The player controls Corvo, once a legendary guard for the Empress, who seeks vengeance against the Lord Regent who framed him for the assassination of the Empress. Corvo is not only a fine swordsman, master-at-arms, and cunning infiltrator, but also possesses great supernatural powers. The game is presented in open world format as the player can roam The Isles as well as the distant Pandyssian Continent, though the primary setting for the game is the Steampunk-esque city of Dunwall. The game is played in first-person, with an emphasis placed on stealth action and the utilization of gadgets as well as the environment to eliminate opposing forces.