Arkane Studios have a history of quality games, with praise being lavished upon Dishonored, Dishonored 2, Prey, and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider by critics and fans alike. The studio's blending of the Immersive Sim genre with others such as action and stealth has helped them stand out in the video game market.
Deathloop looks to continue this trend, becoming as adored by critics as its predecessors, while also avoiding just being a rehash of the studio's previous ideas. A game that clearly stands out amongst Arkane's previous offerings, several of the design choices for Deathloop mark it out as Arkane's best effort yet.
10 The Right Balance Of Roguelike Elements
Roguelikes are games patterned off the original Rogue, where characters progress through dangerous randomized environments to variable success, with the intention being that the player fails over and over again, learning each time until they eventually succeed. This is baked into the design of Deathloop, centering around protagonist Colt trying to assassinate eight enemies, with the day restarting with each failure.
The Roguelike inspiration is obvious in Deathloop, but Arkane moderates it. In a true Roguelike, the game world is completely randomized each time, with nothing staying the same. While everything resets in Deathloop, the enemies and their behavior, as well as objects in the world, remain the same. This allows the player to truly learn from their previous experiences and makes for an enjoyable experience.
9 Its Setting Is At Least As Good As Prey And Dishonored
Arkane are known for their incredible constructed worlds within games and adored by fans for it. The setting of Deathloop is different from the gothic whale-powered steampunk of Dishonored, and the grimy Alien-esque sci-fi of Prey, but no less distinctive for it.
Deathloop takes place on an island heavily influenced by the most esoteric 70s fashion and ideals, with the characters brightly colored, often on various substances, and determined to live free to the extent of forcing their people into an endless time loop. With this behavior taken as far as human sacrifice, the setting stays in the mind and is acclaimed for its beauty as well.
8 Deathloop's Powers Are Flexible
The powers in Deathloop are very similar to those available to Emily, Corvo, Daud, and Billie in the Dishonored franchise, with many being almost direct ports, such as a short-range teleport and the ability to 'chain' together multiple enemies. They are used in creative ways to traverse the game's many environments.
Whereas in Dishonored, your abilities are fixed by where you have put in 'runes' during play, and in Dishonored 2, are restricted by your choice of character, in Deathloop they are much more freeform, allowing you to switch them in and out by picking up 'slabs', and giving dozens of possibilities that can change on a whim.
7 It Is Built For Experimentation
Part of the reason why Dishonored is so short is that the game is designed to be played a number of ways. Whether the player takes a lethal, non-lethal, stealthy, or loud approach is only one question of many. Various targets have more than one way of dealing with them, each worth exploring.
Deathloop negates the need for multiple playthroughs, even of a short game, to achieve this. With the game resetting and forcing the player to find the optimal way to remove multiple targets, the game all but requires you to experiment to find the solution.
6 Its Humor Is Ever-Present
Arkane games often use humor in key places, in a variety of ways. The absurdity of the NPCs, their actions, and the situations the player may find themselves in serves as a juxtaposition against the grim and dark reality of the games' worlds.
Deathloop ramps it up somewhat, with the setting itself being ludicrous, if disturbing. The player tries to survive an island of murderous, mask-wearing hippies, many of whom are using various substances, while their daughter hunts them down - and sasses them all the while. The game doesn't take itself too seriously - but seriously enough - and it's in its favor.
5 The Hints Of A Shared Universe
Arkane has never been afraid of easter eggs in their games - whether they are a reference to their own games or those of other studios. Nonetheless, in Deathloop, there are a great many references to the Dishonored franchise, much more so than to Prey, with some even suggesting the games take place in the same world.
In the clearest similarity, the 'antique dueling pistols' used by Julianne at the ending are clearly the pistols used by Corvo in the Dishonored level 'Lady Boyle's Last Party,' and given a fair amount of focus so this can be seen. This could be the hints of Arkane preparing to set more games in a wider shared universe.
4 The Sheer Variety Of Weapons
Deathloop is a much more gunplay-focused entry than Dishonored, and more so even than the sci-fi game Prey. With Colt primarily using firepower to carve his way through the island, there are a couple of each type of gun, and a few unique hybrids that merge different categories together.
This larger weapon variety helps players both find the playstyle they are most comfortable with and experiment with others. Once a player has found a weapon that suits them, they can Infuse it so they begin each loop with it.
3 No Morality Meter Allows For More Flexibility
One of Dishonored's central mechanics is the 'Chaos' rating, which tracks the impact Corvo or Emily have had on the world around them, whether they improve it by acting morally and refraining from killing, or whether they throw the Empire of the Isles into disarray with a murder spree.
It is by no means a bad mechanic, and ties perfectly into Dishonored's themes, but some players are frustrated by what feels like a punishment for using the game's interesting and lethal powers. With different themes, Deathloop avoids this system and even requires killing to proceed with the game. Some fans enjoy the chance to cut loose without worrying about the wider world.
2 New Angles On A Familiar Theme
Arkane has always explored familial relationships in their games. In Dishonored, Corvo is the father figure (and later revealed to be the true father) of Emily, who he protects, and the game explores their relationship. Similarly, Prey explores the complex relationship Morgan Yu has with their seeming brother, Alex.
Deathloop revisits the theme of family, but from a different perspective. Colt and Julianna are father and daughter, and bitter enemies, each trying to kill the other, with Julianne doing it as a result of past slights, and Colt doing it out of both anger and a desire to protect her. The game's ending depends on whether you wish to reconcile with her or not. Arkane deserves praise for breaking new ground on this theme.
1 The Addition Of Multiplayer To The Story
With their sandbox toolbag approach, beautiful maps, adrenaline-pumping combat, and strong stealth, many players have expressed a wish for Arkane games to include multiplayer. Prey's DLC includes an arcade multiplayer mode called 'Typhon Hunter' that bears some resemblance to hide-and-seek, but nothing integrated with the core gameplay.
In Deathloop, the character of Julianna can be either an NPC or another player over the internet, attempting to stimy your progress. This multiplayer is well-integrated with the story, and has earned Arkane praise, and is a step towards cooperative action in future games.