After an impressively persistent advertising campaign, Deathloop has finally emerged on PlayStation 5 and PC, and Arkane's latest game has reviewed well enough to be a potential candidate for game of the year. The latest in a line of immersive stealth-action games from Arkane Studios puts players in control of Colt, a man stuck in a time loop on Blackreef Island. The only way out is to assassinate eight high-profile targets in a 24 hour timespan. The game is all about time thematically, but the premise does not manifest in a hard time limit for players.
Rather than putting Colt on a clock, Deathloop's time loop is utilized through its level structure. Blackreef Island has four districts - the Complex, Fristad Rock, Karl's Bay, and Updaam. Players will have to explore each to learn the routines of their targets, but time does not pass while engaged in a level. Instead, time passes between excursions. Each day has four time periods - morning, noon, afternoon, and night - which players advance through in Deathloop's unconventional time loop as they explore the different areas of Blackreef.
This means player will have four opportunities to gather intel from any Blackreef district on their targets before the loop resets, but this can be cut short if Colt is killed. Between runs through one of the four districts, players will return to Colt's bunker, where time advances to the next period and resources can be spent on upgrade that persist through loops. In this way, Deathloop's time loop is less of a constraint on the player's available time, and more of a method of introducing roguelike elements as they progress through the time loop puzzle.
Deathloop Wants Players To Take Their Time
Approaching Deathloop guns blazing appears to be a more viable strategy than in previous Arkane games like Dishonored or Prey, but the game rewards careful observation and thorough exploration. In order to break the loop, players will have to manipulate their targets into positions that allow for all eight to be killed in one day, or in the span of four levels. Actions in one district in the morning might affect NPC behavior during a later time of day, though, so there will likely be plenty of trial and error.
Wantonly running around Blackreef might also alert Deathloop's invading enemy assassin, Julianna, to the player's whereabouts. The minute-to-minute gameplay of Deathloop may be an immersive FPS with plenty of stealth and action elements, but the overall structure of the game is quite puzzle-like. With the intricately designed levels Arkane is known for, placing a time limit on a run would probably be detrimental to the gameplay. The time loop itself is designed to segment the game into manageable levels, rather than pressuring Deathloop players into a race against a clock.
Deathloop is out now on PS5 and PC.