Deathloop Vs Returnal: Who Looped It Better?

Curry writes, "Taking on the challenge of telling a story with a groundhog day theme can be an entertaining journey for both those who are creating and those watching as well. We’ve seen many writers take on this challenge lately with popular games like Returnal, Deathloop, and even 12 minutes. All of which emphasizes time travel as a way to unravel the mysteries of the story as we discover the past of the protagonist.

Perhaps two of the frontrunners for Game of The Year have created the most elaborate and entertaining time looping stories this year. Between Deathloop and Returnal, which game took this theme and created the best overall experience for gamers?"

[SCW1982]

Returnal easy

[NeoGamer232]

Too me these are two very different games and should not be compared. They are in the same genre (rogue-like) but that is pretty much where the similarity ends.

[Epicor]

And I wouldn't define Deathloop's main genre as roguelike. Sure it's roguelike but personally I think it as an arcade FPS with roguelike mechanics. Roguelikes are often not comparable. How can one compare Hades to Returnal to Deathloop? They are all very different games even if all have roguelike game mechanics. And that's what "roguelike" should be considered: Game mechanics rather than defining the whole genre based on that. At least not anymore! Back in the days it was more clear when all roguelikes played the same (top down camera).

[NeoGamer232]

@Epicor
Agreed. roguelike is more a mechanic then a genre. Kind of like first person and third person games. They all can be in any genre. They are mechanics and perspectives as you play the game.

[dbcoops]

Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray looped it better.

[anast]

Love this movie.

[roadkillers]

When's the game release? I have $60 waiting

[JimmyDM90]

There’s a Groundhog Day video game that’s a sequel to the movie. “Groundhog Day: Like Father, Like Son.” If follows Phil Connors’s son through a time loop. It came out in VR a couple of years ago.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Hell yes.. something we can all agree on

[Imalwaysright]

Edge of Tomorrow was also great.

[Chevalier]

The boon All you Need is Kill that Edge of Tomorrow is based on is pretty good as well. The writer has been working on his sequel followup for awhile now too.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Agreed .. still waiting on the sequel

[The Wood]

Glad I've got the option to experience both Glad I've got the option to experience both

[Dirty_Lemons]

I see what you did there. 👨‍🚀

[alb1899]

For now, for now.

[monkey602]

I've yet to play either. Looking forward to both

[Dirty_Lemons]

Both were surprise hits for me, didn't look into either much before release, loved both of them. Deathloop was less frustrating, Returnal was probably the better experience, both were outstanding though.

[sammarshall102]

Biome 3 is destroying me in Returnal those drones are lethal

The boss fight in Biome 3 is so cool though

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Dodge Duck Dip Dive Dodge

[Tacoboto]

Those drones, I hate them.

I had the most health yet, crossed the huge bridge and a half dozen of them rose before I was even halfway across. I didn't make it across...

That was this morning. The very next run, they didn't appear, and I took the boss' health halfway down. Then I got hit by the double-laser eyes three times in a row and was dead in five seconds.

You never know how a run will go. And it only takes 20-30 to get back to the boss, if you don't get an onslaught of those cursed drones!

[kayoss]

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a glowing ball.

[sammarshall102]

@Tacoboto Lol I feel your pain, I had 6 small healths and 1 large health, a fully max out health bar, 4 parasites attached, a level 12 gun, an astro figurine and I got into one of those lockdown areas before the boss and I left that area with only 1 small health left before facing the boss. I still got him down to his last phase but I didn't know how to get to him anymore as the level is crumbling i kept ziplining but i couldn't get close enough for some reason

[Chevalier]

The one challenge room that locks down in Biome 3 with the mechanical robot that shoots and grabs you I would say is pretty hard the 1st couple of times that room will murder you.

@Taco and Sammarshall

The best weapon against the 3rd boss is the Rotgland Lobber. You can be floating around and charge shot him from anywhere. If you have an item slot available and you luck upon them the Projectile Portal is also really useful to have, one of my runs I had like 5 of those Projectile Portals and boy did I make quick work of that boss. Honestly think this boss would have made a better final boss than the one we had at the end. Regardless absolutely loved Returnal, definitely my GOTY so far.

[sammarshall102]

Thanks for the support guys I just beat the boss in biome 3 :D

[Atticus_finch]

I agree both games are really good.
I highly recommend both to anyone who likes shooters.
And checkout any of house marque past games if you're interested in some really good arcades.

[BLow]

Oh no. Your not allowed to like both lol. It always has to be all or nothing. This goes with any games.

