The long-awaited launch of Deathloop has finally arrived, and many gamers think it has been well worth the wait. Some fans had been worried about the release of Deathloop given the hype that had been built following months of build-up and many gameplay trailers. From its trailers, Deathloop looked great, but it faced a challenge in meeting gamer’s lofty expectations. Fortunately, Deathloop is now available, and for the most part, its reviews are very positive.

Deathloop’s positive reception upon launch is a relief for many, following the release of games like Cyberpunk 2077, which failed to live up to its pre-launch hype. But for some, the launch of Deathloop hasn’t been quite as enjoyable as the overwhelmingly positive review scores have made out. Particularly on PC, the launch of Deathloop has been met with review bombing, that have left the game with a less than stellar review score on Steam. Despite widespread praise for Deathloop, many PC gamers have felt disillusioned by their experience of the game.

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Deathloop’s Review Scores and Good First Impressions

Deathloop Julianna Stabbing Colt

The launch of Deathloop has been met with plenty of praise from gamers. While it’s still early days, Deathloop has already been touted as a game of the year contender from many. The PlayStation console exclusive has been lauded for its unique premise and action-packed gameplay. Previous Arkane Studios titles have also been compared to Deathloop’s release, with fans seeing many similarities between Deathloop and Dishonored. In most places, the reviews of Deathloop are overwhelmingly positive and paint a picture of a game most fans would have hoped Deathloop would be. However, on PC it seems fans are struggling with the game’s performance.

There's now a disparity between mainstream review scores, which paint a very positive picture of Deathloop, and the experiences of PC gamers who’ve tried out the game. In the days since Deathloop’s release, the complaints of PC gamers have gained more traction, as fans continue to notice performance issues with the game. While PC gamers in most cases don’t question the quality of the game, their experience of it is harmed by apparent DRM-related performance problems. Many gamers are concerned about Deathloop’s use of Denuvo DRM, which has been no stranger to controversy in the past.

Deathloop’s DRM Issues

Deathloop Combat

DRM is an important feature to prevent the piracy of games, however, over the years it has time and again stood at odds with the gaming community. Denuvo in particular has been on the receiving end of criticism in the past, as gamers believe that the DRM causes performance issues. Perceived performance issues include stuttering, frame drops, and longer load times, although the jury is still out on the degree to which Denuvo impacts performance. Those who've tested and made comparisons to Denuvo's performance impact in games have often yielded mixed results.

Regardless, much of gamer’s frustration stems from the fact that their experience of the game can be negatively impacted at all by the software, and as such, review bombs of titles that use the software are common. Deathloop is no exception, as its use of Denuvo on top of PC performance issues has stirred up controversy among fans.

While reviews for Deathloop are excellent elsewhere, on Steam, the score is mixed, with a common trend appearing in the reviews. There are 5,280 reviews on Steam for Deathloop, 1677 of which are negative, with just 68% being positive. Many reviews mention performance issues, which some have attributed to the game’s use of Denuvo DRM.

A common theme in the Steam reviews is that despite the poor performance, the game is a lot of fun, which may have left a sour taste in the mouth for gamers struggling to get the game running smoothly. Dishonored 2 is another Arkane Studios title that used Denuvo DRM at launch, and like Deathloop, fans reported numerous performance issues. In the case of Dishonored 2, Denuvo was removed two years after launch, so PC gamers unable to run Deathloop at current may want to hold off for the time being if Denuvo's impact on performance is a concern at all.

Deathloop is now available on PC and PS5.

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