Jump to content

Deathloop

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Deathloop
Developer(s)Arkane Lyon
Publisher(s)Bethesda Softworks
Director(s)
  • Dinga Bakaba
  • Sébastien Mitton
Producer(s)Yoann Guilloud
Designer(s)Gauthier Roussel
Programmer(s)Hugues Tardif
Artist(s)Sébastien Mitton
Writer(s)
  • Paweł Kroenke
  • Sandra Duval
Composer(s)Tom Salta
SeriesDishonored
EngineVoid Engine
Platform(s)
ReleasePlayStation 5, Windows
14 September 2021
Xbox Series X/S
20 September 2022
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Deathloop is a 2021 first-person shooter immersive sim video game developed by Arkane Lyon and published by Bethesda Softworks. In the game, the player assumes control of Colt Vahn, an assassin who is stuck in a time loop. He must destroy the time loop by killing eight targets known as the Visionaries before midnight before the time loop resets anew, while being hunted by the island's inhabitants and Julianna, a Visionary who seeks to protect the loop. In the game, each day is divided into four periods (Morning, Noon, Afternoon, and Evening), and moving between the island's four districts causes time to advance. Through using Colt's diverse arsenal of gears and powers, the player must identify the optimal way to assassinate all targets in one days, executing the "golden loop' whereas Colt manages to break free.

Development of the game began in 2018, originally as a smaller-scale project for Arkane to experiment with new gameplay mechanics. The game built on Arkane's previous works such as Dishonored and introduced various improvements such as nonlinear gameplay and the removal of a morality system, enabling players to take more risks without considering possible narrative repercussions. Arkane also used the opportunity to implement an unused gameplay mechanic from their unreleased game, The Crossing, namely the asymmetrical multiplayer component which enables a second player to control Julianna and hunt Colt. A large number of films and TV series inspired the game's story and aesthetics, while the Scottish Highlands and the Faroe Islands inspired the design of Blackreef, the game's main setting.

Deathloop was released for Windows PC and PlayStation 5 in September 2021, and Xbox Series X and Series S a year later. While the story of the game takes place in the Dishonored universe, Bethesda did not market it as a spin-off of the franchise as it has its own distinct story and characters. The game received generally positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the game's gameplay, structure, art direction, characters and story, while criticizing its artificial intelligence. Many critics described Deathloop as a very original title, and regarded it as one of Arkane Studio's best games. The game attracted more than 5 million players upon launch, and it was nominated for several end-of-year accolades, including Game of the Year at the annual The Game Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards, and British Academy Games Awards.

Gameplay

[edit]
In Deathloop, Colt's inner thoughts sometimes appear as text in the game.

In Deathloop, the player takes on the role of Colt, an assassin stuck in a time loop who has been tasked to take out eight targets called Visionaries across the island of Blackreef before midnight, as leaving even one alive will cause the time loop to reset and undo his work.[1] The game features a multiplayer aspect in which the player can alternatively take the role of Julianna, a Visionary tasked to protect the time loop and take out Colt. When the player takes this role, they will enter a random player's game and may interfere with their play. Juliana has an unique ability named Masquerade, which allows her to swap her appearance with any non-playable character in the game, enabling her to blend in with the crowd and stay concealed.[2] The multiplayer portion is optional and players can prevent others from taking on the role of Julianna in their game, instead leaving this to a computer-controlled opponent.[3]

There are two types of missions in the game: Visionaries Leads, which serve as the campaign's critical path, and Arsenal Leads, which guide players to better weapons and gears.[4] Each day is divided into four periods (Morning, Noon, Afternoon, and Evening), and moving between the island's four districts causes time to advance.[5] The routines of the people in a particular district vary depending on what time of day the player enters it, and the player's actions in one district can affect the routines in the others. Different time of day also open up alternate paths for players to explore. For instance, a locked room in the morning may be unlocked at night.[6] Players must learn the patterns of Colt's targets, and figure out the right order to eliminate said targets.[7] As it was impossible for Colt to kill all Visionaries separately, Colt must manipulate events to converge multiple Visionaries into one location so he can assassinate them in quick succession.[1] There is only single correct order to kill all Visionaries in a single loop.[8] The time loop in Deathloop is not timed; players can freely explore each location to find clues and complete side objectives.[9] A clue found by Colt may inform the player what they need to do in the next location, and intlel collected in one loop can be used to player's advantages in the next loop.[1][10] Players may need to spend multiple loops and revisit locations several times before they can identify the necessary steps needed to assassinate all their targets.[1]

Combat

[edit]

Deathloop is an immersive sim video game played from a first-person perspective. Players are presented with a large arsenal of tools, allowing them to freely choose how they want to approach their objectives.[11] Each location in Deathloop is also a sandbox providing many alternative paths for players to reach their targets.[12] Colt has access to a variety of firearms, melee weapons and grenades which can be used to defeat enemies. Weapons are divided into several categories of rarity. Gears of lower rarity may jam frequently, while rarer weapons are more powerful but more difficult to locate.[6] Gunshots, however, will draw all the opponents in the vincinity to hunt down the player.[11] Alternatively, players can use stealth tactics to silently evade their opponents, distract them through throwing bottles, or eliminate them with traps or suppressed firearms without being detected.[6] By remaining concealed, players can also eavesdrop on conservations between other characters in the game, thus opening up new gameplay opportunities.[4] Also, players can use their hacking tool to disable security cameras, gun turrets and security doors to their advantage.[13] Players will also gain trinkets, which are also divided into several tiers of rarity. Weapon trinkets improve a weapon's performance and handling, while character trinkets provided additional abilities such as allowing Colt to double jump, heal faster, or take less damage. Each weapon can be equipped with three weapon trinkets, while Colt himself can equip four trinkets.[14]

