Shout out to Arkane for being one of the most consistent and interesting parts of the Bethesda line-up. When it comes to their worlds, very few come close to the level of detail and creativity that it inhibits. From their knockout open approach found in the extremely ambitious plague-ridden streets of Dishonored or the criminally underrated, mind-bending, shape-shifting claustrophobic space station of Prey, Arkane has displayed a mastery of atmosphere. Now they are back with stylish 70s-80s inspired spunk. Continuing off of the success of Machine Games success with the Wolfenstein reboot, we knew that Arkane and Machine Games were working together in Wolfenstein Youngblood that takes on a punker rock vibe with its neon striker font. However, this E3 they showed off what they have been working on all on their own: Deathloop.
A mix of sci-fi and 70s-80s vibes with the visual affects within the trailer, Deathloop seems to be another ambitious smash up of world building. In Deathloop, we see two characters with extraordinary powers and skills, each with one goal in mind, kill the other person. We see them wield a myriad of weapons and use abilities such as telekinesis and warping. Each character is seen killing other enemies within this world so we know that they certainly are alone in this harsh climate. Little is known of the game at the moment, but currently we understand that the game will take place on a lawless region known as the Blackreef, and two supernatural assassins are attempting to hunt each other in a Groundhog Day style game of deadly purgatory. While there hasn’t been public gameplay of Deathloop yet, we can expect a couple of trademark features from Arkane, a detailed and open environment that invokes freedom of gameplay and a beautiful fully realized world rich with lore.
This leaves me with a handful of questions and a lot of hype, but I know that so far, I’m sold.
Haven’t seen the trailer yet? Catch Up with the whole Bethesda E3 Conference here.