[SurgicalMenace]

I love both, though I'm giving Deathloop the edge because of the humor and a black protagonist/antagonist.

[CBaoth]

and I loathed the always drunk Austin Powers motif. Super old, very fast. Returnal all the way for me

[SullysCigar]

I quite liked the white protagonist in Returnal 🤷‍♂️

[PS-Gamer-1986]

How dare you?!?

[Darkborn]

And that's one reason why I'm assuming deathloop scored higher in some outlets. The protagonists skin color. Kinda half joking, but it's actually true in this age. Days gone took a hit because the protagonist was a "gruff white male."

[SurgicalMenace]

Actually, why wouldn't there be more black protagonists when we've been spoon fed Caucasian greatness for decades. It is a breath of fresh air to finally experience something different.

What proof do you have to support your claims of the game receiving any special favor because of skin color? Also, if Days Gone got hit because Deacon was white, explain the rest of the predominantly white leads who populate most critically successful games? I'll wait....🙄

I can see why one would assume that because we've been so sought after and heralded for centuries now. It's my understanding that all you have to be is black to get a leg up in society been that way since the days of slavery.🤫

[anast]

@ I'm not sure why Darkborn got up votes. Must be style points. I'm not overly fond of emojies, but Menace gets an upvote on this one.

[TheDoomedGuy]

Well if you read some reviews you do see them mention black leads being a huge positive. Which of course should never be the case since reviews are about a game being good...not about whether they're politically correct.

@surgicalmenace.

Caucasian greatness? Please explain how my skin color makes me great cuz I've never given it a second thought. This is the core of the problem. Some are under the impression that gamers give a crap what skin color the protagonist is but that's just not the case. Just like the argument of not wanting female leads doesn't hold water neither does this one.

If you look at everything through the lens of race then sure maybe you have been spoonfed Caucasian greatness...the rest of us less racially inclined never considered skin color when enjoying our games.

[GhostofHorizon]

I hate that we are discussing the colour of character's skin but SurgicalMenace is a piece of work.

"I'm giving Deathloop the edge because of the humor and a black protagonist/antagonist."

AND then you have the audacity to say this!

"What proof do you have to support your claims of the game receiving any special favor because of skin color?"

Like, is that a joke? You did it yourself, you are a prime example of why people would think the rest of the industry did the same because we keep hearing comments like this.

Colour of the character should NEVER make the game better OR worse. Now when GOTY awards come around this issue will come up again and it shouldn't even be a discussion point!

The only argument for skin colour I can see is if you want to be historically accurate. Ghost of Tsushima for example.

[SurgicalMenace]

As stated I like them both, but because there's a change of pace AND HUMOR, I give Deathloop the edge.

Listen, slugger, out of 40 years of gaming I've witnessed very little representation of my race outside of sports games. It's nice to see it is all I am saying, never did I say a game was bad because of the race of the protagonist. Stop attempting to misinterpret my statement all so you can get your long-winded rhetoric out.

Hey you remember when I said Returnal and every other game with a white protagonist sucked? Yeah, me neither. Calm it down, champ.

[Darkborn]

I read several outlets say deathloop black protagonist is a pro and others say it was a breath of fresh air or a good take and stuff similar. Literally it was bullet pointed as a pro in some.

Also some reviewers gave days gone a con for white male lead.

[SurgicalMenace]

The race is a change of pace, given the norm is to the contrary.

[oldenjon]

@SurgicalMenace I think middle-aged average-looking women and women in general are unrepresented in games. It's interesting to me how many games have recycled this weirdly similar motif of this beautiful big-haired empowered black woman now. Redfall, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Deathloop.

[PS-Gamer-1986]

LOL @SurgicalMenace

[Snakeeater25]

That the weak part of death they focus to much on skin colour.

[SurgicalMenace]

I've played it and where is all the overemphasized themes of skin color?

[LoveSpuds]

@SurgicalMennace
You are wasting your breath trying to get any sense out of many of the people on N4G forums.

For my part, I thought the character was fantastic, well realised and the voice acting was incredible. Not once did it even enter my head that Arkane were pushing an agenda or anything like that, it was simply a fantastic game with an interesting (and damn cool) protagonist.

[SurgicalMenace]

Wasn't he funny, I was laughing all through the game. The antics of a quarreling couple was brilliant and was implemented into the loop formula very well. Just saying. Returnal was great too but less entertaining. There are not many games that are genuinely funny.

[Popsicle]

@SurgicalMenace the thing is I couldn’t care less what color of skin the developers apply to the protagonist/antagonist. So long as the game is fun, and the narrative around the protagonist/antagonist is interesting, that is all that really matters to me.

