It’s getting harder and harder to deliver something wholly or even significantly unique in the video game world nowadays, but that’s exactly what Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks achieved with Deathloop. In an environment where a lot of focus has been put on massive online experiences and popular IP, Deathloop bucked the trend with a mostly single-player experience, spending real time bringing brand new characters and stories to life. This is a one-of-a-kind experience that transports players to a universe they’ve never seen before, and it would be impossible to talk about the best video games of 2021 without mentioning the genre-bending beauty of Deathloop.
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Deathloop puts players into the shoes of a man named Colt, an assassin who finds himself stuck in the time loop of Blackreef, an island full of dangerous people who all want him dead. Blackreef was supposed to be a brand new life for the mercenaries and partiers, but the people in charge put the entire island on repeat, causing everyone to live the same day over and over. At the start of the game, Colt gains his memory and, while he’s still a part of the loop, he can carry his memories through each subsequent reset. Something tells him to break the loop, but his former ally Julianna spends the day hunting him, trying to keep order on Blackreef.
Your job is to kill all six of the founders, or “Visionaries,” in one single loop. That seems simple enough, but this mission is actually where a lot of the fun of Deathloop comes from. There are four time periods in every loop, and multiple different districts in Blackreef. By following story threads and uncovering clues, you figure out where and when during the day each Visionary can be killed, and do your best to get all of those ducks in a row so they can all be removed in a single loop. This idea brings the best elements of a mystery or noir title into a stylish shooter, making its puzzle elements every bit as important as its gameplay.
Speaking of gameplay, Deathloop follows in the footsteps of previous Arkane titles like Dishonored and Prey, mixing elements of a traditional first-person shooter with unique abilities, requiring each player to find their own way to play. Between the weapons you collect and the powers you steal from the Visionaries, there are several different ways to approach not only the combat in Deathloop, but the entire game itself. If you prefer going into a situation guns blazing, you can find success with that approach. If you’d rather sneak around and play a more tactical, methodical game, you can make that work, too. Any approach takes practice, but they can all be mastered.
As fresh and fun as its gameplay is, what really makes Deathloop stand out is its style and cinematic presentation. The game takes place in an almost futuristic version of the 1960s, allowing sci-fi elements to clash with the style of the decade, creating what feels like its own era. The story itself plays out like a noir, where you never fully know who to trust or if Colt is even doing the right thing. It all creates an aura of exciting uncertainty that would translate so well to film or television.ย
Anchoring the entire thing are two of the best video game voiceover performances in recent memory. Jason E. Kelley and Ozioma Akagha bring the kind of life to Colt and Julianna that is so often missing from video game characters. You genuinely want to spend more time with them, long after the game concludes.
From style to substance, and everything in between, Deathloop is a gaming experience all its own. It absolutely rules in every sense of the word. If you want a game that breaks the mold and challenges what the medium can do with storytelling, this one is most certainly for you.
