When the trailers for Deathloop were first released I wasn’t excited. To me, Deathloop just reminded me of Dishonored with a new environment and characters. Dishonored was an amazing series but I wanted something fresh with a whole new concept. I didn’t want a failed attempt at holding on to a blueprint of a successful game series, only to create something mediocre in the long run.
Man. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Fast forward to now, and I can honestly say that I haven’t played a game this fun in a very long time. All of my doubts about Deathloop have been swiftly put to rest and I’m enjoying every second of it.
The trailers for Deathloop didn’t do it justice. Maybe it was the lackluster presentation that kept me from moving forward and doing a deep dive of investigations of what the game had to offer since it didn’t look interesting in the first place. The only reason Deathloop garnered a spot in my collection is that I’m always eager to test out my PS5 and see how the developers exploit the new hardware.
In the beginning, Deathloop can seem confusing. There are a lot of controls to learn, a lot of mechanics to get used to, and a huge mystery to unravel. Colt, the main character, is just as confused about the situation as you are, and the two of you learn about all the mysteries that Black Reef has to offer in real-time. Together.
This is where Deathloop shines.
The result is a hilarious dialogue between Colt and Julianna (the main Antagonist) that keeps you engaged as the story unravels and the motivations between both characters become clear.
At that point, the game of cat and mouse begins and each character tries to get the upper hand over the other, which turns out to be an enjoyable and chaotic back and forth of witty banter between enemies. Even though Julianna is presented as the antagonist, she becomes a likable character in her own right by adding fuel to the fire and toying with Colt each step of the way.
Colt, on the other hand, is likable from the moment he hits the screen. The frustration he displays from the start is imminent as he attempts to break the loop of Black Reef and finally end the day for himself. As he moves forward, Colt celebrates each discovery he makes, only to quickly get spoiled by Julianna and her remarks.
The game really begins to open up once you can possess slabs. Slabs are essentially the items that give Colt powers and make traversing and killing enemies a whole lot more fun. Take the shift ability for example. The shift ability allows you to instantly move from place to place at a short distance. This alone makes exploration a lot easier. But, you can upgrade this ability and make it even more powerful. One upgrade allows you to swap places with an enemy once you lock onto them. The result is a maniacal Colt jumping off buildings only to swap place with an unsuspecting enemy, sending them free-falling and ultimately to their death. It’s brilliant!
The in-depth but corky story keeps you engaged all the way through. The diverse gameplay allows you to experiment with different ways to tackle enemies and the environment. All of these different elements add value to an already amazing game and I can’t put the controller down.
These are just a few of the reasons why I enjoy this game. Honestly, I can’t wait to get back to playing it. And if half the people who purchased Deathloop are having as much fun as I am, then Deathloop will be a strong game of the year contender. With a well-crafted story, awesome mechanics, and interesting characters, Deathloop should be able to reel in many fans.
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Must have been a slow year.
Played a few hours. Wasn’t a fan. Hopefully Lost Judgment and Far Cry 6 will give us some pleasure.
Contender for game of the year? If by most broken game of 2021, then yes. I have a nice 2080ti system and this game is still virtually unplayable. Even the opening menu when you start the game is broken. In a few hours I’ve had 4 or 5 hard crashes, been stuck in the menu and had to hard quit out multiple times, I’ve had to redo hours of play because random bugs would erase progression, and that’s just the technical side. So far, the dialogue is terrible, the environments are nowhere near as interesting or interactive as prior Arkane games, surprise here but the loop of repeating game days gets – wait for it – repetitive. I’m only a few hours in and I’m already sick of going back to the same places and doing the same things over and over. It’s a good concept for maybe a movie or a television show, but as a game it’s for grinders only. This isn’t even the best game I played this month.