Prime Gaming is an often-overlooked Amazon Prime membership benefit. The service gives subscribers access to a rotating selection of free gaming goodies each month and the latest wave of freebies includes Deathloop, a critically acclaimed shooter that we named the best game of the year in 2021.
From today (Thursday, Dec. 7), Amazon Prime subscribers can claim a free copy of Deathloop on PC via Prime Gaming. This seriously awesome freebie will be available until January 10 and available to claim from the Prime Gaming hub.
You've also still got a little time left to grab some of November's free game. Last month’s picks include Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which is often cited as the best Star Wars game ever. This classic sci-fi RPG is free until Wednesday, December 20, so be sure to grab it when you’re claiming your copy of Deathloop.
If you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can access Prime Gaming as part of your subscription. You can claim the free games mentioned above from the “Weekly game” tab in the Prime Gaming hub. And remember once claimed these games are yours to keep, so grab them now even if you haven’t got the time to play over the holiday season. You can always circle back to them in the new year.
Why you should play Deathloop on Prime Gaming
Released in 2021, originally as a PS5/PC exclusive before making its way over to Xbox consoles a year later, Deathloop comes from Arkane, a European studio that also created the beloved Dishonored franchise and developed the well-received 2017 reboot of Prey.
In Deathloop, you play Colt, a wise-cracking assassin stuck in a time loop on the mysterious Blackreef Island. To break the loop, Colt must track down and eliminate eight high-profile targets known as Visionaries across a single murder-filled day. But this already fairly difficult task is complicated further by the fact you’re being hunted by a rival assassin named Julianna, who is intent on protecting the loop at all costs. To succeed you’ll need to carefully plan the perfect sequences of murders to finish off the Visionaries in one go.
This is a first-person shooter that oozes style with a distinct 60's Cold War-era aesthetic. Everything from the soundtrack to the menus are thoughtfully crafted to match the overall vibe. There's no denying that Deathloop is one of the best-looking and best-sounding games of the last few years. Plus, its sharp writing is genuinely funny, and the sarcastic banter between Colt and Julianna is so good that you’ll find yourself stopping to listen to it all.
Fortunately, it’s also an absolute joy to play. While you can take a less-considered "shoot first, ask questions later" approach, strategic players will be more successful in their effort to unravel the core “murder puzzle” and break the cycle. The stakes are kept high with the inclusion of some roguelike elements, but you’re able to carry certain weapons and perks across each loop which prevents frustration from creeping in even after dozens of runs.
Alongside the expected arsenal of powerful firearms including sniper rifles and shotguns, you also get access to a selection of magical powers known as Slabs. These range from the ability to teleport short distances — which is especially useful if you're attempting a stealth run — to one that lets you link enemies together allowing you to eliminate multiple targets in one single action.
There’s also a sprinkling of online action, as players can take control of Julianna and hunt down unsuspecting Colt as they go about their business trying to plan the perfect string of murders. However, if you’d rather this multiplayer aspect didn’t interfere with your meticulously considered plotting, then you can disable it and instead have Julianna solely controlled by the computer.
We named Deathloop our GOTY in 2021, because of its undeniably exciting mix of stylish visual design, a highly engaging core premise and slick shooting gameplay. It’s a game that we’ve recommended on sale numerous times over the last couple of years, and now that you can play without spending a single penny via Prime Gaming there's no excuse not to travel over to Blackreef and start causing a little bit of chaos.
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