As you’ve probably been expecting since reading my last article on it, I’ve been playing a lot of Deathloop. The game is the perfect example of what Arkane Studios excel at, and I adore it. There’s so much going on that’s worth exploring and enjoying, and it’s just the perfect release for any Arkane Studios fan. However, for all that’s clicked with me, there’s one point that I’m starting to see as a problem for both me and the people that have struggled to get into it. The game’s main missions. These are a way of showing you how to complete your overall goal of killing all eight Visionaries in a single day, but they’re so much more contained than simply exploring that you feel like they’re the worst part of the game.
I reckon that it’s the missions that have put so many people off of the game. The reason for this is that they’re only slightly linear. For example, you might make a discovery in one area during the afternoon, but to capitalise on it and advance the mission, you need to wait until the following day to pick it up in the morning. There’s a lot of what feels like busywork that’s put into the game in this way. You can’t follow a thread in the same day because something blows up or someone isn’t around. It’s infuriating in the moment, but I do like one aspect of this. Since you’re left with nothing else to follow for that day, you can explore other areas and make new discoveries on your own.
I’ve managed to get to the point where I can kill three Visionaries in a single location in one time zone. It’s not enough to complete the game, but it is exactly what I’m aiming for. I managed to hit this point through thorough exploration between story beats because I love the world of Blackreef so much. Too many people are used to linear missions being fast and furious. In Deathloop, they’re a slow burn, and that’s why I think so many people are struggling to get into the game and really enjoy it.