Publisher Bethesda Softworks along with developer Arkane Lyon showcased a new gameplay trailer for Deathloop titled “Two Birds One Stone” showing off some skills, weaponry, gadgets, and executions with style. The game will launch on console exclusively for PlayStation 5 in Q2, 2021, and will run at 4K/60FPS at launch. DEATHLOOP will also be launching on the PC at the same time. (Console exclusivity is for a limited time.
Game details as presented in the official website:
Colt doesn’t have an easy life
Or, more accurately, he’s not having an easy day. Probably because that day keeps looping, leaving him trapped in an endless cycle of violence on an island full of eccentric partygoers with a flair for the dramatic and itchy trigger-fingers. They all want him dead and he just wants out, but in order to get out, he’ll have to kill the 8 “Visionaries” responsible for keeping the timeloop going. If he can manage that, he can break the loop and finally escape the island of Blackreef. Eight targets, all spread out across an entire island, and just one day to kill them all. Time to get to work.
YOU VS. THE WORLD (OR AT LEAST THE ISLAND OF BLACKREEF)
On Blackreef, time is both meaningless and the most important thing in the world. The clock is always ticking in the back of your mind, but you can repeat the loop as many times as you need to get it right. Good, because you’re going to need that time if you’re going to uncover the secrets of Blackreef. Of course, traversing the island won’t be easy, due to the fact that everyone on the island wants you dead, but don’t let that little issue get in your way.
With four unique districts breaking up the island, and four segments of the day to explore, you can tackle any area of Blackreef at any time as you pick up clues and learn more about your targets. The districts are open, like what you might remember from Dishonored, but unlike Dishonored they aren’t tied to levels and can be openly explored whenever you want.
Each of these districts have their own stories that will play out throughout the day, whether you’re there to see them or not, and these stories could have an impact on the layout of the district as the day progresses. Because of this, some areas might only be accessible at certain points of day. Similarly, some of the Visionaries might only be accessible at certain times. That’s why you’ll need to use the timeloop to study them and pay attention to their routines. As you saw in the trailer, it is possible to get them to leave their “comfort zones” and move to other areas of the island, but you’ll have to find all the right levers to pull in order to make that happen.
And that’s key to solving the murder puzzle of DEATHLOOP. It will be impossible to take all of the Visionaries out in one day if you try to do it one-by-one. You’ll have to move them around like pieces on a game board until the puzzle comes together in one beautiful loop of death.
MEET THE VISIONARIES
The island of Blackreef is trapped in a timeloop, but it’s not a natural phenomenon. It’s the result of a series of experiments as part of the AEON Program, run by “a group of opportunistic 20-somethings who call themselves ‘Visionaries,’” says Narrative Designer Bennett Smith. “These Visionaries want to escape the constraints and discomforts of the world. AEON’s goal is simple: pursue the dream of an eternal life free from consequence and far from society.”
“After years of recruiting young and impressionable ‘Eternalists’ (the other inhabitants on the island) to help setup the AEON Program on Blackreef, the Visionaries kick off their experiment and isolate Blackreef from the rest of the world,” Smith continues. “They’ve harnessed the old research equipment on the island and used themselves as anchors for the Loop; as long as at least one Visionary is alive at the end of each day, the Loop persists. They also enjoy enhanced abilities and even superpowers, thanks to the devices (called slabs and trinkets) the AEON scientists have developed.”
Each of the Visionaries have their own goals and justifications for their actions. Just look at Egor Serling and Aleksis Dorsey, the two Visionaries you met in the trailer, and two fairly opposite individuals.
HER
But among the Visionaries is your rival Julianna, and while the other Visionaries have their own goals and stories that unfold regardless of you, Julianna’s sole focus is you. Also unlike the Visionaries, who tend to stick to their territory and don’t do much wandering, Julianna will dog your trail through your entire journey around Blackreef, waiting for her chance to strike. Because Julianna isn’t just a Visionary. She’s also a playable character, meaning it could be another player invading your campaign to wreak some havoc, adding another layer of unpredictability to her actions. (This is an optional feature that can be toggled off.) So while you’re on the hunt for clues across the island, watch your back, because Julianna might be on the hunt for you.
