In less than a few weeks, Arkane will release its new highly anticipated game “Deathloop”. It is built around a concept of perception that is recognized as challenging, which requires you to repeat the day endlessly as the protagonist Colt, accumulating information and knowledge so that you can perform what is considered impossible: assassinating 8 slaves at a time A goal not in the same place, and cannot be killed by your nemesis Julianna-this game is one of the most ambitious products we have seen in the studio.
The part of the plot line-we won’t delve into it too deeply, after all, the game may be spoiled if you are not careful from the beginning-it is relatively linear, you can plan where you will go next, and even explore what you follow At your own pace, you choose the location you want to visit, but at the same time, you always have the task in mind when you move forward to a location, such as destroying the target person. This means that it is impossible for you to solve all the puzzles on the first day, because you need door codes, additional abilities, and general knowledge of the surrounding environment. Just list a few examples to establish a fast assassination chain and break the trap that traps you. This cycle of Black Lagoon.
Advancing the storyline requires you to treat this as a mystery to be solved, to discover clues to reveal new information and breaches. This is the core design of “Death Cycle”. You will return to the same place, but you can choose to do this at different times of the day, do slightly different things, understand more knowledge, and discover how to accomplish this impossible feat. Also, you might worry that this repetitive nature will feel a little boring after the first few days, but the design, narrative, and abilities you can use on Black Lagoon make “Death Cycle” almost always attractive.
Black Lagoon itself is divided into multiple locations, each with its own unique landmarks and points of interest. You will learn that 8 targets (also known as Visionary) will frequently appear in these different locations at different times of the day. Your job is to find out when is the best time and the best way to reach these people.
The design of the world is typical of Arkane’s handwriting, and even if Dunwall’s steampunk style has been replaced by the feel of the 1960s, like the design we saw in Compulsion Games’ “Lucky Few”, any “unjust crimes” Fans of “Murder” will still immediately feel familiar. Black Lagoon has been meticulously carved and rich in content, making you feel as if there are new things in every corner, inspiring the desire to explore.
The similarities with “Unjustified Murder” do not stop there, because “Death Cycle” handles the game in a proper Arkane style. The control scheme can be a bit unstable at times, but the combat is completely fascinating and dynamic, and it is constructed in a way that you can truly handle it in your own style. Whether you prefer a more direct approach, illuminating the entire island with a series of muzzle flashes and peculiar abilities, it can help destroy the enemy faster and assist in manipulating the landscape; or you prefer to use stealth technology to fly under the radar, option From the very beginning, I will be there for you to choose. Indeed, the replayable nature of “Death Cycle” does encourage players to play in a more sneaky and low-key way when they first prepare to build their own arsenal, but this is by no means a mandatory requirement.
This brings me to the seemingly most worrying aspect of Death Cycle: player progress. Although the day repeats at the end of the night, players can use a system called “infusion” to permanently save equipment. This requires you to interact with a diamond-shaped object and draw a strange substance called “retentive agent” from it, which is a certain type of currency used in equipment. Assuming you complete the exploration and spend time collecting as much retentive agent as possible, this system will allow you to save some items after each day, but this design does mean that the most powerful and important weapons, abilities and perks can be preserved. For future use.
Before starting a new day, you can use any remaining equipment as part of the active loading. Similarly, if you want to move on the same day, say at noon, afternoon or evening, you can carry any equipment with you. However, at the end of the day, any unused retentive items and any spare retentive agents will be lost, so it is important to preserve what you can save-therefore, the roguelike comparison of Deathloop sprouted. So you can survive, and because of this, the comparison between “Death Cycle” and roguelike sprouted.
It’s no secret that Arkane knows how to make a great action-adventure game, and “Death Cycle” is seeking to become the continuation/peak of this hegemony. On PlayStation 5, the game looked incredible, played smoothly, and demonstrated the master level of DualSense integration. You can expect all kinds of tactile feedback, from feeling the pace of Colt’s movements to the rumble of automatic weapon fire, and most importantly, there are adaptive triggers that can further increase the immersion of the gunfight, and these are just two examples.
The only major area I haven’t really experienced is Julianna’s invasion. In the course of a few hours of the game, I encountered this character once. Since it was in the early days, I chose to avoid her instead of risking my life to try to destroy her. Needless to say, this feature does not seem to be that annoying, in my opinion it is actually positive, because the narrative is very full, you will want to focus on this point instead of being trapped in a cat-and-mouse game.
From a larger perspective, a lot of things happened in “Death Cycle”, but it was handled in such a subtle and informative way that after about 90 minutes, the game got rid of its confusing pollution. Name, and has its meaning to the player. If you like Arkane games, especially “Unjustified Murder”, then this will be your best choice. Otherwise, the unique storyline and its way of telling are definitely worth paying attention to.