DEATHLOOP, the next game in development at Arkane Lyon (responsible for the acclaimed Dishonored franchise), will release in late 2020 on the PlayStation 5 and PC.
Following that news from last week's PS5 event, the developers have now shared a few additional insights on this title. First of all, the game will run at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on Sony's next-generation console, making it one of the first games expressly targeting 60fps on the PlayStation 5. The developers also confirmed to be leveraging the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to fully immerse players in DEATHLOOP, which is quite the unique game from a design standpoint as explained by Game Director Dinga Bakaba.
After Dishonored 2 and Death of the Outsider, we wanted to experiment with something different. A more intimate game centered around one big idea, one place, one challenge, one moment in time, and one relationship. From the moment Colt wakes up on the black sand beach of Blackreef with a very bad hangover, Julianna is with him every step of the way. In his ear through the radio or lying in ambush in a dark alley, waiting to put a machete through his neck. She revels in both her victories and her defeats, but she is dead set on stopping Colt from breaking the loop. All she wants is to keep playing this deadly game of cat-and-well-armed-mouse, ad infinitum. She is a very flamboyant person, unburdened by the baggage of consequences or conscience.
While both characters will have access to some of the same main tools, there are also some major differences between their abilities. While Colt can make use of hacking devices and the possibility of returning when he dies, Julianna can take on the appearance of any NPC, and all of the island’s inhabitants are on her side. Colt is trying to accomplish his goals, whatever it takes, and Julianna is there to have fun. She wants Colt to keep playing her game. Julianna is about playing with fire and flair and cares more about enjoying the ‘game’ than about winning every encounter.
Interestingly, DEATHLOOP is entirely centered on that 1v1 gameplay, whether you're playing solo against the AI or enabling other players to take over Julianna's character, a bit like in the Dark Souls PvP invasions. Bakaba added:
We felt this style of multiplayer, where we give people the option to play as the main antagonist, is a great way to really ramp up the level of trickery, tension, chaos and just plain unpredictability that we love in games like this. We feel that our game systems uniquely position us to allow for the confrontation between two players to be one not just of skill, but of wits, creativity and an open display of your personality.
The focus is on the campaign and the story. And that campaign can be played with Julianna controlled only by the AI, or – and this is our recommendation – by a mix of A.I. and random players to experience the range of unpredictability and chaos that Julianna is capable of.
We're looking forward to learning more about DEATHLOOP as its release window draws near. Until then, stay tuned.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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