Deathloop PS5 Review: 8 Ups & 3 Downs

6. The Mechanical Freedom Is Insane

While a lengthy tutorial does admittedly take its time laying out the exact rules of the loop and your objectives, after that you're free to explore the game's four key areas as you see fit.

Though you have objectives, you're encouraged first and foremost to familiarise yourself with each location, identifying key paths through areas, where your targets are, and clues that may help you unlock interesting weapons or avenues to assassinations.

To do so you're going to be going up against Eternalists, regular enemies who are out to stop you from breaking the loop. Once again the game gives you freedom to deal with these nuisances. You've got your regular stealth mechanics that have you ghosting through levels or moving in close for stealth kills, a hacking device that lets you take control of turrets and of course an arsenal of bulky weaponry to go in guns blazing.

Fortunately, the gunplay itself is punchy and impactful, with headshots especially hitting with a satisfying heft. Mechanically it's a big step up from Arkane's Prey, though it does take some time to feel as smooth as it should. Early-game weapons don't do a great job of reflecting how satisfying combat becomes later, while aggressive enemies make you feel suitably fragile.

While you can play the game as a straight shooter, Deathloop is at its best when you're inventively mixing and matching powers and weapons to cause utter chaos....