Deathloop's recursive assassinations arrive on PC this winter
Death? Merely a setback.
For Deathloop's unfortunate leading man, getting shot in the gut is simply another learning opportunity. Following its brief cinematic showing at E3 last year, Bethesda finally gave us a bloody good look at Arkane Lyon's time-locked assassin during tonight's PlayStation 5 reveal stream - a slick-as-hell recursive bloodbath that's bringing supernatural hunter-vs-hunted showdowns to PC this winter.
Think Groundhog Day, if Bill Murray had to kill every last influential figure in Punxsutawney before midnight to continue with the rest of his life. Odd film.
There aren't many worse places to be stuck in an endless time-loop than Blackreef, a party island where the main attraction is gunning you down. There's something of a Bioshock vibe to Blackreef's animal-masked murderers, gleefully idling around lavish environments as they wait to gut you - night after night after night after night.
Fortunately, Colt is basically Corvo with a gun. Maybe that's reductive, but it looks wonderfully brutal - quick-fire shocks of the player wrenching islanders out of winders, knocking them into the air before unloading with a sawn-off. The only way to kill the loop is to wipe out all eight targets before midnight. You've gotta think beyond linear time, using each night to route paths, scout encounters and engage in some good ol' fashioned trial and error.
Ultimately, you'll figure out how to nail that idealised perfect run - assuming a stray shot doesn't strike between your eyes.
It's not just mooks out for Colt's head, though. Deathloop features (entirely optional) PvP invasions, letting you step into the shoes of rival assassin Julianna. If you'd rather play solo, Julianna will still hunt you under the AI's control - but there's a devilish appeal to the idea of trying to out-Dishonored another living, human being.
Deathloop should clock in for a PC debut alongside its PS5 launch late this winter. No, no mention of Xbox. See its website for more info.
Whatever you call it, hit our E3 2020 tag for more from this summer's blast of gaming announcements, trailers, and miscellaneous marketing. Check out the PC games at the PlayStation 5 show, everything at the PC Gaming Show, and all the trailers from the Xbox showcase, for starters.