The day that Xbox owners have been waiting for is finally upon us! Yup, that’s right, after a full year of exclusivity, Arkane Studios’ highly acclaimed Deathloop, is now available on the Xbox Series! It’s been a full year since we last reviewed it, and we thought with the Xbox release that it would be a perfect time to go back, and see just how well it holds up. Was Deathloop really worth the wait? Find out in our review! 

One Year On, and I Still Love This Game

When Deathloop released back in 2021, I had nothing but high praise for it in my original review. It was essentially everything that I loved about Arkane Studios, which was their ability to create unique first-person shooters, loaded with inexplicably fun weapons, as well as powers that offered the utmost freedom of choice in how you wanted to play. They gave us that experience with the incredible Dishonored series, and followed suit in Deathloop, though with an added twist of offering a rogue-like experience, coupled with a story and world reminiscent to that of classic ’60s spy movies, with a dash of visualizations inspired by Quentin Tarantino films. 

If that doesn’t sound cool to you, then I don’t know what does. 

Of course you’re probably one of the many Xbox Series owners out there wondering exactly what Deathloop is even about? Well, to keep it short, the plot revolves around a character named Colt. You don’t know much about him, but that’s okay because he doesn’t seem to remember anything either, and for good reason. You see, Colt has himself in a rather interesting predicament. He is stuck in an endless loop, having to relive the same day over, and over, and over again, all while being hunted by an assassin named Julianna. We don’t know much about her either, other than she hates Colt with every inch of fiber in her body. 

It doesn’t take Colt long to learn that he’s stuck in this loop as he finds himself dying, and suddenly remembering the previous loops. This is where the story slowly starts to unfold, as Colt learns from other versions of himself who are also stuck in this loop, that in order to escape, he must kill seven visionaries, who are the elites of this island, in a single day. It sounds like an impossible task, and for anyone else it would be, but for Colt, he has all the time in the world (literally) to figure this out. 

During each loop, you’ll learn more and more about each visionaries. What role they have on Blackreef, what they do during the day, what they love, to even what makes them tick. Whatever it is, it all serves a purpose in the grand picture of Deathloop, eventually coming together for one thrilling, satisfying conclusion. 

As much fun as I did have with the story, undoubtedly, the gameplay and the freedom it offers is the spotlight in Deathloop.

Much like Dishonored, Deathloop features an arsenal of weapons, as well as special abilities that players can hone in some of the most deadliest ways imaginable. From teleportation, to telekinesis, to even abilities that allow you to link enemies together for maximum carnage. These abilities and weapons can all be upgraded, and slotted with new mods, and trinkets that expand on abilities even further. More attack power, faster hands, even alternative abilities to the main ones, such as Shift letting you create a sonic boom kick, or swapping places with an enemy (you can do some real fun stuff with that one, trust us.)

There is a lot of depth in Deathloop’s combat, and it’s entirely up to you on how you use it. Maybe you want to go quiet, sneak your way through enemies line. Or, maybe you want to go guns blazing, alert everyone on the island and become a one-man army. Whatever the playstyle, Deathloop will have you covered, and in some rather stylish and creative ways. 

And while players are trying to break the loop as Cole, there is a PvP mode in Deathloop that let’s you take over Julianna and invade other player’s games. If you choose to play offline, she’ll still invade matches, but it’ll be AI controlled. It’s a fun mode if you’re looking for a bit of competitiveness, though honestly I do wish it was more fleshed out. Thankfully, the Xbox release of Deathloop does introduce some new additions to it, as well as the rest of the game. 

The Goldenloop – Bringing Everyone Together With Free DLC

Surprisingly, Xbox Series owners aren’t the only ones getting something new to play with the release of Deathloop, as it also marks the release of a brand-new update for all platforms dubbed the “Goldenloop.” This update introduces a new weapon, slab, upgrades, trinkets, and even a new enemy type, as well as a new extended ending that original players will definitely want to go back and experience. 

There are other secrets included that the studio has teased about, but for players who are looking to get back into Deathloop, now would be a perfect time as this update is a sizable one.

One key addition is there are new 2-in-1 trinkets that feature two traits from other trinkets. That means you’ll now have more slots to play around with, making you even more deadlier than before. 

There’s also a new enemy type called “Paint-Bomber” who are strapped with explosives and will rush at you. While they’re easy to deal with on the lower difficulties, for those wanting to experience Deathloop with higher risks, these enemies certainly do just that on the higher difficulties. 

Elsewhere, Julianna’s unique Masquerade ability is now fully upgradable with four different options. While we didn’t get the chance to play some PvP matches, no doubt that these new upgrades will certainly make the online aspect even more interesting. 

Speaking of the PvP, the Goldenloop also implements full cross-platform play across every platform. Whether you’re on PC, Xbox, or even PlayStation, you’ll be able to play against one another with crossplay enabled. If you aren’t a fan of the feature you could toggle it off, and if you just aren’t a fan of playing against players using mouse and keyboards, you could even matchmake based on controller type. That’s pretty neat!

Like I said, it’s a pretty big update, and hopefully a sign of more to come.

Verdict

Honestly, I just can’t recommend Deathloop enough to all you Xbox Series owners out there. It’s a fantastic game, that leans heavily into the identity crafted by Arkane Studio when they released Dishonored nearly a decade ago. It’s clever, fun, witty, and pure chaos at its best, what’s to hate about that?

Deathloop is now available for purchase on the Xbox Series. It is also day one on Game Pass, as well as being part of this months PS Plus Essential and Premium lineup. 

Score: 10/10

Pros:

• The Xbox Series port is excellent, plays smooth and makes great use of the console’s hardware.
• The Goldenloop update gives existing owners plenty of reasons to want to go back and play, especially for the new ending. 
• Core gunplay is fun, along with the arsenal of unwise weaponry. Arkane Studios sits alongside Insomniac Games for well crafted, outrageous weapons.
• The story starts slow, but is told excellently through its loop mechanic. Everything feels like it has a reason for happening, and it pays off big ones pieces start coming together.
• Player freedom is like no other game out there. The amount of ways to approach a situation is insane, giving gamers all the reason to go back to play.
• All the characters, including the visionaries, feel relatable and are so much fun to observe on screen. While there aren’t any tear jerking moments, there are loads of smile inducing ones.
• Black Reef Island is crammed with things to do and discover. Exploration is highly encouraged and pays off.

Cons:

• PvP has new content, but it still somewhat lacking. 

Deathloop code was provided by the publisher. Version tested using the Xbox Series X version. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.