Deathloop: 7 things you should know before starting

If you want to succeed in Deathloop, you'll need to pay attention and take notes. Knowledge is power here, so Deathloop isn't your usual FPS experience. The two protagonists, Julianna and Colt, are stuck in a time loop that sees them both trying to avoid untimely death. Even if you're on the wrong end of the pistol, you'll still take whatever you learned the previous day with you. Play your cards right, and you might just make it through the day with all your knowledge and gear intact.

While the on-the-ball FPS pros among you might have no problem remembering where they found certain items or successfully avoid dying repeatedly, the rest of us could do with some Deathloop tips on how to make the most of our time in the loop. Fortunately for you, I've got you covered.

Touch everything 

Interacting with everything you can in Deathloop is one of the easiest ways to gather new information, weapons, and gear. There are levers to pull—even if an ominous sign says not to—guns to collect, trinkets (more on those below) to pick up, and other secrets to uncover. You can also kick everything which can lead to finding new routes to take, so go ahead and roundhouse everything the light touches.

Every day's a school day 

Everything you learn in a previous loop stays with you as you progress, even if you die. You can learn more about enemies by focusing on them by pressing T, revealing what weapons and kit they have, whether they know you're in the area, and some other fun descriptions. You'll also be able to interact with consoles to learn more information, such as the one in Colt's apartment. 

Shoot to thrill 

There are loads of weapons to discover in Deathloop, but for the most part, you'll switch between wielding a blade and a gun. You'll also be able to pick up a few grenades in the opening mission, a machete and a handy hacking tool you can switch to at any point. You can also dual-wield weapons if you want to go in literally guns-blazing.

Guns differ in rarity and are colour coded, and the best guns are usually hidden off the beaten track or drop from challenging enemies.

Grey and Turquoise gear is your basic lot, with Grey being far more prone to jamming. Purple and Gold gear is where it's at and often comes with unique abilities and perks. The higher the quality the more trinkets you can attach, too, letting you build a deadly loadout. 

Power up with trinkets and slabs

Trinkets can be added to weapons to improve certain aspects, such as reload speeds and recoil. You can also equip character trinkets to give Colt and Julianna's abilities a boost, like the double jump you'll pick up at the start. Trinkets glow a rainbow-like colour and you can equip them before heading out.

Slabs grant you abilities, such as Colt's Reprisal, which is effectively a respawn function. Visionaries—essentially your notable enemies—drop slabs, so they're worth collecting. You can visit the Arsenal Leads menu to try and discover specific equipment.

Stealth time

Okay, so dual-wielding SMGs isn't for you—did you know you can stealthily make your way through missions? You move silently while crouching and can take down enemies from behind by either snapping their necks, using a melee weapon or the nail gun for long-ranged stealth fun. It's worth keeping an eye out for weapons with suppressor intrinsic perks as those will work for stealth attacks, too. Focus on enemies and watch their movement pattern to ensure you pull off a silent takedown and that no one spots you or their body before it disappears.

You can also throw bottles to distract enemies, and listening in on conversations can reveal hidden details that can prove useful. Setting traps is also a good way to take out enemies stealthily—or you could climb to a vantage point and lob a grenade at them.

Ride on time

If you're killed, you'll have two chances to go a few seconds back in time and remain invisible for a moment. This means that if you're after a specific target or weapon you'll have a second and even third chance before permadeath hits you and you lose all your gear. Enemy bodies will also linger for a few seconds before disintegrating, but they'll leave behind noteworthy loot such as weapons or trinkets.

Knowledge will stay with you after you properly die—in the sense that it'll be physically logged, but also if you're an avid note-taker, like me— but weapons and gear will be dropped and you'll need to go again to gather it back up.

Revisiting areas at different types of days will reveal more secrets and opportunities. Some Visionaries will only appear at night in particular districts, for example, so learn as much as you can in each cycle. 

Do the Hackamajig

The Hackamajig lets you hack electronic devices. Sensors, turrets and security doors can be disabled, opened, and generally interfered with using this handy bit of kit. You'll get access to it early on, so don't skip on using it. Keep an eye out for hacking antennas, too, as it might lead to something exciting or allow you to call off enemy reinforcements.