[TheDoomedGuy]

Shoot. Someone let house marquee know that their game would've been better by switching out the skin color.

[CrimsonWing69]

Sounds kinda racist, but ok

[blacktiger]

you like it cause black>? wow thats horrible lol!!!!
I like Top GUN cause it has white people in it

[Zeref]

Most movies have white people in it.

So you saying you liked Top Gun because it has white people in it doesn't say much...

[PS-Gamer-1986]

@zeref

Oh saying things like that might lead to getting called a racist or suspected to be a racist just saying.😅

Ofcourse majority of movies still has a white cast, but expressing you like or prefer movies where the main cast is white -as a white person- might raise some eyebrows.

[Futureshark]

Deathloop is an excellent game, but Returnal is better IMHO, still my GOTY.

[darren_poolies]

I enjoyed Deathloop but the answer for me is Returnal, and it's not even close. One of my favourite games of the past decade.

[CaptainHenry916]

Deathloop PC version had a lot of bugs and it wasn't optimized that well. I gave the game an 8

[Darkborn]

Both were pretty cool. I liked how in deathloop you could change your load out and prepare for different scenarios, but in returnal you kind of did that organically before you got to the next biome or boss that killed you. I enjoyed both, but returnal had AI that didn't stare at you as you walked up to them or knifed like 4 guys in a row in the same crowd as they watched.

[sourOG]

Deathloop. Because it’s an actual loop.

[Snakeeater25]

It’s time to develop other kinds of games than rogue like plz and souls games

[Obelisk92]

Deathloop was ok but Returnal is a great game, still my GOTY at the moment.

[jukins]

Returnal for me. Deathloop puts me off sometimes because it feels too silly.

[Abnor_Mal]

Since I haven't found a PS5 yet, although I haven't been "looking", I will play both games when they appear on Plus at some.

I just hope Deathloop isn't some kind of black exploitation kind of game. I hope the character isn't doing any crazy funky walking "jive" talking with words like "baby" "groovy" "cool" "solid" and "can you dig it" every few minutes, and has a voice straight out of Family Guy like the bartender, not Cleveland Brown.

[sourOG]

It has the same visual aesthetic as a 70s film and blacksploitation is included in that. If that’s all you know about 70s films it will certainly look like that. They do not talk in jive or anything like that though.

[Abnor_Mal]

Well from what you say then I can expect some, sans the talk and walk.

As a child of the 70s, it is not all I know about 70s films, but I've seen enough of the former even within the latter. I was just hoping the game wouldn't be so saturated to be groan inducing, thus becoming what I hope it is not.

[sourOG]

If you look hard enough you might find a word or 2 but it’s not a blaxploitation game. It’s not cleopatra vs the man lol. I haven’t noticed much 70s slang at all, it’s just the visuals. The main characters are black but that’s as far it goes. It’s not a steady stream of shaft one liners, they have real conversations.

[sourOG]

I can’t blame you for thinking that on looks alone though. The visuals are definitely taken from that era.

[Traecy]

All he has to do is watch gameplay on YouTube but it seems his mind is already made up basically trying to judge a book by its cover.

[sourOG]

He doesn’t like the 70s blaxploitation genre, not the characters lol. The surface is heavy in blaxploitation. Just the art design alone. You can’t blame him for thinking that before he’s even looked into it. That’s why I told him.

I like Jim Kelly and the blaxploitation movies lol. Im gonna get you sucka is in my top 50 movies in general. It was being inclusive before it was cool. Movies like the last dragon, Bruce leeroy lol. I don’t think it was a bad thing but I could see why it would be eyerolling for some. But that’s not what deathloop is. Race is irrelevant.

[Abnor_Mal]

@sourOG It's not that I don't like those types of movies as I've seen plenty over my 51 years.

"The surface is heavy in blaxploitation. Just the art design alone. You can’t blame him for thinking that before he’s even looked into it. That’s why I told him."

And thats exactly what I was wondering if it was heavy handed or not and you cleared that up, thank you.

Jim Kelly was thr man back in the days, just the other day I was talking about him in Enter the Dragon. Most people only remember the footballer player. Im Gonna Get You Sucka was my shit and looked at it so many times that I couldn't watch it for over ten years. I just recently watched it again and was laughing my ass off, you have two chances the window or the stairs. Let me get a rib, no no one rib, I sure am hungry. I mean I can quote lines all day, same with The Last Dragon and quoting Bruce Leroy, who is the master, shonuff. I was just last week sending those gifs to a friend who never heard of the movie.

