Emily Kaldwin takes the spotlight in a new Dishonored 2 video

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A new Dishonored 2 trailer puts Empress Emily Kaldwin in the spotlight, looking at her powers (which we're already quite familiar with) and, more interestingly, her motivations for using them. Part of what drives her, as creative director Harvey Smith explains, is a simple desire to reclaim what's rightfully hers. But as she comes to understand "the corrupting influences of bad leadership," the quest becomes less about her, and more about an urge to do right by her people.

"One of the underlying themes of the game is that Emily, as Empress, is used to depending on a lot of other people to get what she needs," Smith says. "And in this situation, she's really only got herself to depend on. And then on top of that, because she is a former Empress—an Empress on the run—people react very differently when they see her than they do to Corvo."

Her unique powers also reflect her unique status in the game world. "If you look at her powers, most of them are befitting of an Empress. She can link people together so they share the same fate. She can mesmerize a crowd of people," Smith explains. And even though her and Corvo will play through the same missions, her outlook on the world (and, I would assume, how she approaches it) will naturally sometimes be different than his.

Dishonored 2 comes out on November 11, but we'll be livestreaming it early with Arkane Studios this Thursday from 3-4pm Pacific time. You can watch it live on our Facebook page.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.