Beaten: Sep 18 2021
Time: 11 Hours
Platform: PS5
Well, I finally played a game made by Arkane Studios, the modern masters of the immersive sim. And as far as I can tell, this is their Bioshock. The game that takes the immersive sim formula, streamlines it, quickens it, and applies it to a wholly original setting and massively stylish setting. Luckily, Deathloop is good enough to carry the weight of that comparison.
The most unique thing about Deathloop is it's structure. There's four levels, each with four different configurations based on the time of day. You live the same day over and over again, basically planning the perfect heist. You'll explore each of these areas somewhere like 10-15 times on your way to figuring out your perfect route, learning the ins and outs and all the perfect routes for each time of day. It's easily the most fun I've had in a "heist" game (note: I haven't played Dishonored or Thief), and I think part of that is owed to how there's not much penalty for screwing up.
Broadly speaking, enemies are in small groups and there's lots of hiding places, so getting away if you're spotted isn't too hard. Even if you do die, you get 2 more chances before it boots you back out. And even if you lose both those chances, all you really lose is some guns? Maybe? It's low stakes for death, so you can be as sloppy as you want or as neat as you want at any given time, until the final day.
Once you've got your plan, you go through and execute it. As a gameplay climax it's great, you can make good on all these plans and routes you've been making in your head and it all goes smoothly. The last day is just like all the others. If something goes wrong, you just try again, but there's no special twists to get in your way. The final showdown afterwards isn't bad, but as a whole the narrative side of the game feels a little light. The last day is exciting because of the plan, not what it means to you.
That's probbably my only real issue with the game, it sets up a lot of lore, asks a lot of questions, but doesn't fill in as much as I'd like. You finish the perfect day, you do the ending, you get a quick cutscene, and that's it. Hop back in if you want, play as the invader if you want, it's over but it's not really done. Not in the way a linear game is.
I hope this becomes Arkane's Bioshock. I hope it gets them to be as well known as they deserve, and I hope more AAA games follow in this game's footsteps of being actually charismatic instead of just, like, quippy. I'm glad it was the first new game from this year that I beat.
Time: 11 Hours
Platform: PS5
Well, I finally played a game made by Arkane Studios, the modern masters of the immersive sim. And as far as I can tell, this is their Bioshock. The game that takes the immersive sim formula, streamlines it, quickens it, and applies it to a wholly original setting and massively stylish setting. Luckily, Deathloop is good enough to carry the weight of that comparison.
The most unique thing about Deathloop is it's structure. There's four levels, each with four different configurations based on the time of day. You live the same day over and over again, basically planning the perfect heist. You'll explore each of these areas somewhere like 10-15 times on your way to figuring out your perfect route, learning the ins and outs and all the perfect routes for each time of day. It's easily the most fun I've had in a "heist" game (note: I haven't played Dishonored or Thief), and I think part of that is owed to how there's not much penalty for screwing up.
Broadly speaking, enemies are in small groups and there's lots of hiding places, so getting away if you're spotted isn't too hard. Even if you do die, you get 2 more chances before it boots you back out. And even if you lose both those chances, all you really lose is some guns? Maybe? It's low stakes for death, so you can be as sloppy as you want or as neat as you want at any given time, until the final day.
Once you've got your plan, you go through and execute it. As a gameplay climax it's great, you can make good on all these plans and routes you've been making in your head and it all goes smoothly. The last day is just like all the others. If something goes wrong, you just try again, but there's no special twists to get in your way. The final showdown afterwards isn't bad, but as a whole the narrative side of the game feels a little light. The last day is exciting because of the plan, not what it means to you.
That's probbably my only real issue with the game, it sets up a lot of lore, asks a lot of questions, but doesn't fill in as much as I'd like. You finish the perfect day, you do the ending, you get a quick cutscene, and that's it. Hop back in if you want, play as the invader if you want, it's over but it's not really done. Not in the way a linear game is.
I hope this becomes Arkane's Bioshock. I hope it gets them to be as well known as they deserve, and I hope more AAA games follow in this game's footsteps of being actually charismatic instead of just, like, quippy. I'm glad it was the first new game from this year that I beat.