Some Visionaries will drop Slabs, a mysterious tablet that grants the user special powers, when they are killed. Players can only wield two of five Slabs at once. "Shift" allows Colt to teleport short distance; "Aether" briefly turns him invisible; "Nexus" links multiple enemies together so damage dealt to one enemy will be inflicted to all who are linked; "Havoc" significantly increases Colt's damage output while boosting his defense; "Karnesis" enables Colt to lift and slam enemies on the ground.[15] The "Goldenloop" update introduces a new ability named "Fugue", which allows Colt to slow and disorient targeted enemies.[16] Slabs can be further upgraded for a maximum of four times by killing the same Visionary that drop it in subsequent loops.[15] He also has an ability named "Reprise" which allows him to be revived twice in each location.[2] If the players is killed three times in the same location, the loop will restart, and he will lose all of his weapons, trinkets and slabs. To prevent this, Colt can infuse his gears with a resource named "Residuum" so that they become permanent gears in his arsenal. Residuum can be collected through caches found in each level, and killing Visionaries.[17] Collected Residuum cannot be carried over to the next loop.[18] All gathered Residuum is dropped upon Colt's death, though players can recover them if they reach Colt's most recent location of death.[19]

Synopsis

[edit]

Setting

[edit]

Set in an alternate world resembling the 1960s, Deathloop takes place over the course of a single repeating day on the subarctic island of Blackreef. First charted in 1931, Blackreef was originally home to a small fishing settlement and a military base where experiments were conducted on local temporal anomalies. It is now owned by the AEON Program, founded by scientist Egor Serling to exploit the island's unique properties to gain immortality by living in an infinite time loop. Serling attracted eight other eccentric and talented individuals to his cause, the Visionaries, and scores of young, fanatical followers called Eternalists dedicated to serving them. Thanks to the time loop, the members of the AEON Program are able to hold a never-ending party where they can do anything they desire without fear of consequences, since the loop resets at midnight and restores everyone to their original state with no memories of the previous day.

Disrupting the natural flow of the loop are two of the Visionaries: Colt Vahn and Julianna Blake. Julianna is immune to the time loop's memory erasure, and every day she alerts all of Blackreef's inhabitants that Colt has betrayed the AEON Program and wants to break the loop, causing everyone to hunt him. Colt develops the ability to retain his memories from previous days as well, and is thus able to learn the behaviors and patterns of the Visionaries and Eternalists. In order to break the loop, Colt must assassinate all eight of the other Visionaries, including Julianna, in one day, because the loop requires only one of them to still be alive at midnight in order to reset again.

The game's director Dinga Bakaba confirmed that Deathloop exists in the same universe as the Dishonored series, far in the future after the events of Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, and both the Dishonored series and Deathloop include references alluding to one another.[20]

Characters

[edit]

The central characters of Deathloop are the nine Visionaries:

  • Colt Vahn (voiced by Jason E. Kelley) - The previous head of security of the AEON Program who seeks to break the loop and escape Blackreef.
  • Julianna Blake (voiced by Ozioma Akagha) - AEON's archivist and new head of security, who is constantly hunting Colt.
  • Egor Serling (voiced by Josh Zuckerman) - The founder of the AEON Program and a self-proclaimed "pseudoscientist".
  • Dr. Wenjie Evans (voiced by Erika Ishii) - AEON's head scientist and the builder of the loop machine that generates the time loop.
  • Harriet Morse (voiced by Marcella Lentz-Pope) - The leader of the cult of Eternalists.
  • Ramblin' Frank Spicer (voiced by Andrew Lewis Caldwell) - A former mobster turned aspiring rockstar, and host of Blackreef's only radio show.
  • Charlie Montague (voiced by Khoi Dao) - A brilliant yet sadistic game designer and AEON's Head of Entertainment.
  • Fia Zborowska (voiced by Cherami Leigh) - An experimental artist and junkie with a love for explosives.
  • Aleksis "The Wolf" Dorsey (voiced by H. Michael Croner) - AEON's hard-partying financial backer.

Plot

[edit]

Awakening from a dream where he is murdered by an unknown woman, Colt Vahn suddenly wakes up hungover on a beach with no memories of himself or where he is. He receives guidance from messages and meetings from alternate versions of himself, instructing him to break the time loop he is trapped in. In order to do this, he must kill all eight Visionaries before time loops at the end of the day. Complicating matters is Julianna Blake, who warns the Visionaries and their followers, the Eternalists, of Colt's plan and calls for him to be hunted down. Julianna taunts Colt to try and break the loop, even though she works to stop him. Colt finds that unlike the other inhabitants of the island, he has gained the ability to retain his memories across loops, allowing him to better plan and prepare for his ultimate goal of breaking the loop. He learns that Julianna appears to retain her memories across loops as well.

