades. The Hound Pits Pub is such a memorable and special location and is brimming with small details that are easily missed.
10 The Hound Pits Sign
When you first make land after escaping the sewers, the first location you encounter will be The Hound Pits Pub. As you make your way off the small boat that carried you here, you might simply troll up the stairs into the pub, not giving a second glance at your surroundings.
By taking a minute and just looking up prior to nearing the building, you will notice two different signs pointing to the pub. They might not be major details or completely hidden but a lot of players will simply walk past these signs before noticing the extra detail guiding you to the pub.
9 The Whale Bros Stickers
It’s no surprise to those that have played Dishonored that a majority of the industry in Dunwall and the surrounding regions is whale oil. Players are able to see all sorts of environmental objects in and around Dunwall about this major industry.
Venturing behind the counter in The Hound Pits Pub reveals a few different taps. On one of the taps is a red Whale Bros Dunwall sticker. This sticker is a nod to one of the families that run this industry. It’s a very small detail that is easily missed but helps to flesh out the lore and game world.
8 Pick Up The Bottles
Dishonored not only has a high level of detail but also has a lot of wonderful environmental interactivity. Within The Hound Pits Pub are, to be expected, many bottles and glasses. You can actually walk right behind the bar and pick up each of the elegantly places bottles and glasses.
Sure it will probably be a lot more fun to just pick them up to throw them in order to watch them break, however, you might want to take them to a table to pretend that you are running the bar. This level of interactivity really helps Dishonored shine with such fantastic detail.
7 Below The Hound Pits Pub
Just below the surface, pun intended, of The Hound Pits Pub lies a small room with a locked door. It’s very easy to walk past the opened grate and chain that leads you to this basement area. While there really isn’t anything too exciting down here, it’s interesting to see the inner workings.
Like much of this game, the fact that the developers gave an option to fully explore this hub area location really helps with the world-building. This section even ties into the narrative with the pub providing an easy hideout or exit should the need arise. Small details like this are why Dishonored is loved by its many fans.
6 The Maid With The Key
The Hound Pits Pub has a number of NPCs walking around, working, or simply meandering. The maid is one such NPC who traverses all floors of the pub. Most often you find her cleaning and dusting, moving from room to room, without really ever interacting with you.
Keen-eyed players will notice that the maid actually has a gold key that can be taken. Since The Hound Pits Pub is a safe location with friendly characters, do you actually want to risk stealing from one of them? That decision is left up to the player but this small detail related to one of the NPCs can help in the long run should you opt to take it.
5 Yes, The Faucets Actually Work
Dishonored not only provides a tight and fluid game, it also features highly interactive elements such as the water faucets. While this may be superfluous, it shows how the world aims to pull you into its context. Many games put environmental objects, such as sinks, into their games but rarely give you the option to actually use them.
Within The Hound Pits Pub, which is one of the first main explorable locations where you aren’t being chased down, lies many sinks. Should you walk up to one of them and interact with it, out comes the flowing water with Corvo able to drink from them as well.
4 The Illuminated Placards
The world-building and sense of place in Dishonored it second to none. Look no further than the illuminated placards placed all around The Hounds Pit Pub. These placards all reference in-game aspects that relate to the lore such as Greaves Lighting Oil which is from the whale oil industry. Also, to the right of that is the Dunwall Whiskey logo.
These are easy enough to spot if players are willing to look around the pub. With much of the pub being run down, derelict, and filled with cobwebs, it’s nice to see some signs of Dunwall lore placed lovingly around the location.
3 Staring At The Brick Wall
Now this detail is an interesting one because it might not happen for all players. One of the particular NPCs within the pub can be found just staring at a doorway that has been barricaded up with bricks. She is simply standing there staring at the brick doorway. This is an interesting detail within the pub because it shows that the NCPs care about their surroundings.
Perhaps this NPC wishes she could get into this room, or maybe she used to know someone who stayed in that room, or more likely, this is just her AI pattern. Either way, it’s a fun little detail that many players could miss.
2 The Posters In Corvo’s Room
Another bit of fantastic world-building and lore-building within The Hound Pits Pub are the posters stuck one on top of the other within Corvo’s room. The main poster is about the series’ staple character, Sokolov, and his special elixir which promotes health and fitness.
There are a plethora of posters behind this one and each one has an incredible amount of detail such as Bitterleaf Crematorium and Fluid Works, and one about some shoes. I really appreciate the environmental detail that has gone into each of these posters within Corvo’s room in the pub.
1 The Hound Pits House Crest
One of the best details in The Hound Pits Pub is the crest on the side of the bar counter. This detail is easily missed because it blends in with the décor and is a bit faded. Once you look closer at the crest though, you can make out that it says Hound Pits Tavern House. It features the hound as well as some flourishes.
Little details such as this crest showcase just how amazing the Dishonored series is at weaving narrative touches into the world and explorable locations.
NEXT: Dishonored: Tips For Fighting With Your Sword
