I have no idea what it is with me and Arkhane games but I keep coming back to them despite being burnt out multiple times. It's not that they make bad games, far from it. Their worlds are so expertly crafted from an aesthetic and level design standpoint. So many tools and cracks in the level to execute whatever task you're trying to accomplish, it's technically great and 'Deathloop' is no different. On a technical level, so much is right here, but it's the gameplay and the things that surround it that hinder its high potential.
For a gameplay-focused game like this, I was surprised by how much the narrative was present. Aside from the excellent voice acting and some witty dialogue my focus was mainly centered on combat with the story not grabbing me that much. This is fine, but that makes the problems with gameplay far more apparent. For starters, the gunplay feels incredibly satisfying, with controls and movement being air-tight and fun to tinker around with. That gunplay, however, never managed to flourish with just how awful the AI was. I understand some of the arguments in favor of dimwitted AI. It can give way for further experimentation with the game's mechanics, allowing you to toy around with them without many frustrating outcomes. There's also the narrative angle with them being high on drugs and drunk most of the time, but I just don't buy into these. Due to how weak the AI was I never felt the need to experiment. I still did to extract as much fun out of the mechanics as possible, but it grew more difficult as the game progressed. Every objective is highlighted with the dreaded objective marker so there is no need to think outside the box. I just mindlessly hopped from each objective completing them and forgetting instantly. For a game that asks you to find the best most optimal way to kill your targets it sure loves telling you exactly what to do and how to do it. I was able to blaze through areas and objectives leading to a disappointingly mindless experience.
Adding to that mindlessness was the fusion system which allows you to extract energy from enemies and objects to then fuse with your equipment, such as weapons and perks, to permanently keep them. Within the first loop after getting the fusion ability I never had to change my weapons. Any encounter with Julianna, which were the only potentially challenging parts with her invading your game either as a player or AI, became a joke with my arsenal. Like I said; mindless.
I know I was fairly negative on it but I did enjoy 'Deathloop'….like sometimes. When the enemies mustered up any semblance of intelligence and every tool I had was called to action it clicked with me and I had some fun. Unfortunately, those moments were incredibly rare leading to an experience that felt so close to being a mechanically liberating venture yet being so far from it.
For a gameplay-focused game like this, I was surprised by how much the narrative was present. Aside from the excellent voice acting and some witty dialogue my focus was mainly centered on combat with the story not grabbing me that much. This is fine, but that makes the problems with gameplay far more apparent. For starters, the gunplay feels incredibly satisfying, with controls and movement being air-tight and fun to tinker around with. That gunplay, however, never managed to flourish with just how awful the AI was. I understand some of the arguments in favor of dimwitted AI. It can give way for further experimentation with the game's mechanics, allowing you to toy around with them without many frustrating outcomes. There's also the narrative angle with them being high on drugs and drunk most of the time, but I just don't buy into these. Due to how weak the AI was I never felt the need to experiment. I still did to extract as much fun out of the mechanics as possible, but it grew more difficult as the game progressed. Every objective is highlighted with the dreaded objective marker so there is no need to think outside the box. I just mindlessly hopped from each objective completing them and forgetting instantly. For a game that asks you to find the best most optimal way to kill your targets it sure loves telling you exactly what to do and how to do it. I was able to blaze through areas and objectives leading to a disappointingly mindless experience.
Adding to that mindlessness was the fusion system which allows you to extract energy from enemies and objects to then fuse with your equipment, such as weapons and perks, to permanently keep them. Within the first loop after getting the fusion ability I never had to change my weapons. Any encounter with Julianna, which were the only potentially challenging parts with her invading your game either as a player or AI, became a joke with my arsenal. Like I said; mindless.
I know I was fairly negative on it but I did enjoy 'Deathloop'….like sometimes. When the enemies mustered up any semblance of intelligence and every tool I had was called to action it clicked with me and I had some fun. Unfortunately, those moments were incredibly rare leading to an experience that felt so close to being a mechanically liberating venture yet being so far from it.