While Colt is able to come up with a plan to kill seven of the Visionaries, Julianna remains the most elusive, choosing to hide in the Loop, the structure that powers Blackreef's time loops. The only way to reach the Loop is to use an abandoned rocket plane left behind by the military, so Colt begins investigating all of the old bunkers littered across the island. He learns that he was one of the members of Operation Horizon, the original military expedition to Blackreef decades earlier, but was accidentally sent into the future due to an experiment gone awry. Colt joined the AEON Program in hopes of finding a way to travel back to the past and reunite with his girlfriend Lila. As a consequence of being sent to the future, he discovers that Julianna is in fact his daughter. Colt manages to activate the rocket plane and reach the Loop, where he confronts Julianna directly. Julianna claims that things started to go wrong when Colt, having had second thoughts about the AEON Program, started murdering her in every loop in an effort to free her from it. Julianna eventually grew to hate Colt and began to retaliate, culminating in her starting to hunt him in every loop. Julianna presents Colt with a choice: kill her and break the loop to suffer whatever uncertain future occurs afterwards, or spare her so they can continue living eternally through the loops.

  • If Colt chooses to kill Julianna and commits suicide to break the loop, he wakes back up on the beach (now a strange apocalyptic landscape) with Julianna holding him at gunpoint. She decides to spare him and departs, leaving him to face the uncertain future alone. The Goldenloop update expands on this ending, adding a cutscene showing all of the visionaries and eternalists awakening to find the loop broken. Colt is shown, along with a few other eternalists, venturing into the barren landscape.
  • If Colt chooses to kill Julianna but refuses to commit suicide, the loop resets as normal.
  • If Colt chooses to spare Julianna, they reconcile and cooperate with each other to hunt the other inhabitants of Blackreef for fun.

Development

[edit]

Deathloop was developed by Arkane Lyon, the studio behind Dishonored and its sequel, Dishonored 2. Development of the game began in 2018, initially as a smaller project for Arkane before the studio moved on to their next big project. According to studio co-founder Raphaël Colantonio, the goal for the studio was to experiment with multiplayer and identify ways to recycle gameplay. Arkane previously experimented with the roguelike genre with Prey: Mooncrash, and Deathloop was built to further expand on the idea of remixing gameplay using a limited amount of assets. Deathloop's scope expanded significantly during development and launched as a fully-priced product in September 2021.[21] Before Colantonio departed the studio, he had appointed Dinga Bakaba and Sebastien Mitton as the directors for Deathloop.[22]

Gameplay

[edit]

Deathloop placed a large emphasis on player's choices and freedom. According to Bakaba, the game "[entursts] the player with a lot of ownership of their own enjoyment".[23] As an immersive sim, systems were placed in the game to establish consistent gameplay rules, and players were encouraged to plan their approach based on their understanding of these rules and see if the game responded accordingly. According to level designer Dana Nightingale, Deathloop was designed for "deliberate" play, and discouraged player actions that were random in nature.[24] Comapratively, the game was more non-linear when compared with Dishonored. As players will revisit locations repeatedly, the team avoided adding chokepoints in the game's map which funnels the player towards a particular direction. Instead, the team attempted to build spaces that are "believable", one where players need not to engage with scripted confrontations or interactions with other characters ultimately giving more freedom to players.[23] Since Deathloop features many deviations from Arkane's previous games, Colt's powers were designed to be similar to those from Dishonored so as to maintain a level of familiarity to fans of Arkane's past works.[25] Gameplay wise, Bakaba desribed Deathloop as "Dishonored with guns",[26] and the team removed all the non-lethal means of dispatching enemies found commonly in Dishonored games.[27]

Deathloop's time loop structure was designed to encourage players to revisit locations multiple times.[27] Familiarity with each location enabled players to master their gameplay skills and understand the game's myraid of systems earlier.[28] As levels were designed to be replayed, the level design team worked to ensure that each Visionaries lead is varied in term of their complexity to keep the experience fresh, and that each route towards an objective is rewarding and satisfying for players as each has their own advantages and drawbacks.[29] The game's structure, which strips players of all their gears when a loop restarts, prompted players to experiment with various gadgets and builds even when facing the same challenge subsequently. Unlike Dishonored which has a morality system to judge the player's actions, Deathloop maintained a neutral stance throughout to avoid facilitating a specific playstyle. The team ensured that the game did not show any expectation of the player so that they can find their own desired ways to play.[22] The team also removed the quick-save functionality from the Dishonored series, as the team wanted players to see the consequences of their actions and react to them, going with the flow instead of simply loading a saved game to bypass failures.[30]

Bakaba described the game as a "murder puzzle" and an "inverted Cluedo" in which players must find the perfect ways to achieve the “Golden Loop”, the loop where players manage to assassinate all targets in a single day.[27][31] Bakaba added that while players may fear the time loop at the beginning of the game for disrupting their progress, they will eventually understand that time was on Colt's side and he can become its master, similar to the pratagonists from Groundhog Day or Palm Springs.[30] While the game is set in a time loop, the team did not want to punish players for slowly exploring each location.[32] As a result, time only passes when the player exits a level, with Bakaba comparing this system to a turn-based game.[30] Initially the game provided little to no guidance as to how to achieve the "Golden Loop" so players can piece together the mystery on their own, but early playtesters did not understand the game enough to progress. As a result, Arkane had to introduce a tutorial session, dubbed by the team as the "guided tour" to help players understand the gameplay mechanics. More straightforward guidance was also offered to players through the game's quest system.[33] Unlike other immersive sims which have a minimalistic head-up display, Deathloop's user interface provided players with information readily. Since Deathloop placed prominence on solving puzzles, the team did not want players to become overwhelmed cognitively while playing the game.[28]

