Deadlink – Review

It may be hard to see into the future, but one thing is certain: people will always be plagued by greed, murder, and death. Paradoxically, no matter how sincere you are or how hard you try, you will always be brought down. You might as well cash in on the action while plotting “the man’s” downfall. This is precisely what occurs in Deadlink. It’s a grim simulation of the future, where virtue and honesty are punished.

The developers at Gruby Entertainment and the publisher SuperGG.com worked together to make this futuristic first-person shooter with rogue-lite elements. In addition, it’s available in Early Access and, surprisingly, it works very well with the Steam Deck platform.

Jobs as spies should come with perks like health insurance and retirement plans. Though, I wouldn’t plan on dying and rising from the dead on a regular basis. But this is what happens to Deadlink’s main character. This agency soldier uses a covert device known as the Deadlink Project to enter a hostile territory. Thanks to this neural link, soldiers can use an empty fighting shell. Here, its capabilities in a city-fighting setting will be tested. But if it is lost or stolen, the connection is severed and the tokens or credits no longer have any value.

This is Deadlink, to put it briefly. Destruction, loss, and rebirth are the themes of this action-packed novel. The fast-paced, brutal action of the game may be off-putting at first, but it quickly becomes addictive. When you level up, not only do your weapons get more powerful, but so do your victories. However, there is a cost to this as your opponents become more powerful, swifter, and more hostile. The difficulty of an already difficult game increases marginally.

The core of Deadlink is its arena-based combat, which can be temporarily or permanently augmented. Every advantage, improvement, and advancement you enjoy while “plugged in” is temporary. This is therefore the application of rogue-lite parts. With a procedurally generated world, you can rest assured that no two sessions will ever be the same. It’s possible that you’ll face off against the same foes again, and they’ll give you a swift kick in the posterior. However, with the right conditions, you can unleash explosives, soar to incredible heights, and gain the upper hand.

Aside from temporary buffs, you can also buy permanent enhancements and access to previously locked classes. The experimental shells, or classes, give you access to new abilities and equipment. It forces you to adjust your strategy and your strengths and weaknesses accordingly. But the lasting improvements are the real game-changer. Thanks to these, you’ll have increased mobility, strength, and toughness. And by completing them, you gain access to unique tests that improve your loot and make each playthrough more worthwhile.

In terms of its mechanics, Deadlink is top notch. The mechanics, difficulty, and overall approach were all excellent. However, its visual performance was not up to par. This game suffers from stuttering and lag on both PC and Steam Deck under intense pressure. There are also frame rate issues, and you can “ghost” through certain objects. When it plays well, however, it looks and feels incredible. The combination of cyberpunk style, bright neon colours, and rich purple is appealing to my senses. As a result, it looked very cliched and futuristic, which actually appealed to me. Also, there’s a tonne of variety to keep things interesting, and the bad guys look great.

Aside from the impressive visuals, the stirring score was another standout feature. The combination of the ear-piercing sound effects and the powerful music was impressive. As a result, it was extremely annoying and loud at every level. Why? Because it seamlessly integrated into the action and upped the stakes with each playthrough.

Deadlink’s control scheme is well-considered and surprisingly easy to pick up. On the other hand, I found that playing with a controller or on Steam Deck was a lot less complicated. It was more comfortable, and the motion seemed natural. Enjoyable gameplay can be had even when using a mouse and keyboard, thanks to the game’s deft mapping and responsive inputs.

Because of its central premise, this game is both fun and long-lasting to play over and over again. And it’s also easy to use in everyday conversation. It was great how the levels were generated at random and how there were subtle shifts in strategy. I was always on my toes because I had no idea what was going to happen next.

Simply put, Deadlink is a fantastic video game. It’s a great casual activity that manages to be both stimulating and relaxing. However, all of this potential is hampered by poor performance issues. Therefore, it requires development so that it can realise its full potential. Still, I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable. Do you have complete command over the combat shell and all external factors?

To stay alive as long as possible, it’s important to upgrade your equipment and learn about your foes.