Have you ever had the feeling of Deja Vu? During that feeling, did things go as you foresaw, or did something change? Did it change for better or for worse? Every day, someone around the world experiences some form of deja vu. This instance has inspired many pop culture adaptations such as Groundhog’s Day, Stein’s Gate, and Netflix’s Russian Doll. Now, Microsoft’s and Bethesda’s Arkane Studios have their chance to do time loops in their recently released game Deathloop. With Arkane Studios’ previous titles Dishonored, Dishonored 2, and Prey being successful, how does their latest game compare? Find out in our Deathloop review.
Despite multiple delays, Deathloop has seen relatively positive reviews around the board. Before diving into Deathloop, we had some reservations about Arkane Studios’ latest game. Would the game live up to expectations or disappoint like Cyberpunk 2077. Unlike Cyberpunk 2077, Arkane Studios was rather transparent on some of their delay issues and what to expect when the game was released in September 2021. Needless to say, the game has lived up to expectations, and over the next few paragraphs, we will go into details about why during our Deathloop Review.
Campaign
At the start of the game, Colt wakes up suffering from amnesia unaware of his surroundings, name, or the predicament he is in. As Colt moves towards the tunnel system, words start to appear guiding Colt throughout the level. In order to even access the tunnel system, Colt must find the passcode he supposedly knows. Players who are following a guide or replaying the game for a second time will be able to unlock the door without issue. Once the tunnel is unlocked, Colt must hunt down the eight bosses controlling the island in order to break the loop.
These eight bosses will be in different parts of the island throughout the day, so Colt must discover where and who they are. While colt is hunting his eight targets, an assassin named Juliana is hunting him. As you play through the story expect to die. Similar to Dark Souls, the player must discover where each target is throughout the day and the best way to take them down efficiently. As you explore each level, Colt finds new information that gets him one step closer to escaping the time loop. Some information can only be found during certain times of the day. The day is broken up into four sections: Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night. Each of Colt’s targets will overlap at certain points of the day; it is up to you to determine when is the best time to attack.
Once you have eliminated all the targets you are free, but some of the island’s mysteries still remain. Watch out, Julianna may still be hunting you!
Gameplay
Deathloop is all about discovery. Throughout the game, the player must learn, adapt, and ultimately evolve in order to survive. In order to survive, Colt will learn new abilities and harness new powers to make the day a little bit easier. A rewind feature allows Colt to return to a previous moment before any untimely deaths; this gives Colt multiple lives on each level. Once the player leaves the area and progresses through the day, these lives are replenished in the next area. Early in the game, once the player has taken down one of their eight targets, they gain the ability to infuse slabs, guns, and trinkets; the player must choose which of these to infuse in order to carry over to the next day.
This makes the player’s life a bit easier since they will no longer have to scavenge for weapons, attachments, or slabs. Each slab has its own unique ability that can be upgraded in a variety of ways when the player discovers upgrades. The player must infuse the upgrades in order to retain them. Deathloop allows players to choose how they want to take down enemies. Whether you want to have a firefight with every enemy or you want to sneak through each level, you can. The player can choose to kick their enemies to death, use a nail gun, or get brutal with a machete.
Gameplay Takeaway
Here is our gameplay takeaway from our Deathloop review. Deathloop does a great job utilizing the time-loop trope. Each day the player can discover new things to help them with their task of eliminating the eight island heads. At first, it is a bit frustrating to have to recover the weapons and abilities that were lost, but the game eventually makes it things easier for the player. Despite each level having multiple tasks, it is not always easy to find a way to complete some tasks, so you can end up wandering around the level for minutes if not hours. This in itself can be rather frustrating, especially if it is a key clue to hunting down one of the island’s heads.
During our playthrough, we did experience a few bugs but thankfully nothing that was game-breaking. Occasionally we would rubberband back to a previous position or Juliana and other NPCs would be stuck. Sometime’s NPCs being stuck can be a great thing, especially when they aren’t trying to kill you. The ability to take down enemies and your targets in a variety of ways makes for a refreshing experience no matter which way you choose.
Sadly, Arkane Studious slightly missed the mark with Julianna. Although you can invade other players’ worlds to crush their hopes and dreams, there is not much you can do. Yes, you can upgrade Julianna’s abilities for each successful Colt you takedown, but that’s about it. You can assist Colt by taking down some of the lessor NPCs but it feels like a missed opportunity. Based on Colt’s and Julianna’s interaction throughout Colt’s story, there could have been other options for Julianna.
Graphics
With any new game, we know that graphics is an important factor; so here is our graphics portion of our Deathloop review. Unlike previous Bethesda titles such as Fallout 76, Arkane Studios does a great job with Deathloop‘s graphics. Yes, some enemy NPCs will glitch through objects but they do not become invincible. Each weapon has its own unique looks and feels that distinguishes it from its counterparts. Enemies disappearing after deaths gets rid of some of the thrills of being discovered.
Each level has its own unique feel. With the passing of time, each level’s appearance will change so the player should look out for new obstacles, traps, and new enemies. These environmental changes stop the game from becoming stale early on. If you are stuck and having to repeat levels multiple times, then levels can be exhausting.
If you like Dishonored‘s and Prey‘s graphics then you will enjoy Deathloop’s graphics.
Controls
Going into Deathloop, you need to know that the game’s controls are a bit chaotic. The basic controls are similar to any other shooter however the directional pad has a lot going on. Swap between devices, grenades, abilities, and even the ability to dual wield using the directional pad. If you have played a shooter then you will be fine playing Deathloop.
Audio/SFX
Arkane Studios has done a great job with the audio and sound effects for Deathloop. Interaction between Juliana and Colt can distract you from whatever you were currently working on. Each ability, weapon, and explosive had its own unique sound. During our playthrough, we only experienced one audio bug and thankfully we were able to move away from the area in order to get rid of it. When resetting the area by leaving, the audio did not remain later in the day. The variety of cutscenes, character dialogue, and audio logs allow the story to be told in different ways without any single method feeling stale.
Replayability
When it comes to games like Deathloop, choosing your own adventure always makes a game more appealing. Each of the eight heads has its own unique executions that the player can discover and execute; some of these executions are comical while others are a bit disturbing. Deathloop allows the player to choose how they want to overcome each obstacle in their own way. With a variety of ways to play, it is easy to see why certain players would be stuck in a loop playing through.
Verdict
Going into our Deathloop review, we tried to have reasonable expectations. With any Bethesda game, you expect a certain level of bugs. Thankfully, Deathloop was rather bug-free; yes, there were a few bugs but nothing game-breaking. Arkane Studios did a great job crafting a story around Colt but sadly dropped the ball with Julianna. The team could put in a DLC at a later date expanding on her story or create an alternate tale. The game definitely has a learning curve because it does not hold your hand like other AAA titles.
Discover your own path and play your own way. Bethesda’s and Arkane Studios Deathloop is worth picking up and would make for an excellent holiday present this upcoming holiday season.
A PC copy of Deathloop was provided for review.