To introduce a layer of unpredictability into the game, Arkane added multiplayer to the game. Arkane had explored this concept of asymmetrical multiplayer in their unreleased title The Crossing.[31] The team wanted fighting Julianna to be a challenge, though they also ensured Colt had a slight advantage over her through the "Reprise" ability, which allows him to respawn twice following defeat. This gameplay dynamic encouraged the player playing as Colt to take more risks, while the player controlling Julianna to be more cautious.[34] Familiarity with the map will help the player controlling Julianna to notice Colt's whereabouts and identify the best way to eliminate him, with the team describing this as the "ultimate test" for veteran players of the game.[35] Bakaba described the multiplayer mode as an "anecdote generator".[34] It was designed to be very "freeform", and encounters do not necessarily have to end with direct confrontation.[36] Julianna was therefore, designed to be a character which can accmmodate a variety of playstyles.[37] In-game voice chat was disabled because Arkane considered Deathloop to be a single-player game, and players should feel like they were hunted by "a character from the game, not someone from the internet".[38] The introduction of multiplayer prompted Arkane to replace the parry system found in Dishonored with a simpler kick mechanic, as network latency meant that the timing for parrying human-controlled characters and other NPCs would be different.[39]

Story and characters

[edit]

According to Bakaba, events in Deathloop originally occurred across four days.[28] In the game, every characters knows that they are living in a time loop, but only Julianna and Colt, as well as several minor characters, retain memories of the events in each loop. This resulted in the Visionaries and the Eternalist acting very lightheartedly because nothing they do have consequences as each day resets anew.[40] However, the team had to make Colt amnesiac so that he will learn alongside the player.[41] In the game, Colt wanted to break the loop while Julianna wanted to protect the loop, resulting in a viscious cycle in which they two kill each other endlessly. Despite their hostile tension, Julianna and Colt gradually grew close to each other as they were the only one with persistent memories. According to Bakaba, Julianna wanted to stop Colt from breaking the loop but did not want him to stop trying.[42] The interactions between Colt and Julianna was based around the films of Quentin Tarantino.[43] Julianna's prominence as a character was introduced fairly late in the game's development, as her role initially was comparable to the other Visionaries.[44][45] The Visionaries are designed to be characters with big personalities, but players should not feel sorry killing them because ultimately most of them are depraved individuals. They, however, do not have any character arc as the game is set in a time loop.[41] The team used several narrative tools to aid storyteling since the game did not have extensive cutscenes. Floating thoughts were Colt's thoughts from previous loop interactions, and were designed as a cheap system to provide gameplay hints and add to the game's mood. While the team initially avoided having Colt talking to himself, playtesters felt that this helped players to follow the story better, and further fleshed out Colt as a talkative person.[41]

Arkane was inspired by a number of films while creating the game's narrative. Besides time travel and time loop films like Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow and the Back to the Future trilogy, the game was influenced by the French comedy La Colle and the film The Fourth Dimension.[43] Films like The Running Man, The Warriors, The Wicker Man, Under the Volcano, and Dark City were used to draw inspiration for the game's plot of a solitary man working to solve a mystery in an isolated location while being hunted down by others.[43] Colt's appearance drew heavily from Denzel Washington's character in The Book of Eli, while his motives were based around the Snake Plissken character from Escape from New York along with array of gadgets inspired by the James Bond series.[43] Narratively, the game is set in the Dishonored universe, with events in Deathloop taking place years following the ending of Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, though Arkane and Bethesda avoided positioning the game as a Dishonored spin-off as it had its own standalone story and characters.[46]

Art and music

[edit]
The Faroe Islands inspired the landscape of Blackreef.

The team wanted Blackreef to be an "isolated" but "relatively built-up" location. Its design was inspired by the Scottish Highlands as seen in Skyfall, Faroe Islands and Falkland Islands, as well as remote petrol extraction stations in Northern Russia.[43][47] Settlements in the game, however, were inspired by Italian towns like Positano which invited joyous exploration.[48] Mitton used Google Earth and Google Street View to carry out location research.[40] To create a surrealist atmosphere and depict a world that seems to be frozen in time, the team contrasted the 1960s aesthestics with military structures commonly found the 1930s and 1940s.[40] Of the four locations in the game, Updaam was the first location created by the team, and was described by Bakaka as a "traditional urban area"; "The Complex" focused on the contrast between nature and technology, and was the most "scientific" area in the game; Fristad Rock focused on the contrast between an old, derelict bunker and a "lavish" and "elegant" casino; Karl's Bay served as the major party and entertainment location in the game.[28]

The game's aesthetics were inspired by imagery of the 1960s because it evoked both a sense of mystery and nostalgia, and that its light-heartedness vibe fit with the game's narrative concerning "an eternal party".[40] The British espionage series The Avengers, significantly influenced Deathloop's overall direction.[49] The visual direction was further inspired by the styles of the Swinging Sixties and the contemporary depiction of the era as seen through Guy Ritchie's The Man from U.N.C.L.E..[43] While creating the costumes of the characters, the team was influenced by the works of stylist Vidal Sassoon. [50] As the game requires players to be familiar with the game's four locations, the team strove to ensure that it was not too visually complicated.[40] To ensure the game was visually distinct, Arkane took cues from color use in films like High Plains Drifter and Point Blank, using bright colors and designs to give the island an endless party atmosphere. Billboards in the game that reveal secrets about the island were drawn from the film They Live, and the works of graphic artists Saul Bass and Robert McGinnis inspired the game's cutscenes and in-game posters.[43] The modernist architecture in the game were inspired by the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, while their interiors were inspired by photos from the book Lair: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains.[40]

