Deathloop, the latest stealth assassination game, releases today, of course, this comes with a slew of early review scores. The game centers around two rival assassins stuck in a mysterious island that's in a timeloop – repeating the same day forever. The only way to stop the cycle is to eliminate the eight key target before the day resets.

Deathloop Review Metacritic Score: 88

Currently, Deathloop has a Metacritic score of 88, based on 79 different critic reviews. However, as of this article's writing, it's currently sitting on a mixed rating on Steam based on 1,590 reviews. Most of the negative ones are due to poor optimization and rampant stuttering on PC. Critics reviews are generally positive however, and we've compiled some of them here.

IGN

IGN gave Deathloop a perfect score of 100, praising its investigative gameplay and combat, saying:

“Despite its seemingly endless complexities, Deathloop is one of the most confidently designed games I’ve ever played. Arkane Studios has crafted a world made of ideas linked by meaningful connections; time influences space, space influences tactics, and tactics influence loadouts. Its unique, high-concept ideas around time loops and non-linear investigation work are implemented with elegance, making its systems feel effortless to navigate, learn from, and ultimately master. A new high watermark for Arkane and developers of similar games to aspire to, Deathloop is a game like no other.”

You can read their full review for Deathloop here.

GameSpot

Another outlet that gave Deathloop a 100 in their review is GameSpot, stating:

“Perhaps the most laudable part of Deathloop is how it takes so many seemingly disparate things and creates harmony between them. Gameplay systems that feel isolated become pieces of a bigger puzzle, and when you see how they seamlessly connect together, you realize how special an achievement it really is. Similarly, on paper, the different aesthetics should be like oil and water, but they come together effortlessly to be part of a greater whole, and, for me, that's what Deathloop is really about. By standing back and looking at the bigger picture, the uncharacteristic choices and unexpected behaviors feel necessary–essential even. Maybe it's just what I need to believe to give all that killing meaning, but when I began the final loop and carved a perfect, bloody path through Blackreef's Visionaries in a single day, I made no ripples.”

GameSpot's full review may be accessed through this link.

GamesRadar

Over on GamesRadar, Deathloop was given a score of 90, where they lauded the game for its fascinating structure and style, while shaving off a few points for slightly janky shooting and an unsatisfying ending, they said:

“Even with Deathloop's focus narrowing over time, there is one element of randomization that will have a minor impact on your runs and that's Julianna – a small inconsistency in a game otherwise defined by its predictable patterns. Whether the rival assassin is controlled by AI or by another real player – whereby somebody across the world boots up Deathloop, chooses violence, and decides to invade your game from the menu – it's a nice touch that can very quickly increase the tension in your fingers, something the Eternalists and Visionaries eventually lose the ability to do. Listen, once you're able to clear all of Fristad Rock with little more than a pressurized nail gun and an intimate knowledge of both enemy and trap placement, Deathloop's pervading sense of challenge can begin to dissipate.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Deathloop. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be and it seemed to challenge my expectations without reservation. It's a murder mystery that's suspended in a time loop. It's a first-person shooter that features a shotgun that can transform into a rifle. It's a sci-fi spy adventure that's stuck in the '70s. It's all of these things and none of them at all. My impression of Deathloop seemed to shift with every passing hour and, as a result, it's difficult to not be impressed – if not thoroughly enthralled – with what Arkane has pieced together here. It's different, it's stylish, it's new. You won't play anything else quite like Deathloop for a very long time.”

GamesRadar's full review can be accessed here.

Easy Allies

Meanwhile, independent outlet Easy Allies rates the game an 80, citing some criticism on the execution of its narratives and humor, saying:

“Deathloop is by no means a flawlessly executed narrative, though. Almost the entire story comes from notes and audio logs, which while pertinent, can make it feel cluttered and dry. When Colt heads off to a mission, Julianna will call him on the radio to insult him. The banter they have is lighthearted, but it's also pretty one-note. After hearing the same profanity-filled joking yet again, it all starts to blur together and gets easy to tune out.

Deathloop absolutely has its issues, but none of them ultimately get in the way of the experience the game is trying to provide. There is so much delicious freedom available that you really feel as though you get to form your own identity in the game. It's a point that's made abundantly clear as you study the various playstyles of the people who invade you as well as the ones you invade. Arkane has built a reputation on making smart games that play as well as they're designed, and Deathloop is only further evidence of that fact.”

The full Easy Allies Deathloop review can be read through here.

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Screen Rant

Deathloop scored a 70 from Screen Rant, where they were impressed with the game's minute-to-minute gameplay, but found the loop concept grating after a while. They said:

“Loops can close off a Blackreef quadrant during a specific hour, even in the middle of quests, which led to some wasted time spent re-looping the day and any previous preparation. Deathloop occasionally hobbles player creativity in this way and thereby hurts its boldest concept. The worst part, though, is that Deathloop’s golden loop isn’t the most entertaining to play out, and even though there’s in-game logic for why it works, it’s less fun than just experimenting with the game's systems.

As a stylish and gorgeous FPS, Deathloop is absolutely worth its price on the PS5. The narrative feels one-of-a-kind and it's a constant pleasure to learn each map and character over time. If it emphasized more experimentation and player agency, it would be the revolutionary knockout hinted at in its premise. Still, playing with its combat systems remain a pleasure even after credits roll (and as troll-in-training Julianna). For fans of the modern Hitman series, Arkane's outstanding catalog, and great-feeling FPS games in general, Deathloop is highly recommended; just go into the wild narrative with tempered expectations for self-directed play.”

You may read Screen Rant's full Deathloop review here.

Deathloop Review Conclusion

Arkane Studios seems to have another gem on their hands with Deathloop. It appears that they have created something truly unique in its gameplay structure and premise, with an allowance for player choice and fostering experimentation. However, it also appears to have some issues with the story and narrative, but most reviews state that it's still a worthy experience either way. It seems to be quite the potential Game of the Year contender and will appeal greatly to fans of stealth sandbox games like Arkane's previous outing, Dishonored.

However, players on PC might want to wait a bit before making their purchase, as even a great game can be a bad experience when it's unplayable. Hopefully Arkane will patch in some fixes and have the PC ports optimized soon.