Part of Deathloop's genius is just how much exists on the peripheral of the main story. Players can finish the game relatively quickly if they beeline through the story. However, anyone who does this would be doing themselves a disservice to all the work Arkane Studios put into both the gameplay and narrative of this immersive sim.
In addition to various side quests, there are also a lot of things about the story many players can miss. Some of these are hidden in the world, while others stare players right in the face. It is important to know about some of these, too, because the story can be confusing. However, these details clear up a lot of confusing aspects of Deathloop's narrative.
8 Pick's Apartment
In Karl's Bay, there is an open apartment near the Garden of Perception. Inside is a note detailing a person's realization that they are in a time loop, unlike the other residents of Blackreef who do not realize they are repeating the same day over and over again.
Going to the same place during the other times of day has Colt finding more notes from the same person. Eventually, one note has a combination that unlocks the door in the apartment. Inside is Pick, the writer of the notes. She begs Colt for death, marking the end of the interesting and oddly emotional quest.
7 Blackreef Was A Fishing Settlement
Other than the strange anomalies, the game does not tell players a lot about what Blackreef actually is. Before the military installations and experiments that Colt took part in, Blackreef was a small fishing settlement.
This can almost be seen as a small nod towards a prior game from Arkane Studios, Dishonored, which takes place partly on an island that is a small fishing village.
6 Spy Hideout
After finding numerous passwords located in Blackreef, players can eventually open up a bunker in Fristad Rock containing numerous narrative tidbits revealing more details about the visionaries.
There is also a safe with a weapon for Colt. It is a difficult and long road to open up this bunker, but it is absolutely worth going through all the trouble to get it.
5 Gas Chamber
Go to Fristad Rock in the afternoon and head behind Frank's house. The easiest way to get there is to climb the roof and then cross to the other side. This is also the hidden entrance to deactivate the class pass system if Colt has already found the code in Updaam underneath Charlie's building.
At the bottom of the rocks, the door to the boathouse is open. Inside, Colt finds a man who springs a trap on him. The room fills up with gas and players have to solve a puzzle to escape. There is a trinket that makes Colt invulnerable to gas players should equip to help best this trap. After solving the puzzle Colt finds a room where a past version of him used to torture eternalists who questioned and doubted the time loop.
4 Why People Forget About The Timeloop
This little detail can be easy to look past and not even think about. The Visionaries and eternalists were not meant to forget about the time loop every single day. One thing the participants of the time loop did not foresee was the mind's ability to retain all the information over years of repeating the same 24 hours.
After a while, the people in Blackreef started developing amnesia and forgetting the prior days. It goes to the point where they completely forgot about the loop and live every day as if it is the first time they are experiencing it.
3 Fia Has A Nuclear Bomb And Colt Can Disable It
Any players who managed to kill Fia in her bunker without setting off an alarm might not have realized she had a nuclear reactor with her. If she spots Colt, she activates the reactor which blows up the island and restarts the loop.
However, Colt can actually disable the reactor and prevent her from causing the explosion even if she spots the player. To disable it, players need to find the blueprints to the reactor and log the numbers next to each wire. Then, open the panel by the reactor with hacking and cut the wires in the indicated order.
2 Dishonored Comparisons
A lot of theories have been going around regarding potential connections to Dishonored. Most notably, the two pistols Colt and Julianna use during the ending resemble guns from Dishonored, which takes place in the 19th century.
Players have also found reused assets from Dishonored. These can all be considered easter eggs as of now, but maybe sequels will further confirm the connection.
1 The Multiple Endings
There are three endings to Deathloop depending on what players do during the final moments of the final loop.
If Colt kills Julianna during the standoff, he can either jump off the edge and officially end the loop or sit in the chair and wait for the night to end and return to the repeating day. Alternatively, Colt does not have to shoot Julianna and the two end up teaming up for the rest of eternity with the time loop.
Deathloop is out now for PS5 and PC