Michel Trémouiller served as the game's audio director while Tom Salta served as its composer. Soundtracks in the game are primarily Jazz fusion music. The team was inspired by science fiction and horror TV shows from the 1960s, such as Not of This Earth and My Favorite Martian, as well as A Clockwork Orange and The Thing. Soundtracks from spy movies also influenced the team, espeically when they were composing the score for the Visionaries, each of whom has their own distinct musical themes. Salta also worked to ensure that his score reinforced the time loop theme, with certain chord progressions repeating itself in a variety of ways depending on the player's actions and location.[51] Salta used a number of musical instruments from the 1960s, such as the Rhodes piano, Hammond B3, vibraphone, clavinet, and mellotron to record the game's music. Synthwave music was also included, with Salta using tools like theremin and the EMS Synthi AKS synthesizer to produce the music.[52] Diegetic music, which were broadcast in-game through radio and loudspeakers, were written by Ross Tregenza and Erich Talaba.[51] Sencit Music and artist FJØRA also released a theme song for Deathloop, titled "Deja Vu", to accompany the release of one of the game's trailers.[53]

Release

[edit]

Publisher Bethesda Softworks first filed a trademark application for Deathloop in December 2018.[54] The gane was officially revealed by Arkane and Bethesda at E3 2019.[55] It was further showcased during Sony's PlayStation 5 event in June 2020, confirming that the game will see release as a timed console exclusive on the PlayStation 5 in late 2020 alongside a Windows release.[56] In August 2020, it was announced the game was delayed until Q2 2021 as development was impacted by the governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[57] The company later announced it planned to release Deathloop on 21 May 2021.[58] About a month prior to the planned May release, Arkane delayed the release until 14 September 2021.[59] The game's development was completed on 5 August 2016, with Arkane confirming it had been declared gold, indicating it was being prepared for duplication and release.[60] Players who purchased the Deluxe Edition gained access to new weapons, trinkets and character skins.[61]

On 21 September 2020, Bethesda Softworks' parent company, ZeniMax Media and Microsoft announced Microsoft's intent to buy ZeniMax and its studios, including Arkane, for US$7.5 billion, incorporating the studios as part of Xbox Game Studios, with the sale finalized on 9 March 2021.[62][63] Xbox Game Studios head Phil Spencer said that this deal would not affect Deathloop's platform-exclusive release on the PlayStation 5, and the game would remain exclusive there for one year before arriving on other consoles.[64][65] The game was released for Xbox Series X/S on 20 September 2022, alongside the "Goldenloop" update which introduces a new weapon, a new ability, new enemy types and cross-platform play, as well as an extended ending.[66] An artbook for the game was released by Dark Horse Comics in August 2022.[67]

Reception

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]

Deathloop received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[68][69][70]

Edwin Evans-Thirwell from Eurogamer described Deathloop as one of the most enjoyable games Arkane had released. While he noted the game's familiarity with the Dishonored series, he concluded that it was a significant refinement over its predecessor while also being an "accessible introduction to Arkane's grittier immersive sims".[71] Writing for GameSpot, Tamoor Hussain wrote that "observation and dynamic thinking" were as important as combat in the game, and players are rewarded for carefully planning and understanding the system and rules established in the game. He also enjoyed a sense of progression of the game, as the ease of navigation and combat significantly increased as players gain more powers and become increasingly familiarize with each location.[73] Several critics remarked that Deathloop was a very original game,[75][74] with Matt Purslow from IGN praising the team for turning disparate yet interesting ideas into a cohesive package that is "fasincating unique", integrating elements from games such as Dishonored, Hitman, Outer Wilds, and Dark Souls.[75] Many critics noted that the player's large arsenal of tools and powers were no longer shackled by Dishonored's morality system, meaning that players can embrace action as a viable mean of progression, encouraging players to experiment with the game's systems, improvise and take risks.[71][76][81][82]

The investigative gameplay also received a mixed reception. West noted that the acquisition of knowledge in the game was more important than any gun and power in Deathloop. He noted that the game had a novel structure in which the game let players freely pursue leads following the opening tutorial session but generally became more linear as the players approaches the end of the game. He described it as a "fascinating twist", one that keeps the experience dense and focused.[74] Purslow also believed that the non-linear investigative gameplay was satisfying, and noted that players will constantly make "thrilling discoveries" as they recognize the causal relationship between their actions and in-game results.[75] Several critics noted that the game was excessively linear, with the game guiding players through the process of how to execute the Golden Loop.[78][83] William Hughes, writing for A.V. Club expressed his disappointment that the game had "such a low opinion of the player's ability to do that mystery-solving on its own".[84] The multiplayer component was praised by critics for being tense and unpredictable.[71][72][74][73] Ian Boudreau from PCGamesN further added that the game rewarded players' knowledge with the game's four locations with success.[77] Gunplay, however, received polarizing reviews. Hussein called it "satisfying", while West called it "sluggish".[73] The game's artificial intelligence (AI) was also criticized.[76][78][79]

The game's art direction received accalim. Hussein described Deathloop as a "fascinating mashup of styles and vibes", resulting in a striking art direction. He also strongly praised the game's soundtracks for being "eclectic" and "raucous".[73] Stuart also strongly praised the game's visual design, praising the team's attention to details. He added that Blackreef was a "theme-park dystopia" painting a "glorious picture of a ruinous, elitist society and spectacle", as opposed to Dishonored's grim atmosphere.[80] Purslow liked the location design in the game, adding that they were "intricately detailed" and "dense with personality", and liked how the time of day changed each location and repeated playthrough still manage to evoke a constant sense of discovery.[75] Hughes remarked that the game's four levels became repetitive as players reached the later half of the game, and added these levels failed to push the players to use their powers smartly, unlike those from Dishonored 2 which kept on introducing gameplay twists.[84] Some critics liked how conventional world-building tools such as in-game computer terminal chat logs and audio flies provided key information for players to progress.[79][85]

