Everything you need to know about Arkane’s Deathloop

Die, die, and die again.

It’s not Dishonored 3 or Prey 2, but a new IP is always welcome. On Bethesda’s stage at E3 2019, Arkane Studios introduced Deathloop to the world. It looks awesome and trippy in all the right ways, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it when it releases for PS5 and PC.

Jump to:

• What is Deathloop?
• Developed by Arkane Studios
• Deathloop gameplay
• Deathloop story & characters
• Multiplayer or single-player?
• Release date and platforms

What is Deathloop?

Deathloop is a new IP developed by Arkane Studios. According to the studio, it will be a 1st-person action game that follows two assassins on an island who are hunting each other down. As the name suggests, our two characters appear to be stuck in a time loop, much like the movie Edge of Tomorrow — or Live. Die. Repeat., as the film was retroactively named.

Deathloop Developed by Arkane Studios

If you’re unfamiliar with the name Arkane Studios, you may be familiar with their work. Arkane created the action/stealth series Dishonored and successfully rebooted Prey a couple of years ago. The type of games that Arkane ends up creating are many times labelled as immersive sims. These tend to focus on interactive and reactive environments to create emergent gameplay situations that even the developer may not have originally intended.

Deathloop Gameplay

Going by what we’ve seen from the trailer, Deathloop should feature gun-based combat along with special powers like those seen in the Dishonored universe. A couple of points in the trailer showcase powers like a Force push ability in Star Wars and another like the transversal ability Blink seen in Dishonored. The game touts “meticulously designed levels” that players can explore that will allow you to approach missions in a variety of ways. This is the exact philosophy that Dishonored and Prey took, so at the very least you can expect non-linear levels if it isn’t entirely open world.

Colt and Julianna will have an arsenal of weapons and abilities at their disposal, which can be customized to suit your playstyle. Though both will have access to the same main tools, their abilities are what will set them apart. Colt can make use of hacking devices, while Julianna can disguise herself and take on the appearance of any NPC.

Deathloop Story and characters

The trailer gave us a good idea of what the Deathloop is about, but Arkane’s official description details the premise even further.

Deathloop transports players to the lawless island of Blackreef in an eternal struggle between two extraordinary assassins. Explore stunning environments and meticulously designed levels in an immersive gameplay experience that lets you approach every situation any way you like. Hunt down targets all over the island in an effort to put an end to the cycle once and for all, and remember, if at first you don’t succeed… die, die again.

These two assassins are Colt and Julianna. Colt apparently wants to break the time loop cycle, while Julianna wants to protect it. Her reasons for this are unknown, nor do we know what caused the time loop to begin with. The only way they believe they can fulfill their goals is by killing the other person.

Colt has eight targets which he needs to take out in a single day before the loop resets. Players are free to tackle the main and side missions in any order they choose. Each new day gives players an opportunity to discover a little bit more about the island — and their targets — and come one step closer to success.

Deathloop Is it multiplayer or single-player

Arkane’s recent games have traditionally been single-player only, but Deathloop is going to be a little bit different. While you can play it by yourself if you choose to, there will also be a two-player multiplayer system where one character hunts the other.

Julianna is also a playable character. While you will experience the main campaign as Colt, you also have the option to infiltrate another player’s game as Julianna and do some hunting… If this PvP element is disabled, Julianna will still appear your game from time to time, hunting you, but she will be AI-controlled.

Arkane was once working on a multiplayer title over ten years ago called The Crossing, which was subsequently cancelled before it ever released. The Crossing would have attempted to blend single-player and multiplayer together. Arkane’s lead designer Ricardo Bare stated previously that the studio had hoped to utilize the design belief and technology behind The Crossing’s multiplayer into future games. It looks like Deathloop is one of those games.

Deathloop When can I play it?

Deathloop was originally set to be launching on PS5 and PC last holiday, according to Bethesda. Arkane has announced that due to work being impacted and the safety of the team, Deathloop will now release on September 14, 2021.

Because Microsoft bought ZeniMax Media, Arkane is now a studio under Xbox. Because of this, it’s almost guaranteed that Deathloop will come to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at some point in the future, but for now Microsoft plans to honor the original timed PS5 exclusivity agreement.

Live. Die. Repeat.

Deathloop

$60 at Amazon
$60 at Best Buy

Another immersive sim from Arkane

Colt and Juliana are two assassins on the island of Blackreef stuck in a time loop. Use every tool at your disposal to break the cycle when Deathloop launches for PS5 and PC.