Oh great, just what everyone was hoping for: yet another trailer for Deathloop. At least this new trailer, shown off at today’s State of Play livestream event, gives us a look at the pre-order bonuses.
Did you hear that? I just sighed audibly.
Will this game just release already so we can all forget about it and move on? I apologize to anyone who is genuinely looking forward to playing Deathloop. I don’t mean to rain on your parade. But seriously, for what appears to just be a run-of-the-mill FPS run-and-gunner (albeit with that stylish Arkane stamp), the real meat and potatoes of Deathloop seem to be perpetually kept at arm’s length.
Curiously enough, this new trailer makes Deathloop feel more like a James Bond experience then what I imagine will mostly be a nonstop shooting gallery. If there’s more nuance and depth to this game than the Groundhog Day-style twist, then perhaps I will eat my words and (for the first time ever) be proven wrong. But if not, then this trailer feels a bit deceptive.
This trailer feels seems like a Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater-style love letter to the Bond franchise, something I didn’t necessarily see in previous Deathloop trailers. In the past, trailers have leaned into the 1970s Blaxploitation elements, which seemed to fit the visual aesthetic and general tone and style of the game (cringey, tough-black-guy voice and all).
Maybe I’m just making hay out of straw here (is that even a phrase?), but I feel a bit of a deception going on. I guess we’ll just have to wait for the next inevitable trailer to see what kind of game Deathloop will disguise itself as that time around.
Now, let me be clear about something: I really enjoy stylish trailers. In fact, I might even enjoy them more than the average Joe. But there comes a point when you just have to tip your hat. For my money, Deathloop just hasn’t done that yet.
Am I just being overly jaded here? Is Deathloop setting itself up to be something that blows all of our minds? You can watch the Déjà vu trailer for Deathloop below and decide for yourself, I suppose.
