Dishonored is widely tipped as one of 2012's bravest and most compelling new IPs and has gathered plaudits for its audacious free-form gameplay and atmospheric Gothic setting. With creative influences and team members from Half-Life 2 and Deus Ex, Dishonored places you in the role of disgraced royal bodyguard Corvo who turns assassin to wreak terrible revenge on those who have betrayed him. It's not just Dishonored's immaculately realised setting, nor its promise of a deeply intriguing story, but the promise of a game that delivers bags of player freedom coupled with the tightly focused gameplay that has us recommending Dishonored as one of 2012's essential selections.