Dishonored 2 is full of great levels, but perhaps none flexed Arkane’s design muscles like A Crack in the Slab, where you can travel between the past and the present in order to complete your objectives.
Speaking with PCGamer (thanks, GamesRadar), designer Thomas Boucher revealed the inspiration for A Crack in the Slab came from one specific moment in Bioshock 2 of all places. “In BioShock 2 there is one level where you can travel between the past and the present. For A Crack in the Slab, we wanted to push that idea a bit more, use it as a gameplay tool this time. We asked ourselves, what can we offer players with this mechanic that other games have never tried to?”
Bioshock 2 doesn’t allow you to switch directly between past and present, something that A Crack in the Slab does allow. In the level, you’re actually playing two separate maps at once, and are able to jump seamlessly between them, creating the illusion of being in the same place, just at a different time.