Deathloop is a mind-bendingly creative and incredibly stylish shooter that uses its unique premise to excellent results. There are some stuttering issues and it can be a tad repetitive, but once you’re in the loop, you’ll be more than glad that you came.
Deathloop
Developer: Arkane Studios
Price: $60
Platforms: PS5 (reviewed) and PC
Deathloop is the kind of game that sticks in your mind even after you’ve beaten it. The concept is simple but executed in a fascinating way, with gameplay and storytelling that complement its core idea. It takes the immersive sim genre and compresses it into a completely special experience, though one that’s not without a few minor issues.
In Deathloop’s story, you play Colt Vahn, the former head of security on the time-looping island of Blackreef. You awaken on a beach with no memories, and hear from someone named Juliana that you’re trying to “break the loop.” After you find your bearings and discover that Blackreef loops the same day over and over, Colt decides to break the loop by killing all of the island’s famous Visionaries. The problem is that he has to do it in one day, all while being hunted by Juliana.
It’s a great narrative that gets you invested and supplements itself nicely with plenty of lore through audio logs and notes left throughout the game. You don’t need to engage with these bits of storytelling, but if you do, you’ll learn a great deal about the Visionaries and the island of Blackreef. There’s a lot of detail put into the world of Deathloop, and it continues to show off Arkane’s talent when it comes to world-building.
“Plus, it’s really satisfying to take out Visionaries with increasing efficiency. “
The combat in Deathloop is ridiculously satisfying, as there’s a wide arsenal of diverse weapons with which to kill enemies. This wide array lets you play your own way, whether you prefer stealthy skulking or straight-up carnage. As you find new weapons, powers, and trinkets to boost your character, you get into a rhythm throughout each day until you’re a well-oiled killing machine. The various Slab powers, which let you do anything from teleport to use telekinesis, add a lot of flare to combat and traversal and further allow you to customize your playstyle.
Deathloop is all about figuring out the best way to go about killing Visionaries, which is done through Leads. By exploring and investigating each area, you learn about each Visionary and where they’ll be throughout the day. As you delve into their relationships and hobbies, you start to plan out how to kill as many in one day as you can. Of course, there’s one linear route that kills them all, but you can only discover that route by following leads. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s a blast to unravel each lead as you explore each environment throughout the day. Plus, it’s really satisfying to take out Visionaries with increasing efficiency.
That’s not the extent of Deathloop though, as you can protect the loop as Juliana. In this mode, you invade other players’ games and hunt them down. Juliana has the ability to swap skins with NPCs, which makes each hunt into a tense game of cat and mouse– but only if you want it to be. You can charge in after Colt, guns blazing if you prefer, though that strategy is best done once you’ve leveled up and earned some decent weapons. It seems to take quite a while to find a match in this mode though, as I often waited 5-10 minutes just to get into a quick battle.
When you mess up a lead or have to re-loop, the game can feel a bit repetitive, but this is a pretty rare occurrence. There are also some well-documented freezing issues near the beginning of the game, which are indeed pretty bad. I was stuck in one spot for 15-30 seconds multiple times, which put a damper on the pace of the early portion of the game.
Deathloop’s 60’s-inspired aesthetic is nothing short of mesmerizing. On the surface, the four main areas are quite similar, but they set themselves apart with the various themes of each. The frozen tundra of Fristad Rock is quite different from the vertical and residential area of Updaam. The areas even change immensely in each part of the day, making it feel as though you’re experiencing all sorts of different levels within only four areas. The snazzy music also helps to sell the setting rather well, as does the remarkable voice acting. Each eccentric character is brought fully to life through the actors and actresses behind them, which brings a lot of personality to the cast.
The Final Word
Deathloop is a remarkable shooter that combines an intriguing story with exciting gameplay and a brilliant atmosphere. The early freezing issues and occasional repetition can be a bit off-putting, but Deathloop is still one of the year’s must-play releases.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
