Deathloop – Review

Arkane’s latest stealth shooter is finally here! Deathloop is a curious game as it deviates from the usual Arkane formula. It’s got all the Arkane charm to it but takes what we normally expect from their games and flips it on its head. So, does it hit the mark or does it falter? Well, I’m so happy to say that it’s a bullseye.

Most Arkane games are level-based with fantastic and memorable level designs. Remember the Mansion in Dishonored 2? Yeah, incredible stuff. But with Deathloop things are a bit different. There’s a linearity to the game but not in the way you’d expect it. So let’s start from that linearity. You have 4 major zones and 4 Time of Day options. Travelling from one zone to the other progresses time and once you’re done with the Night, it’s back to the start of the loop.

But what is this loop and why is it so important. Well, as you are brutally murdered in the opening by Julianna, you quickly learn that the lovely beach is where you always wake up. However, you have no recollection besides hallucinating words asking you to Break the Loop. And how do you break the loop? It’s simple, kill 8 Visionaries (VIPs) in one single loop and you’re good. It sounds simple but keep in mind that you can ONLY travel 4 times before the loop resets so you’ll have to somehow figure out how to get multiple people in one zone.

Thankfully, the knowledge you gain through these loops remains with you. And we all know, knowledge is power. And that’s where the linearity comes in. There are multiple main objectives called “Leads” that you can follow. These leads are fairly straightforward if you play with Markers on. Without, it can get a little more difficult but more on that later. As you familiarize yourself with the loop and the process, it goes from being vague, all over the map shindig to a more linear experience.

To help you follow through with your plans, you learn how to “Infuse” weapons very early on so you can keep your favoured weapons and upgrades even when you restart the loop. This is done with a currency called Residuum which is found around the world and by sacrificing items you don’t need. You also get powers, and this is where that Dishonored player in you will start getting comfortable with the game. These powers work through the use of a Slab that attaches to your hand. One power that you, Colt, always have is Reprise. This allows you to respawn immediately after death up to two times per map. This counter resets upon travelling to a different location and/or time.

Each Visionary (well, almost all of them) has their own unique Slab which can be yours for the taking. You’ve got Aether (Invisibility), Havoc (Take less damage and deal more), Karnesis (Force Push/Pull) and finally my two favourites Shift, which is essentially Blink from Dishonoured that allows you to teleport a short distance and Nexus. Nexus links multiple enemies together so any damage you do to one happens to the other.

You can only equip two powers at once. For almost 90% of my playthrough I had Shift so that I could find alternate routes and Nexus, so I could take out multiple enemies at once with just one bullet. These powers also have upgrades that can be obtained by killing the Visionary who possesses that power. As with your powers, you can only equip two upgrades at once. You can also obtain these by killing Julianna when she hunts you.

Oh yeah, this game has an invasion system where Julianna can randomly invade you and start hunting you. This can either be AI, a friend of yours or a random person (You can do this too). Killing Julianna has a few benefits. She drops incredible loot, she drops Slabs and/or their Upgrades and she drops cool weapons. Remember the Reprise power we talked about earlier? Killing her also resets those while giving you loads of Residuum. Killing her is a win-win situation IF you can.

There is only ONE way that you can do a perfect loop so you can break it. And figuring out that one way is how you learn about Colt who suffers from Amnesia, Julianna who is always bantering with you when she’s not trying to kill you and about the other Visionaries, the island of Black Reef that you’re stuck on and the all the various mysteries that you learn along the way.

The world they’ve built here is so intriguing that I was always hungry to learn more from notes, audio logs or conversations. And this world is also beautiful. Arkane games have a very unique art style going on for them and Deathloop just takes that one step beyond. The 60s inspired decor mixed with weird military and slightly retro technology is a sight to behold. Not to mention how gorgeous the use of colour is in this game.

And the music, oh goodness, the music. The game’s music is stuck in my head and I’ve been listening to it more frequently than I initially expected. Alongside that, the sound design, in general, is bang-on. Weapons sound so punchy and meaty. Takedowns sound visceral and the various alert sounds and noises would immediately get me anxious.

If you’re a fan of speedrunning games or improving in games then this game is perfect for you. While the AI is a bit more on the simplistic side and not too hard to deal with, they’re really fun to play around with. Setting traps for them or trying new powers and feeling like a powerful beast is always a fun time. And best of all, you don’t have to worry about taking the non-lethal way because there is no non-lethal way and the game even encourages you to “kill everyone” and “stab them all”.

Deathloop is an evolution of Arkane’s games. They’ve crafted this huge sandbox for you to play in while also giving you all the tools to go nuts. It holds your hand just enough and if you want, you can choose to not have it do so by turning off markers so you can explore the world in more detail. Its visual style, sound design and addictive gameplay make for a game that I immediately wanted to have more of after I finished it. And you can bet that after I’m done writing this, I’m going back in for more Deathloop.

Score:

9/10