Arkane Studio's time-bending Deathloop is one of the most hotly-anticipated games this year. A spiritual successor to Dishonored in many ways, Deathloop takes the established ability-based first-person gameplay of its predecessors and combines it with a unique time loop mechanic and narrative.
While there's certainly a lot to look forward to, fans are curious to know how the time loop aspect of the game plays out. There are many lingering questions still left unanswered, but one feature from Outer Wilds (another game with a time loop) seems perfect for Deathloop.
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Deathloop is set on an island by the name of Blackreef, and players control an assassin by the name of Colt on a mission to kill eight visionaries before midnight. Blackreef is touted to be huge, with four connected districts and the targets scattered all across the island. Furthermore, these districts have their own time-specific schedules which make them distinct based on the time of day players decide to visit them.
While this might seem great on the surface, there's also a looming possibility of players being fed too much information at once. When compared to something like Hitman where players are expected to find an optimal way to dispatch a couple of targets in a relatively small location, Deathloop's eight targets scattered over this huge landmass might seem quite difficult to tackle for many players.
This could be further accentuated by a near-complete reset of progress upon death, which prompts players to try out another approach. However, Outer Wilds has a magnificent approach to re-contextualizing runs that could make the ordeal less frustrating in many ways.
Mobius Digital's Outer Wilds is a space exploration game, with time being a currency just like Deathloop. Each run of Outer Wilds features 22-minute runs, after which the sun goes supernova and everything resets back to normal. However, all the information gathered can be found in the ship's log computer in an orderly fashion. Not only this serves as a benchmark of player progresses, but also gives a quick recap of all discoveries and an idea of where to explore next.
Deathloop could implement this system to make the process of solving its murder puzzle less grueling. Giving players a representation of everything they have tried out, and even how the time loop expired either through death or running out of time, well help players keep track. This system is a great choice for making roguelike and time loop elements of any game more accessible, without skimping out on the magic of discovery and watering down any gameplay mechanics.
Many of the game's inspirations, such as the Hitman World of Assassination trilogy use such a system (called level mastery) to keep the gameplay fresh by always pointing players towards the next opportunity. There's also a steady stream of rewards to entice players to replay levels with newer approaches, and there's some chance that Deathloop might include a similar system. That being said, Outer Wilds remain a great place to seek inspiration from.
Deathloop launches September 14 for PC and PlayStation 5.