The story of the game received generally positive reviews. Blake Hester from Game Informer praised the game's story and writing, calling the interactions between Colt and Julianna as "entertaining" and "humorous" and described the two as his favourite protagonists of the year.[72] Hussein also liked the game's writing and noted that the two shared a complicated relationship, and he praised the voice actors (Kelly and Akagha) for their performance.[73] Croft described the two protagonists as charismatic and noted that ther interactions were "funny and consistently touching".[78] However, Purslow felt that Colt's personal storyline are not presented to players clearly enough resulting in an abrupt ending.[75] West also felt that the story did not reach a meaningful conclusion.[74] Some critics compared the game's story and themes to The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.[86] The revelation that Colt was Julianna's father was controversial, as the two had flirtatious interactions during the opening segments of the game.[41]

Sales

[edit]

In the UK, Deathloop was the best-selling retail game in its week of release, but it also became the worst-performing Arkane game at launch, with its boxed sales being 5.6% lower than Prey (2017).[87] It was the sixth best-selling video game in September 2021 in the United States according to the NPD Group.[88] Deathloop was the 18th most-downloaded game on the PlayStation Store for 2021 in the US and Canada.[89] Arkane stated the game had reached 5 million players by February 2023.[90]

Awards and accolades

[edit]

Deathloop was selected by Edge,[91] Empire,[92] GameSpot,[93] GamesRadar+,[94] and The Daily Telegraph[95] as their Game of the Year in 2021.

Year Award Category Result Ref.
2021
Golden Joystick Awards 2021 Best Multiplayer Game Nominated [96][97]
Best Performer (Jason Kelley as Colt Vahn) Nominated
Best Performer (Ozioma Akagha as Juliana Blake) Nominated
PlayStation Game of the Year Nominated
Ultimate Game of the Year Nominated
Critics Choice Award Won
The Game Awards 2021 Game of the Year Nominated [98]
Best Game Direction Won
Best Narrative Nominated
Best Art Direction Won
Best Score and Music Nominated
Best Audio Design Nominated
Best Performance (Jason Kelley as Colt Vahn) Nominated
Best Performance (Ozioma Akagha as Juliana Blake) Nominated
Best Action Game Nominated
2022
22nd Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year Nominated [99][100]
Best Audio Nominated
Innovation Award Nominated
Best Narrative Nominated
Best Visual Art Nominated
25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Game of the Year Nominated [101]
Action Game of the Year Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Animation Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Character (Colt Vahn) Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction Won
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Nominated
Pégases Awards Best Game Won [102]
Best Artistic Design Won
Best Sound Design Nominated
Best Narrative Design Nominated
Best Game Design Won
Best Game Setting Won
Audience Award Won
18th British Academy Games Awards Best Game Nominated [103][104]
Audio Achievement Nominated
Game Design Nominated
Music Nominated
Original Property Nominated
EE Game of the Year Nominated
Performer in a Leading Role (Jason Kelley as Colt Vahn) Nominated
Performer in a Leading Role (Ozioma Akagha as Juliana Blake) Nominated

