We've only known about Dishonored for a few days, so the game is still pretty mysterious -- but today we got a few more details and our first look at a screenshot, from Game Informer. The game has you take on the role of Corvo, a bodyguard imprisoned for the murder of the Empress he was supposed to protect. He's skilled in melee combat, along with powers and gadgets, to stand up against the man who set him up: Lord Regent. Yeah, that's definitely a villain name.

This means you'll be combining abilities to manage your expert sneaking. You could, for example, stop time and knock items off a table, to direct guards' searching in that direction. Or you could bring a swarm of rats to bear on some hapless guard and possess one to make your escape. The game seems to be focusing on more versatility and creative solutions to stealth situations than most games in the genre -- which makes sense coming from Deus Ex lead designer Harvey Smith.

Being that Dishonored is a current-gen game, actions have consequences, and the game tracks your "chaos." As you create more collateral damage, the game world will respond. The developers promise that this impacts story decisions behind the scenes, rather than punishing or rewarding players in typical good/evil meter fashion.

Dishonored is coming to PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in 2012 from Arkane Studios.