For gamers keeping up with Deathloop, September 14 can't come soon enough. Originally intended to release in 2020, Deathloop was delayed until May of this year and then delayed again until this fall, another game affected by the chaos caused by COVID-19. But now it seems like September 14 is going to stick, and more pre-release milestones are moving the process along. The latest milestone is the game's ESRB rating, which reveals some juicy yet unsurprising details concerning things players will experience as they shoot their way through time loops.
The story follows Colt on the island of Blackreef. He's unwillingly stuck under the influence of eight so-called "Visionaries" who are part of a program called AEON. The only way to escape the time loop he's stuck in is to kill all eight of the Visionaries who are guarded by followers called Eternalists. Most of these islanders walk around with wolf masks, strange headgear, and oddly stylish suits. Something weird is going on at Blackreef, and it seems Deathloop's Visionaries have plenty of skeletons in the closet.
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Deathloop will be rated M for the usual suspects like Blood and Gore and Strong Language, but there are other interesting things that add to its mature themes. First reported by GamesRadar, one scene is specifically mentioned for featuring a character in the middle of a room while "sexual moaning sounds are heard." A quote from a character in-game is also mentioned: "Looks like an over-engineered auto-erotic asphyxiator." These are just snippets cherry-picked for the ESRB description but it seems like the Blackreef inhabitants know how to enjoy themselves.
Drugs will also play a role on Blackreef, as the game references "uppers, downers" and getting high. To this point, it's worth mentioning that the Visionaries started up operations on the island in the 1960's, a time period in U.S. history which saw a counterculture movement in many areas including experimentation with psychoactive drugs. Deathloop's 60's aesthetic is apparent in characters' fashion and weapon choices as well. The Visionaries aim to achieve eternal life and have nurtured a hedonistic lifestyle on the island to enjoy this pursuit to its fullest.
Of course, there's more than just the lure of a 1960's infused futuristic hedonism to Deathloop. The game promises a style of combat similar to Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks' earlier series, Dishonored, but with new twists. There's also the Visionary assassin Julianna, who's constantly looking to thwart Colt's efforts to end the time loop. Julianna's potential multiplayer presence is one the game's most interesting aspects, and will likely intrigue gamers for far longer than the shock of Blackreef's seedy lifestyle.
Deathloop launches September 14 for PC and PS5.
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Source: ESRB
