HomeFeaturesDeathloop
Colt’s squishy vulnerability is stopping me from enjoying Deathloop’s actionThe revolving door of opportunity turns for thee
The revolving door of opportunity turns for thee
Let’s try action. Let’s try action. Let’s try action. This is theDeathloopI’m in at the moment, but I’m slowly beginning to think it’s worth breaking the cycle and taking the stealthy approach as often as I can. I’m confused, you see. In many of the game’s pre-release teasers, we saw Colt bursting intoaction. Stealth? No no, this is more of an FPS. The music flares, enemies die, it is carnage.
But when I actually give action a go in the game, I’m mostly left dead in seconds. Either that, or I meekly duck behind some cover and regret not trying the stealthy approach. And the problem is that sometimes I have no option but to go all guns blazing, and I think, “Colt isn’t built for this. He’s only a squishy lad.” I just think he’s a stealth character being forced to break cover when he’s clearly uncomfortable doing so.
Can Deathloop Kick It? Yes, It Can | My Fav Thing In… (Deathloop Review)Watch on YouTube
Can Deathloop Kick It? Yes, It Can | My Fav Thing In… (Deathloop Review)
Now,DishonoredandDishonored 2hold a special place in my heart. The latter I’d consider an all-time classic, actually, and I’m thinking about moving it from my dingy aorta into my lighter, brighter right atrium. And I will hire little red guards and carefully place them in spots for aerial backstabs, so any assassin entering my heart to try and wrest Dishonored 2 from its hallowed plinth will have a great time.
But in Deathloop, you’re forced into action sequences whether you like it or not. Guards don’t operate metaphorical revolving doors. It’s more like they’re flanking your classic ‘pull this open manually’ type of door. If you want to beat some sections, you can’t exploit a moment of opportunity or blag entry with a fake ID. Oh no, you’ve got to force your way in. Thing is, Colt doesn’t strike me as someone who was designed for this kind of argy bargy. If anything, I get the sense he’s deeply uncomfortable in these aggro moments.
I do admit that I’m a sucker for a gun with “BLAM” and/or “POW” written on the side.
What I’m trying to say is: Colt is weak as heck, folks. Although he’s capable of handling himself in a fight, with all hisspecial powersandweapons, he’s still barely got any health, especially at the start of the game when you don’thavea load of special powers and weapons. If he stepped on a plug, he’d die instantly. If he stepped on a rake and it flipped upwards and smacked him in the face, he’d disintegrate. And the islander goons have machetes and guns, so you can imagine how Cole stacks up against them. While Deathloop wants you to blend stealth with action, for me, it feels like Colt’s missed the memo. He’s a stealth hero in a game thatdemandsaction.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great if you’ve managed to reach that flow state you see in those Deathloop trailers, or string together a gnarly wombo-combo out of nowhere. But I lack confidence in Colt. The revolving door of opportunity spins too slowly in a loop. Even with magic juice running through my veins and my trinket armour equipped, I remain fearful of combat. It’s reached a point where I approach action sequences with reluctance, as all it takes is one minor slip-up to perish, and perish, and perish again.