My issue was never about race as I AM A BLACK MAN, as I said previously I just didn't want the game to be something like Peter Wheatstraw The Devil's Son-in -law, even though that was a good movie back then. I was just talking about representation and not being made caricatures. I'm glad you picked up what i was putting down, unfortunately others couldn't dig it.

[Abnor_Mal]

**couldn't edit**

You have two choices...

Petey Wheatstraw...

[sourOG]

You’re welcome. It’s not heavy handed he’s just a black dude. I think having a black main character in the 70s art style our brains automatically go to that as fans of that era of movies lol. I thought the same thing. It’s goofy and funny but it’s not exploitation. In my view at least. You might have your own opinion but It’s worth a shot imo. It’s probably my goty so far.

LOL exactly. You know what’s up.

[sourOG]

https://youtu.be/BWNQTqMkez...

LMAO

[Abnor_Mal]

Lol all I saw was that shoe about to step down and I'm already laughing, I didn't even look at the rest of the video.

My beach better have my money
My beach better HAVE my money
Not some, not half, but all my cash
Or I'ma put my foot, in her ash.

That boy's Shakespeare.

I know that's not the scene, but rather when he came home and stepped out pimping, and everyone starts laughing because he was so out of place for the times.

[Traecy]

It doesn't have any of that just a black male & female as lead characters of the game. If you don't like playing a game with black lead characters then this game is not for you.

[Abnor_Mal]

Tracy bro, I don't know why you tried to come at me side ways as I remember us having civil conversations before, check your PMs (private messages).

Why would I not like having a black lead male and female characters, as I am also a black male. My question was about representation and hoping it wasn't a game that made the character look buffoonish. So many times I've seen movies or shows where a black character was written as just comedy relief or the angry black man or woman stereotype.

I saw some gameplay, but not very much dialog because I didn't want to spoil storylines accidently. I did hear that it has some funny parts in the script, so I wanted some more insight without ruining it for myself. No where did I ever say my mind is made up about how the game is and that it was definitely exploitive, I said I HOPE it is NOT.

Finally, we all judge things by its cover, which is why we have the expression of making a first impression. Whether that impression is wrong or right it was made, then we gather a bit more information, and try to make a more informed decision.

But good looks on your opinion and assessment of what the game is and isn't.

[Traecy]

.

[Traecy]

I'm a black woman. When I first saw the trailer for Deathloop I never thought it was a black exploitation game with jive & ghetto talking. Again..you can't always assume or judge a book by its cover. Something I've learned from living on this earth for many decades now.

[Abnor_Mal]

Firstly, my apologies for assuming and calling you bro. Secondly, it is what it is, and I thought how I thought.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

Returnal better gameplay and challenge, Deathloop better levels and detail.

[CR7JUVE1897]

They are both great, and I have enjoyed them both. I am assuming that is allowed

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Hands down Deathloop.. anyone that says different is a liar, lol

[tay8701]

haven't played deathloop, not a fan of bethesda games in general. returnal is probably my game of the year so far. although rift apart is really awesome and im almost done with kena which is also stellar

[Darkborn]

So people are lying because they have a different opinion than you?

Edit* what is the reasoning then?

[sourOG]

The reasoning is the question.

“Which did the loop better?” They mention Groundhog Day theme where the only thing that changes is you.

In returnal everything changes every time. The only thing that loops is the crash. So deathloop is objectively better at “looping”.

[Scissorman82]

Returnal. Without a doubt.

[myfathersbastard]

I liked Returnal better. The atmosphere and weird ass world is what did it for me. Gameplay was more intense to. Deathloop is alright but it just seemed way more generic to me. Way too similar to Dishonored just with some twists.
Both good dames though. But Returnal is a game I still think back on as being a “damn this is crazy” while playing game.

[darkrider]

Returnal. Keep coming back and keep getting killed. I really like the alien vibes of this game.

[Rimeskeem]

I feel like they are very different games with a singular similar mechanic. Idk tho, haven't played either but hopefully will eventually.

[Venivik]

Returnal made me sweat, physically in real life. This game stands alone to me for that exact reason.
I also love how the story made my dive into so much of its back story, the way it was told, just plain unique.

[EvertonFC]

2 totally different games but returnal for me

[RickRoland]

Enjoyed both but the gunplay and movement of Returnal was absolutely incredible. Much better “feel” for me with the third person perspective

[pietro1212]

Despite having Rogue Like elements the games are very different.

[Benficaman]

Returnal. No contest