I've loved Arkane's games since I was young. Dishonored blew my mind, Dishonored 2 I thought was not only a masterpiece but the studio's magnum opus, death of the outsider was a fitting and fantastic end to that series, and Prey is one of the best survival horror games ever made. I didn't believe they could rip those four games... Deathloop is the crown jewel of their library of games. It is their magnum opus. Let me highlight the positives for you all.
- Style, style, style. This game has style. Infant I don't know if I've ever played a triple A game that relies so heavily on artistic and stylistically cool storytelling as this game. It feels like an Indy but it's not.
- gameplay is "chefs kiss." If you thought dishonored played well, imagine that gameplay but with guns from a 70's setting. It feels so good, and if you learn the mechanics, powers, and abilities you can do some insane tricks.
- story and storytelling. I can't praise this enough. The story from a character perspective to the unique structure is brilliant. It is a feat of game design that they could structure a game like this and maintain a consistent high quality story. There are plenty of twists and turns and the way it all comes together is really beautiful. I also love Colt, Juliana, and the way it ends. Also a time travel story really fits the genre of rogue likes (which is what this game is).
- setting - the setting is golden. A island called black reef in the 70's that is stuck in a ground hog day style time loop. This game seems like it's inspired by 70's James Bond, Groundhog Day, and Tenet. It just works!
My only complaint isn't even a complaint and that is that the first bit of the game is jarring, there is a lot to learn. But the game does a great job of teaching you (great game design again). If you're willing to learn a kinda hard and overwhelming game you will be treated with a masterpiece of gaming.
