Deathloop Explained Video Showcases a Genre Mashup of Sci-Fi and Lavish Spy-Thrillers

This week Bethesda Softworks dropped a new video for the upcoming action-adventure, first-person shooter, Deathloop. The game is being developed by Arkane Studios, the makers of the Dishonored series and Prey. The new video features game director Dinga Bakaba offering an in-depth look at the game’s central mysteries and gameplay.

In Deathloop, players assume the role of Colt, an assassin who wakes up on an island called Blackreef. Unfortunately, Colt and all the inhabitants of Blackreef are trapped in a mysterious time loop that causes them to relive the same day over and over, not unlike the movie Groundhog Day.

Bakaba offers up some plot details for Deathloop. As Colt, players have to eliminate eight targets, a group of cold-blooded murderers called The Visionaries, to escape the time loop and the island before the day resets. However, the targets are sending everyone they can to block Colt from achieving his goal. Based on the new gameplay video, whenever the time loop resets, players will be able to keep the experience, abilities, and weapons they unlocked during the previous loop. 

The game appears to have an interesting genre mix of pulp, hard-boiled fiction, lavish 1960s spy thrillers, and classic retro action movies, plus the sci-fi aspect with the resetting time loop. Besides some interesting-looking weapons, players as Colt will be able to use some interesting time and physics and mind-bending abilities.

In terms of gameplay, Deathloop looks like a spiritual successor to Dishonored, but the overall look, story, and premise look like a fun mix of 1960s spy films, Quentin Tarantino, and James Bond movies.

Deathloop is currently scheduled for a May 20 release. It will launch initially on PlayStation 5 and will also be available for Windows PC later on. The latest gameplay video on Deathloop can be viewed here: