Deathloop is a confusing game when you get right down to the inner thoughts of Colt and Julianna, the only two characters that matter. Julianna wants the loop to continue, and Colt wants it to end. There have been many versions of Colt, you can see this in the various forms he takes around Blackreef while you’re unlocking more of the story. Some versions love the loop, some hate it, and others reveal a glimpse into the complex emotions at the centre of the loop problem. I love this context, but I think a lot of people will miss it because of all the action.
The general theme of Deathloop’s story seems to be that Colt, at some point, loved the loop. He wanted to maintain it and play a part in that, but then he reached the point when he didn’t He’s linked to the island in a way that a lot of other people aren’t, having been part of a project in the past. The loop keeps him alive though, so he’s grown weary of it. Then, Julianna, his daughter, arrives on the island. He’s conflicted, wanting to see her but also hating the loop for how long he’s had to live with it.
Julianna thinks the loop is great. Maybe she had some bad experiences outside of it, but she’s here now and she’s loving what she has. She’s also got her father, which is a nice bonus. Maybe the pair get on well at the start, but with both of them remembering every loop, Colt becomes disillusioned at some point. He realises that Julianna needs to live a normal life, and he needs to die. That’s only possible if he dies, so he tries to break the loop.
Colt doesn’t want to hurt Julianna, that’s why there are versions of him that love the loop. However, he wants the loop to end. He’s too old, repeated too many times, and Julianna needs to live. That’s why he awakens with no memory and decides he needs to destroy the loop. He’s blown his brains out to forget, but he can’t die unless he kills all the other Visionaries. This is the core of Deathloop’s story, and with all of his memories intact, Colt would destroy the loop. However, without them, he lets the loop survive, and enjoys his time with Julianna until he reaches breaking point again.