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Purslow, Matt (19 May 2021). "Deathloop Isn't a Roguelike, It's Supernatural Hitman". IGN. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b Jones, Rebecca (20 September 2021). "Deathloop slabs and abilities: how to obtain and fully upgrade all paranormal powers in Deathloop". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  3. ^ Peel, Jeremy (21 September 2021). "Deathloop invasion is a zero-sum mind game I can't stop playing". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b Tech, Dave (14 September 2021). "Deathloop beginner's guide, tips, and tricks". Polygon. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  5. ^ Webster, Andrew (19 May 2021). "Here's how Deathloop's death loops work". The Verge. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Hurley, Leon (15 September 2022). "9 Deathloop tips to make sure you survive the day (again)". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  7. ^ Hernedez, Patricia (11 June 2020). "Dishonored devs are making a wild PS5 game". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  8. ^ Chandler, Sam (17 September 2021). "How to kill all eight Visionary targets - Deathloop". Shacknews. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  9. ^ Gilliam, Ryan (1 March 2021). "Arkane explains Deathloop's Groundhog Day-like mechanics". Polygon. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  10. ^ Van Boom, Daniel (14 September 2021). "Deathloop gameplay tips: What you need to know as you begin". CNET. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b Archer, Nicole (26 August 2021). "I played 5 hours of Deathloop and learned nothing. It was amazing". CNET. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  12. ^ Van Aken, Alex (14 December 2021). "How Deathloop Works: Breaking Down Arkane's Brilliant Game Design". Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  13. ^ Aitken, Laruen (13 September 2021). "Deathloop: 7 things you should know before starting". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  14. ^ Delaney, Mark (20 December 2021). "Deathloop Trinkets Guide: Full List And Which Are Best". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  15. ^ a b Vaz, Christian (16 September 2021). "Deathloop Slabs - all powers and upgrades". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  16. ^ Gilliam, Ryan (22 September 2022). "Everything coming in Deathloop's big Goldenloop update". Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  17. ^ Delaney, Mark (16 December 2021). "How To Farm Residuum In Deathloop: Carry Over Weapons And Trinkets". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  18. ^ Vietti, Jesse (14 September 2024). "Tips & Tricks for Starting Out in Deathloop". Prima Games. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  19. ^ Forward, Jordan (19 May 2021). "Deathloop isn't the game I thought it was, and that's a good thing". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  20. ^ Makuch, Eddie (7 October 2022). "Bethesda Confirms Deathloop And Dishonored Are In The Same Connected Universe". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  21. ^ Peel, Jeremy (20 April 2023). "Bethesda weren't sure if they wanted Dishonored 3, and so we got Deathloop instead". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  22. ^ a b Batchelor, James (17 March 2022). "Deathloop's Dinga Bakaba on rising to director and avoiding crunch". Gameindustry.biz. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  23. ^ a b Shea, Brian (12 March 2021). "Arkane Talks Going From Dishonored To Deathloop". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  24. ^ Purchese, Robert (24 February 2023). "The hourglass philosophy behind Dishonored and Deathloop's genre-leading level design". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  25. ^ Purslow, Matt (27 February 2021). "Deathloop Brings Back Powers From Dishonored, Plus Freeform Assassinations". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 July 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  26. ^ McWhertor, Michael (19 May 2021). "Deathloop has more Dishonored and Hitman DNA than I expected". Polygon. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  27. ^ a b c Beckhelling, Imogen (19 May 2021). "Deathloop is about mastering the world rather than "perfect execution"". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d O'Dawyer, Danny (23 September 2021). "Deathloop Developer Breaks Down its Design". Noclip. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  29. ^ Brown, Andy (13 December 2021). "How Arkane designed a map worth revisiting in 'Deathloop'". NME. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  30. ^ a b c Prescott, Shaun (17 August 2021). "How Deathloop defies the immersive sim's reliance on quick save". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  31. ^ a b McKeand, Kirk (30 June 2021). "Deathloop interview - a strange blend of Dishonored, Persona, Dark Souls and… Cluedo?". VG247. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  32. ^ Dornbush, Jonathan (18 July 2021). "Deathloop Devs on PS5 Features, Time Loop Gameplay". IGN. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  33. ^ Indovina, Kirk (23 August 2022). "The Redesign That Saved Deathloop". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  34. ^ a b Moore, Jared (20 August 2021). "Deathloop PvP Isn't Built for Competitive Play, It's an 'Anecdote Generator'". IGN. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  35. ^ Chalk, Andy (20 August 2021). "Deathloop PvP will be 'the ultimate test' for players". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  36. ^ Purslow, Matt (19 May 2021). "Deathloop's Invasion PvP Mode Can Be Played Like a Co-Op Game". IGN. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  37. ^ Avard, Alex (19 May 2021). "Why Arkane's ultra stylish PS5 shooter Deathloop is so much more than just Dishonored with bigger guns". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  38. ^ Shea, Brian (19 March 2021). "How Deathloop's Multiplayer Works And How Arkane Prevents It From Being Annoying". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  39. ^ Oneto, Petey (23 September 2021). "Here's Why Deathloop's More Robust Melee Combat Was Scrapped". IGN. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  40. ^ a b c d e f Wilson, Ewan (15 September 2021). "Take a Closer Look at Deathloop's Trippy, '60s-Infused Island". Wired. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  41. ^ a b c d Francis, Bryant (29 March 2022). "Using time loop logic to shape Deathloop's narrative". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  42. ^ Shea, Brian (17 March 2021). "Who Are Deathloop's Main Characters, Colt And Julianna?". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  43. ^ a b c d e f g Egan, Toussaint (30 September 2021). "Arkane Studios' Sébastien Mitton explains the 13 movies that inspired Deathloop". Polygon. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  44. ^ Morris, Williesha (8 August 2021). "Deathloop and the Radical Necessity of 2 Black Leads". Wired. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  45. ^ Denzer, TJ (23 February 2021). "Colt & Julianna's banter and ties in Deathloop came very late in development". Shacknews. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  46. ^ Chalk, Andy (8 October 2022). "Bethesda finally confirms it: Deathloop is a Dishonored game". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  47. ^ Cryer, Hirun (2 November 2021). "Deathloop devs based Blackreef on Edinburgh and the Faroe Islands". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  48. ^ Stuart, Keith (3 November 2021). "Deathloop: how Arkane used Frank Lloyd Wright, Tarantino and Twiggy to build a world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  49. ^ Kamen, Matt (20 May 2021). "The cult cinema that inspired Bethesda's 'Deathloop'". NME. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  50. ^ Clayton, Natelie (19 March 2021). "Deathloop artist showcases the game's sharp '60s-inspired fashion". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  51. ^ a b Gelbert, Bryn (20 September 2021). "Defining the unique identity of Deathloop's world and Visionaries through sound design". