What we know about Arkane Studio’s Deathloop: Release date, trailer, State of Play, more

Brent Koepp
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Arkane Studios’ Deathloop was revealed at Sony’s PlayStation 5 event in June 2020. The Groundhog Day-like FPS has players taking out assassins in stylish fashion. Here everything we know about the developer’s follow-up to Dishonored.

Deathloop was initially unveiled at E3 2019, but on June 11 fans got their first proper look at the FPS at Sony’s ‘Future of Gaming’ event. The new title was a standout announcement at the conference, as its stylish trailer showed off its stunning visuals and epic gameplay

The cinematic shooter is Arkane Studios’ first release since Dishonored 2 in 2016, and will be a timed exclusive for the PlayStation 5 before eventually coming to other platforms in the future. Now, in the months leading up to the game’s release, Sony is ready to showcase more information surrounding Death Loop.

Here is what you need to know about the wildly anticipated shooter.

Arkane’s stylish FPS is coming to the PS5.

Deathloop Release date

Despite Bethesda and Arkane Studios aiming for a release of May 21 of this year, the game has unfortunately been delayed once again. The developers have cited that they have a strong vision for the title and don’t want to sabotage that by releasing the game too early.

Instead, the game will now release on September 14, 2021, and should give Arkane Studios the time to polish the title ready for its launch.

While this is surely disappointing news for fans, it shouldn’t be all that surprising. Working on a game from home is certainly not easy and, if the overall quality was suffering because of it, it probably should get delayed.

Deathloop State of Play – July 8

Sony has announced their next State of Play showcase, and this one is coming on July 8 and it will solely be centered around Deathloop, and the mechanics that the protagonist, (Colt) will be able to use within the new shooter.

“In this extended gameplay sequence, we’ll see Colt use his abilities to stealthily skulk across rooftops… or go in guns blazing to create a whole lot of mayhem. Lots of options available on Blackreef Island.”

Deathloop revealed at PlayStation 5 event

Originally teased back in 2019, Deathloop had its official media blowout at Sony’s PS5 event as a timed exclusive. The FPS has players controlling a character trapped in a time loop where death results in the protagonist coming back to life.

The reveal was accompanied by a jaw-dropping trailer which oozes with a Grindhouse-like cinematic aesthetic that could easily be mistaken for a Quentin Tarantino movie. Fans of Dishonored are in luck as it looks like an evolution of the franchise’s addicting gameplay.

What is the game about?

In a summary posted on Bethesda’s website, the post describes the story as being one of survival. Players will control a character named Colt, who finds himself on Blackreef island. The mysterious location and all of its inhabitants are surrounded by a time loop.

According to the publisher, the character has to kill eight other assassins before midnight or else the loop starts over each day. The protagonist will be squaring off with Julianna Blake, a deadly assassin that doesn’t want the time anomaly to end and will do anything to stop you.

Not much more is known about the plot outside of the trailer’s narration and the summary. However, it appears the main character will be hunted down relentlessly throughout by the island’s citizens.  The title also relies on players dying and learning new bits each time they come back to life.

In Deathloop, players are hunted down by other assassins.

Features

According to Bethesda, Deathloop will run at 4k/60 FPS at launch. The title also has a PVP mode where players can control rival Julianna, and raid another player’s game. If the option is disabled, Julianna will hunt you down but as an NPC. Both Colt and Julianna have “access to a powerful range of customizable weapons and abilities, and you can outfit them to suit your preferred playstyle.” And each character has different abilities, such as Colt who can hack and come back from death, and the female assassin “can take on the appearance of any NPC.”

In the trailer, we get a glimpse of Colt’s powers as he uses telekinesis to throw his enemies across the room. Similar to Dishonored 2, you will have to juggle between weapons and special powers to find the best combo to devastate your foes. Arkane Studios promises that the AAA title will offer both stealth gameplay, as well as over-the-top gun action.

The developer reiterated that each loop will reveal new hints and information. While it is is an action-packed FPS, its story has puzzle elements of trying to piece together everything, and dying each time will be a part of that process. The main protagonist will be the hunted, as well as the hunter.

Players will have an arsenal of powers to hit back at their enemies.

Although the delay to the title is disappointing, it does show that the devs are looking to produce a polished and refined title. Fingers crossed the game receives its highly-anticipated launch in September and fans can finally experience Deathloop’s unique gameplay.

Rest assured, we’ll update this article as soon as any new information, news, or leaks is released for the game.