Could any power cooler than Blink in Dishonored? Initially positioned in one spot. Flash! Now you’re over there. It seemed supernatural at the time, and in the decade-plus since Dishonored awakened the world to Blink’s potential, I’ve remained resolute in one thought: This thing should be in all titles.
Superb Gamefeel
Launched over a decade ago, Dishonored was arguably the game that put developer Arkane on the map. You play as a man named Corvo, framed for killing an empress he was sworn to protect. From a immersive viewpoint, you traverse the city of Dunwall — modeled after industrial-era London — on a mission to eliminate your enemies and also possibly rescue the empress’ daughter. To accomplish your goals, Dishonored gives you an inventive stealth toolkit, including supernatural abilities that allow you to observe beyond barriers or temporarily inhabit NPCs. But each of these powers are grounded in Blink.
Abilities as Narratives
Blink was revolutionary in its simplicity. Holding down the cast button for Blink causes you to produce a small aiming cursor. Letting go of the cast button causes Corvo to warp to wherever you’ve pointed. Just like that!
The opportunities revealed by Blink are limited only by your imagination. Balconies that previously look out of reach are instantly just a teleportation hop. Jumping between rooftops goes from a courageous act to a basic maneuver. Blink can get you through courtyards packed with guards or give you a fast escape from a mansion full of affluent aristocrats who want nothing more than to eliminate you. Learning to use Blink is like learning how to skateboard, then starting to see the stairs and benches of the world not as mere architecture but as a canvas for creativity.
Blink is so integral to Dishonored’s toolkit that some speedrunners got in the habit of competing over who could complete the title by using it as rarely as can be. Other players took the opposite tack, using Blink for ultimate chaos, combining it with Dishonored’s unique physical mechanics to create bona fide powerful strikes.
Versatility and Timeless Attraction
The absolute versatility of Blink has helped it stand out as one of the coolest-ever abilities in games. Consider this brief scenario: Years following the release of Dishonored, picture Blink in 2025’s biggest games. It mostly fits! Blink is a natural fit in immersive perspective titles where it would add depth to existing robust stealth components. Action games already have similar dash abilities, so it’s a logical addition there, too — why not fully commit! Players would perish much less frequently were Blink in action games. If characters could Blink in various games, then narrative conclusions might have been altered. Sure, it’d be totally redundant in carefully paced puzzle games, but have you also considered the alternative view: that zipping around environments would be awesome?
While the preceding is obviously hyperbole, that it’s so simple to imagine Blink in a wide range of games is a proof of its enduring appeal. I’m not saying Blink should be in every game, to be clear. I’m saying it could. Certain actions — sprinting, jumping, ascending — are so fundamental in video games as to be instinctive to players; you understand leaping in Mario, you can jump in every game. We’ve learned how to Blink in Dishonored; now let’s use instant movement universally.
