Deadlink Review – Ghost in the Shell

Deadlink Review – Ghost in the Shell

As a seasoned gamer with over three decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that Deadlink has swiftly become one of my favorite games to grace the cyberpunk genre. The blend of fast-paced action and roguelite mechanics is nothing short of exhilarating, and if you’re a fan of DOOM or Hades, you’ll find yourself right at home here.


Deadlink” is incredibly enjoyable and boasts an exceptionally cool style. From the moment you turn it on, its unique aesthetic immediately catches your eye, hinting at the kind of game you’re in for. As I began playing, my initial expectations were not only met but surpassed – the game delivered exactly the stylish, fast-paced shooter experience I had envisioned based on its aesthetics. It’s swift, intense, emphasizes movement and positioning as much as raw shooting, requires improvisation, and looks incredibly chic while doing so. What sets it apart is its format – this isn’t just a cyberpunk first-person shooter; it also incorporates roguelike elements on top of everything else.”

In the vein of last year’s hit game, Hades, Deadlink challenges you to navigate through pre-set arenas, collect rewards, and proceed to the next level. The prizes you gather during your journey may include active and passive enhancements that can significantly aid you – but remember, they only last for a single run and vanish afterward. However, you also amass meta currency that can be used to boost your power and acquire upgrades across multiple attempts, providing a sense of lasting progress. If you’re familiar with Hades or other games influenced by it, the format should feel quite familiar.

Distinctively, Deadlink stands out in its gaming experience. The fast-paced combat, reminiscent of id Software’s rebooted DOOM, is something fans will quickly find familiar. This intense, exhilarating gameplay can become quite chaotic and enjoyable. Various aspects such as elemental attacks, status effects, weaknesses and resistances, cooldown-based special abilities, and modifiers (referred to as ‘implants’ in the game) that you can customize for specific actions to gain bonuses and advantages, add numerous layers to the shooting and dodging mechanics Deadlink offers.

Deadlink Review – Ghost in the Shell

The game called “Deadlink” is swift, frantic, emphasizing movement and positioning as much as raw shooting skills. It encourages players to think on their feet and adapt, all while maintaining a sleek, fashionable appearance.

In the initial stages of the game “Deadlink,” even on the easiest setting, newcomers may find it quite demanding due to its roguelike nature, especially initially when players are yet to grasp the game’s mechanics effectively. At this point, you haven’t had much time to master the tools provided, and you haven’t unlocked upgrades that can ease the difficulty later on. Additionally, you haven’t discovered the additional character classes (or “shells”) that could better fit your playing style and offer some relief from the game’s challenges.

Overcoming the steep learning curve of this game can be challenging initially, thanks to its roguelike structure that inherently requires repetition. However, once you surmount that initial hurdle, you find yourself in a meditative zone where your actions become instinctive. You seamlessly combine your abilities, creating a rhythmic sequence of attacks, skills, and dashes, and so forth. Before long, the game’s initial difficulty becomes effortless, leaving you craving higher difficulties or special timed or unique challenges instead.

One method that maintains a player’s interest in continuing the game lies within its captivating narrative. The futuristic cyberpunk elements don’t just serve an aesthetic purpose; they conceal a rich and intricate history. In this game, you’re thrust into a bleak future where traditional nation states have crumbled, leaving mega-corporations as the dominant forces. You’ll find yourself enlisted by a clandestine organization specifically designed to navigate bureaucracy and combat these powerful entities. Prior to your deployment, you undergo rigorous training in a simulated virtual environment (represented by repeated missions).

As you move forward in the game, layers of this fascinating (though not always groundbreaking) universe and setting gradually unfold. The narrative provides a rich backdrop and taste for the world, and I believe it also succeeds in maintaining the player’s curiosity, making them continue playing until they reach the stage where the mechanics can fully engage them. However, if they manage to get there – bear in mind that the initial difficulty might deter some less experienced players who were initially attracted by its aesthetics.

Deadlink Review – Ghost in the Shell

“The game ‘Deadlink‘ can cause frustration primarily due to its roguelike features. The recurring nature of these elements, as you might have noticed, is the glaring issue that can’t be ignored.”

For even experienced gamers, Deadlink tends to induce frustration, primarily due to its rogue-lite features. The recurring aspects, such as enemy types, environments, and sometimes upgrades, are the main culprits that stand out prominently. Despite being a game with considerable replay value, the repetition cannot be ignored – it’s an inevitable aspect of the experience. You might encounter runs where the arrangement of rooms and pickups results in an undesirable combination for you. Furthermore, like many games of this genre, Deadlink often pushes the boundaries of difficulty, sometimes confusing it with the number of enemies a player must confront simultaneously. Engaging multiple enemies can lead to chaos (not always in a positive sense), and also puts a strain on the game’s performance – during particularly hectic moments on the PS5, there were occasional frame rate drops.

The occasional flaws or errors in Deadlink, whether intentional or not, fail to discredit its playability, especially for those who appreciate cyberpunk themes, fast-paced first-person shooters, or the rogue lite game structure popularized by Hades. Even though Deadlink doesn’t introduce anything new, it successfully accomplishes all it aims to do and does most of it exceptionally well. Overlooking the minor missteps would be like ignoring the forest for the trees. In essence, if you enjoy the aspects mentioned above, Deadlink has much to offer and enjoy.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

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2024-08-05 15:11