Deadbolt: A Mystery Worthy of Illumination

Deadbolt:

Deadbolt: Hunting the Undead From the Shadows

The Reaper has limitations, but also exceptional powers. He takes no fall damage, which allows for simple escapes from the top of tall buildings. He's an excellent lockpicker (Deadbolt has the most satisfying lockpicking mini-game). And he travels through vents with a flick of his lighter. Through the vents the Reaper outmaneuvers his foes, ambushing them from an advantageous position. Vents allow the player to plan their direction of attack, and of escape. Not all vents are connected to each other. Once in the vents, the player sees all the vent routes, even those unconnected to their current system. The player should enter each map in reconnaissance mode. Scout routes to avoid detection, and the places to funnel enemies to their death. Discover which doors are where in the building. Some doors open with a knob, while others push open at the slightest touch. Many doors into buildings are locked.

Part of the player's plan needs to consider noise. Gunshots, and the screams of terrified enemies, alert nearby foes. The range of sound isn't clearly delineated, like in Wildfire, but it isn't difficult to figure out (though it does seem like different sounds reach different distances). Different enemy types react differently to sound. Melee enemies charge towards it, while ranged units retreat and take cover. After waiting a few moments they stand up and move toward the sound. While sound reveals the Reaper's location, it can be useful if the player has cover, or can use vents to outmaneuver out of position enemies. The Reaper can duck behind overturned tables, TVs, or couches, which provide cover from bullets. When the enemy reloads, the player stands out and shoots.

The enemy also needs light, but the Reaper doesn't. Most rooms with lights have switches, which the Reaper can turn off. Any enemy affected by the lack of lights will search for a way to turn them back on. If the player needs the lights to stay out, shooting them breaks them. In the dark, enemies can't see the Reaper until they are nearly on top of him.

These systems may sound simple, but the levels are well crafted. In addition to all the stuff already mentioned, the game throws in elevators, dogs, phylacteries, zombie heads separated from their bodies, traps, cameras, sniper assassins, liches, and mines.

With all this detail one question comes to mind. Is Deadbolt a stealth game? And I would say, Yeah! Plan, reconnoiter, and assassinate. But also, Nah! Draw enemies to your position with sound, to eliminate them from an advantageous position. It's impossible to kill everyone from the shadows, but most missions require killing every enemy. Use stealth when possible, and combat when preferable.

Ending a mission requires completing the objective and returning to the car. Deadbolt grades the player based on; Time, Deaths, Kills, Accuracy, and percentage of headshots. Deadbolt uses a secret formula to convert them to a five star rating. It seems accuracy and headshot percentage are more relevant for more stars. But, while the player is rewarded with currency to purchase new weapons from Charon, the player's star ranking has no impact on the currency received, or on any other aspect of the game. Stars are a personal reward, and the player can replay levels if they want a perfect score.

Before the player experiences the combat, they might see and level and be turned off by the threadbare visual style. Over time this is alleviated by the characterization of the protagonist, enemies, and locations. The art style isn't disappointing, but understated in tone. Deadbolt features smooth background music, and feels cool, reserved, and hip, even as the bullets fly. The bullet fire is visceral, and generates great splatter. Blood, bodies, small holes, and even bullet particles, add fantastic character to the game.

Deadbolt, despite its limited dialogue, has tons of character. The story is Dark Souls-like. It isn't epic in the grand sense, but is told through hints, extraneous details, and intimations. The player discovers elements from the poetic words of the Flame, from the brief clues found in the levels, and from the cassette tapes. There are three tapes for each section of the game. Tapes have only a low chance of dropping with each kill. They add flesh to the story, by describing the thoughts of foes and friends. But none of these elements reveals too much. Deadbolt retains an unassailable veneer of ambiguity and shadow.

Layered on top are the thematic and metaphorical elements. The Reaper, the low level drug dealers, and the leaders are trapped in a life without purpose. They are drained by ennui, by cold, by depression, by isolation, and suicidal longings. They take ash to feel something, they make others suffer to recover a hint of warmth, but for them, the light always fades to dark.

In the end Deadbolt leaves the reading of its message to each player, as it does with its plot. The player can only untangle so much of the different explanations. The Reaper and The Flame are equally beyond a complete comprehension. But it's enough to experience Deadbolt, even if there are no concise answers.

If Deadbolt has any flaws it is this. In the heat of battle, it seemed difficult to quickly switch between the two weapons.

In conclusion, Deadbolt is a perfect mix of character, combat, atmosphere, and mystery. It doesn't jump out into the light, but skulks contentedly in the dark. It's willing to be enjoyed by those who enjoy blazing gun battles, and the silently swift slash of a knife in the dark. Creeping through vents, or mowing down hordes of undead with a burst rifle are both part of its repertoire. One can imagine the Reaper's jaw, locked into a strange grin of contentment at a job well done (even though he has no mandible). He's a mystery, working for a cause, for the solution to a mystery, and so he can return back to his sparse room where he lies on the bed, watching the mold grow.

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Deadbolt: Hunting the Undead From the Shadows

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