Deathloop shines when you fuck up and are forced to deal with the awful situation you've just put yourself in. Ducking and diving through windows, zipping around to different vantage point, taking a pot shot at an enemy before blasting everyone with a shotgun is so satisfying in a way only Arkane can pull off. These levels are a playground for goofy shit, beautifully designed to facilitate every possible approach you can think of, and adapt based on your own abilities.

It is a shame then that everything that isn't the core gameplay or the level design feels so half baked. Tutorials are the worst offender, which dump so much fucking text on you it's like you're playing a grand strategy game. Multiplayer invasions are a fun concept (and can be brilliant with the right opponent) but end up feeling more like a tacked-on gimmick than something integral to the structure of the experience. The way quests work is poorly explained and took me hours to realise that following them as closely as possible is the only sane way to get anywhere substantial. And the story, which should really be one of the highlights, is delivered so crudely you'll be lost for the entire first half and underwhelmed for the second.

I should emphasise again though: the game is still really really REALLY fun. No one does stealth like Arkane does stealth, and the core gameplay is so buttery smooth it feels effortless to play. It's just annoying seeing how close this comes to perfecting that formula before faltering right at the finish line.