The fast-paced, fluid action, insane kill combinations, and neon-drenched aesthetic of Doom Eternal are combined with the sleek, futuristic aesthetic of Cyberpunk 2077. That sounds to me like the ideal first-person shooter, as if someone had looked into my mind and created their shooter using all of my favourite elements. It is now a reality. ‘Very positive’ user reviews have already been gathered for the new roguelike Deadlink, which was just released on Steam. Deadlink is a quick, bloody, and graphically gorgeous game that is also 25% discounted. This might be the biggest sleeper hit of 2023.
Deadlink has two central gimmicks. First, you’re an elite operative who is remotely controlling what is called a ‘shell,’ basically a robotic avatar designed to fight crime and clean up the streets of a dystopian, cyberpunk city. When you die, you transfer to another shell.
The Soldier is kind of all-purpose generic. The Hunter is a faster, deadlier, but physically weaker ninja type. And the Engineer is your heavy weapons shell. Each time you die, you acquire new combat data and experience that you can use to enhance your shell for the next time round.
The second big gimmick comes from the weapons, which can be customized and randomized to your heart’s content. Every time you die and jump into a new shell, you also get new guns, equipped with different attachments and buffs.
In your previous shell, you might have been using a powerful, short-range damage dealer. Next time round, you could swap to a zippy submachine gun, or a slow-firing grenade launcher. You’ve got grenades, you’ve got melee – if you remember the latter stages of Doom Eternal, when you’ve finally mastered the movement and the arsenal, Deadlink feels like that all the way through.
With more than 1,200 reviews since its launch on Thursday, July 27, Deadlink is already rated as ‘very positive.’ To celebrate the release, it’s also available at a 25% discount. You can pick it up right here.
Alternatively, check out some of the other best roguelikes. You might also want to browse the best cyberpunk games on PC.