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  52. ^ Gelbert, Bryn (14 September 2021). "Capturing the retro-future essence of Deathloop through its score". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  53. ^ Stanton, Rich (5 March 2021). "Deathloop's brilliant Bond-style theme is now on Spotify". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  54. ^ Makuch, Eddie (2 January 2019). "Bethesda Parent Company Trademarks A New Game Called "Deathloop"". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  55. ^ Robertson, Adi (9 June 2020). "Deathloop is the next game from the studio behind Dishonored". The Verge. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  56. ^ Van Allen, Eric (11 June 2020). "Arkane's Deathloop Is a Timed PS5 Console Exclusive [Update]". USgamer. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  57. ^ S. Good, Owen (18 August 2020). "Deathloop delayed to next year, says Arkane". Polygon. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  58. ^ "Arkane's 'Deathloop' hits PS5 and PC on May 21st, 2021". Engadget. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  59. ^ Robinson, Andy (8 April 2021). "Bethesda's PS5 exclusive Deathloop has been delayed". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  60. ^ Makuch, Eddie (5 August 2021). "Deathloop Goes Gold, Gets Stylish Poster Image To Celebrate". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  61. ^ Petite, Steven (13 September 2021). "Deathloop Discount Available For PS Plus Subscribers, Free Steelbook Up For Grabs At Best Buy". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  62. ^ Robinson, Andy (9 March 2021). "Microsoft confirms its Bethesda acquisition is complete and 'some games' will be exclusive". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  63. ^ Bass, Dina; Schreier, Jason (21 September 2020). "Microsoft to Buy Bethesda for $7.5 Billion to Boost Xbox". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  64. ^ Olsen, Mathew (21 September 2020). "GhostWire: Tokyo and Deathloop Will Still Be Timed PS5 Exclusives, Phil Spencer Confirms". USGamer. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  65. ^ Zwiezen, Zack (9 July 2021). "Sony Will Lose Another Big PS5 Exclusive In September 2022". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  66. ^ Bolding, Jonathan (15 September 2022). "Deathloop hits Game Pass alongside big Goldenloop update and crossplay". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  67. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (4 March 2022). "The Art of Deathloop Hardcover Revealed by Dark Horse". IGN. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  68. ^ a b "Deathloop for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  69. ^ a b "Deathloop for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  70. ^ a b "Deathloop for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  71. ^ a b c d Evans-Thirwell, Edwin (20 September 2022). "Deathloop review - not Arkane's most surprising game, but possibly its best". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  72. ^ a b c Hester, Blake (13 September 2021). "Deathloop Review – The Joys Of Death And Dying". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 13 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  73. ^ a b c d e f Hussain, Tamoor (13 September 2021). "Deathloop Review: All You Need Is Kill". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  74. ^ a b c d e West, Josh (13 September 2021). "Deathloop review - "You won't play anything else quite like it for a very long time"". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  75. ^ a b c d e f Purslow, Matt (13 September 2021). "Deathloop Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  76. ^ a b c Savage, Phil (13 September 2021). "Deathloop review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  77. ^ a b Boudreau, Ian (13 September 2021). "Deathloop review – time warp tour de force". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  78. ^ a b c d Croft, Liam (13 September 2021). "Deathloop Review (PS5)". Push Square. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  79. ^ a b c Donaldson, Alex (13 September 2021). "Deathloop review: a thrilling, slick adventure - and Arkane's best game yet". VG247. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  80. ^ a b Stuart, Keith (15 September 2021). "Deathloop review – chaos on repeat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  81. ^ Blake, Vikki (21 December 2021). "2021 in review: How Deathloop emboldened this boring player to take risks". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  82. ^ Gilliam, Ryan (1 October 2021). "Deathloop lets me play my way and get away consequence free". Polygon. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  83. ^ Moosa, Tauriq (15 September 2021). "Deathloop is one of the most incredible games I've ever played". Polygon. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  84. ^ a b Hughes, William (14 September 2021). "We're not mad at Deathloop—just a little disappointed". A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  85. ^ Webster, Andrew (13 September 2021). "Deathloop is an intricate mystery that also happens to be an amazing action game". The Verge. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  86. ^ Clark, Nicole (22 September 2023). "If you liked Deathloop, you should read The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle". Polygon. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  87. ^ Dring, Christopher (21 September 2021). "Deathloop takes No.1 in dominant week for PS5". Gameindustry.biz. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  88. ^ Grubb, Jeff (18 October 2021). "September 2021 NPD: Tales of Arise, Deathloop help set industry sales records". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  89. ^ Massongill, Justin (12 January 2022). "PlayStation lists the most downloaded games from its Store in 2021". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  90. ^ Carter, Justin (23 February 2023). "Deathloop has looped in 5 million players". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  91. ^ Lane, Gavin (31 December 2021). "Nintendo First-Party Titles Miss Out On EDGE Magazine's GOTY 2021 List". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  92. ^ Kamen, Matt (14 December 2021). "The Best Games Of 2021". Empire. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  93. ^ Higham, Michael. "Game Of The Year 2021 - Deathloop". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  94. ^ West, Josh (17 December 2021). "Why Deathloop is the best game of 2021". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  95. ^ Hoggins, Tom (29 December 2021). "The 20 best video games of 2021". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  96. ^ Tyrer, Ben (19 October 2021). "Golden Joystick Awards 2021: see the full list of nominees and how to vote today". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  97. ^ Stanton, Rich (28 November 2021). "PC, Final Fantasy 14 and Resi Village win big at Golden Joystick Awards 2021". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  98. ^ Hafford, Hayden (7 December 2021). "The Game Awards 2021: Nominees, start times, and where to watch". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  99. ^ Van Allen, Eric (11 January 2022). "Nominees for the 2022 Game Developers Choice Awards have been revealed". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  100. ^ staff (23 March 2022). "'Inscryption' Wins Game of the Year at GDCA 2022". gdconf.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  101. ^ "Congratulations to the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Finalists". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. 13 January 2022. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  102. ^ "The nominees". 3 March 2022. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  103. ^ Purslow, Matt (3 March 2022). "BAFTA Games Awards 2022 Nominations Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  104. ^ Reitman, Alex (16 March 2022). "BAFTA Games Awards: Performance Nominations Unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deathloop&oldid=1241065338"