Deathloop was announced in June of 2019, and fans of Arkane have been hyped for it ever since. Arkane has a history of creating unique worlds chock-full of gameplay possibilities, and Deathloop looks like it's going to be no exception to that rule. The premise of the Deathloop, in essence, has players playing as an assassin where they are stuck in a time loop, with players having to figure out how to assassinate eight different targets in twenty-four hours. Once the player dies or the twenty-four hours is up, the time loop resets, and it's back to square one.
If that weren't an awesome enough concept, there's a rival assassin in the mix, too, except her job is to stop the other assassin from killing his targets. This rival assassin is also stuck in a time loop, making for what appears to be some interesting shenanigans throughout the game, including Deathloop's multiplayer where another player can play as the rival assassin. These assassins are going to be getting very familiar with one another, if these trailers are anything to go by.
DEATHLOOP – Official E3 World Premiere
The initial Deathloop announcement trailer from E3 2019 was entirely cinematic. This trailer, while devoid of gameplay, sets up the world nicely and introduced the main hook of the game.
The main character appears to be trying to end the time loop that either he, or all of Deathloop's island setting Blackreef, is stuck in. Everybody else seems happy to be in this time loop, including the other assassin, who has seemingly been tasked with preserving the loop. Other than that, this trailer gave fans the flavor of the game with tons of cool art and world-building, plus a killer soundtrack.
DEATHLOOP – Official PS5 Gameplay Reveal Trailer: Welcome to Blackreef
The second trailer featured the first gameplay from the timed PS5 exclusive Deathloop, but it also started off with a little bit more world-building, this time around the main character, Colt. Someone on a speaker says that Colt, her predecessor, has been pronounced guilty of treason. She demands every citizen's assistance in killing Colt; after all, that's when the real party begins, she says.
After this charming little announcement, the trailer gets into some real gameplay, featuring Colt taking down a few different enemies. A few different weapons are showcased, as well as some teleportation abilities similar-looking to Dishonored, and some telekinetic abilities that blast enemies around at Colt's whim.
Towards the end of this fight, Colt dies. Time rewinds, and he finds himself right back where he started, establishing Deathloop's time loop gameplay. Through the rest of the trailer, carnage ensues, and off and on Colt tangles with his rival assassin: Julianna.
DEATHLOOP – Official Gameplay Trailer 2: Two Birds One Stone
The second gameplay trailer for Deathloop not only showcases some combat, but it gets into the nitty-gritty of the game's structure. Each target on Blackreef is a Visionary, presumably each having something to do with how the Time Loop works. Each Visionary is a "different piece" of the puzzle that is Blackreef; Colt could try and go after each target separately, but there just isn't enough time in the loop.
This is where things get really interesting. Colt can learn more about each target every time he's in a loop, figuring out exactly what each of them is up to each day, and learning how to manipulate them into being at the same place at the same time. Having multiple targets in one location is going to make things go a lot faster when the bullets start flying, and the social puzzle of accomplishing this appears to be what is going to make Deathloop more than a run-fast-shoot-people game. All the while, once again, the rival assassin Julianna does everything she can to stop Colt.
It looks like Deathloop has a lot going on, and in typical Arkane fashion, a lot of different ways to play the game. Fans won't need to wait much longer, with Deathloop's May 21, 2021 release date approaching. And if the promise of these trailers holds true, it appears to be a game that's going to look vastly different depending on who's playing it, with potentially have a ton of replay value.
Deathloop is set to release on May 21, 2021, for PC and PS5.