What The Critics Are Saying About Deathloop

The time for "Deathloop" reviews is finally here, and critics have many thoughts on the latest game from Arkane Studios. After being delayed after Microsoft acquired Bethesda, "Deathloop" has arrived on PS5. Overall, the reviews were pretty solid — however, that doesn't mean they were all glowing. Scores ranged from perfect 10 out of 10s to less-than-desired lower ratings. Considering that the game isn't a standard AAA title, these results are almost expected.

Matt Purslow from IGN called the game "fantastically unique," and Kirk McKeand from TheGamer gave "Deathloop" extreme praise, noting that its new mechanics were reminiscent of the beginnings of the battle royale genre, when everything felt fresh and new. 

However, not everyone was its biggest fan. For example, Leo Faierman from Screen Rant said that the idea of loops in the game is "limiting" — and considering that's one of the core parts of the game, that criticism definitely calls into question the title as a whole. Despite oppositional reviews, critics did have a few things they generally agreed on, including the multiplayer mechanics.

For the most part, critics disagreed on the game's main storyline. At IGN, Purslow enjoyed it so much that he called it "an intricately built clockwork machine that ... confidently roars." Phil Savage from PC Gamer praised the looping mechanic, saying that it "leads to a more organic sense of discovery" that's perfect for an "immersive sim" like "Deathloop."

However, others argued these points. Leo Faierman argued that for a game that's all about discovering information, "Deathloop" doesn't let you do much discovering — it holds your hand. Paired with the seemingly endless loops, some critics found the game lacking.

Despite these conflicting thoughts about the campaign of "Deathloop," critics almost unanimously praised the multiplayer system. In the game, online players can randomly appear in your world to hunt you down as Julianna, a main boss. They have plenty of tools at their disposal, including the ability to look like any NPC in the game. Kirk McKeand said that the "evil thrill" of hunting players down as Julianna "never gets old." It makes the replayability of the game soar.

Phil Savage explained "Deathloop" as being "all about what happens when things don't go to plan; about panic and improvisation; about learning from a mistake, and taking those lessons forward." That kind of lesson is unique to the video game scene, and Savage further discussed how the game had him really thinking about what success in a video game looked like.

Even Leo Faierman, who wasn't the biggest "Deathloop" fan, called it "one-of-a-kind." When a game comes around that breaks general video game mechanics, some people just don't like it. Yet even divisive titles can hold value for gaming as a whole by introducing new concepts and mechanics into the world. 

Overall, "Deathloop" received excellent reviews from a variety of outlets. In fact, its "novelty," as Kirk McKeand called it, could be exactly what launches the game to massive success. While "Deathloop" is a PlayStation 5 and PC exclusive right now, don't fret if you're an Xbox player — it's only a two-year timed exclusive.