Embrace the Chaos: Why Playing as Julianna in Deathloop is a Must
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Why play as Julianna in Deathloop? The simple answer is: because it’s pure, unadulterated mayhem. While playing as Colt is a meticulously planned, strategic exercise in puzzle-solving, Julianna offers a wildly unpredictable, adrenaline-pumping experience where you get to be the wrench in someone else’s meticulously planned gears. You become the architect of their frustration, the guardian of the loop, and the embodiment of chaos itself. It’s a chance to step outside the scripted narrative and embrace a more improvisational, player-driven form of gameplay that is endlessly rewarding.
The Thrill of the Hunt: Disrupting the Loop
Playing as Julianna transcends the typical adversarial multiplayer experience. It’s not just about racking up kills; it’s about manipulating the environment, outsmarting your opponent, and completely derailing their carefully laid plans. Do you trigger alarms to send hordes of Eternalists their way? Do you impersonate an NPC to lure them into a trap? Do you simply go for the direct approach with a perfectly placed sniper shot? The choice is yours, and the possibilities are almost endless. This dynamic interaction is more akin to a game of cat and mouse, with you, the cunning feline, turning the entire island of Blackreef into your playground.
The strategic depth comes from understanding Colt’s likely objectives and exploiting his vulnerabilities. Knowing which Visionary he’s targeting, which routes he’s likely to take, and which gear he’s probably relying on allows you to set up ambushes and counter-strategies that will leave him reeling. Furthermore, Julianna’s toolset, including her ability to disguise herself and infiltrate restricted areas undetected, adds another layer of complexity to the gameplay, allowing for truly devious and unexpected plays.
A Different Perspective on Blackreef
Playing as Julianna also offers a fresh perspective on the world of Deathloop. While Colt is laser-focused on breaking the loop, Julianna has a deeper connection to it and a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. This allows you to explore Blackreef with a different mindset, appreciating the nuances of the environment and the characters within it from a new angle. You’re not just running through the levels to reach a goal; you’re actively shaping the experience for another player, adding a level of agency and creativity that is absent from the single-player campaign.
Moreover, playing as Julianna hones your skills as a player. It forces you to think on your feet, adapt to unexpected situations, and master the game’s mechanics in a way that the single-player experience simply doesn’t require. You’ll learn the layouts of the levels inside and out, understand the behavior patterns of the Eternalists, and become intimately familiar with Colt’s arsenal, all of which will make you a better player overall, regardless of which character you choose to play.
Embracing the Anarchy: A Carefree Experience
As noted in the research on learning through games presented by the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org, there are considerable educational benefits to be gained from dynamic, creative gameplay. Playing Julianna in Deathloop, for instance, is a far more carefree experience than playing as Colt, whose experience is defined by repeated failure and incremental progress. You get to drop in, cause some havoc, and drop out, without the pressure of having to perfect a complex sequence of events. This lighter tone allows you to experiment with different playstyles, try out new weapons and abilities, and generally have more fun without the burden of consequences.
The unpredictable nature of each invasion is a major part of what makes playing Julianna so compelling. You never know what kind of Colt you’re going to encounter: a stealthy assassin, a guns-blazing maniac, or a clueless newcomer. This constant uncertainty keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting, as you’re always forced to adapt to new challenges and think outside the box.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Playing Julianna
1. Can Julianna invade in single-player Deathloop?
No, but you can turn Online Mode off, in which case it’s a computer-controlled Julianna. You can set it to friends only, online, or single-player. During the tutorial and prologue, it defaults to offline.
2. Why is Julianna protecting the loop?
Julianna believes that her life’s purpose, as well as duty, is to ‘protect the cycle’—and for that, she must eliminate the threat to the loop in the face of Colt. She avoided the amnesiac effect of the anomaly and is one of the only remembering Visionaries.
3. Is Julianna always a player in Deathloop?
Not necessarily. If you play with Online Mode on, that Julianna is, in fact, another player. Otherwise, a computer-controlled Julianna fills the role.
4. How many times can Julianna invade?
Once you defeat Julianna in a district, you can’t be invaded again until you move on to the next time period.
5. Is playing as Julianna fun?
Absolutely! While both characters are powerful, Julianna provides a unique, more carefree experience. Playing as Julianna is far more entertaining and enjoyable than playing as Colt.
6. Why does Julianna hate Colt?
Julianna claims that things started to go wrong when Colt, having had second thoughts about the AEON Program, started murdering her in every loop in an effort to free her from it. Julianna eventually grew to hate Colt and began to retaliate, culminating in her starting to hunt him in every loop.
7. Is Colt Julianna’s dad?
Yes, Julianna is in fact Colt Vahn’s daughter. She was born after her father shacked up with her mother, Lila Blake, a member of Project Horizon.
8. Can you hide from Julianna in Deathloop?
Yes. Players who prefer to flee from her can try to first lure her away from her spawn point and then take an alternative, stealthy route back to the antenna to hack open the tunnels. Stealth and manipulation are key.
9. Does Julianna invade offline Deathloop?
If you play offline, then the AI controls Julianna. There are three options when it comes to multiplayer invasions in Deathloop: you can set it to friends only, online, or singleplayer.
10. Why did Colt start killing Julianna?
In the course of doing so, he “murdered” (her words, in the final scene) Julianna — many times over. In the same scene, Colt says that he killed her to give her a chance at a “real life.” Julianna is one of only a few people who retains her memory from one loop to the next.
11. What happens if you don’t shoot Julianna?
The implication is that he let her down one last time. If you don’t kill Julianna or yourself, you re-enter the loop together and she interprets this moment as a truce. The game ends with an exchange that came off more awkward than heartwarming.
12. Who is the antagonist in Deathloop?
One of Deathloop’s main antagonists (and playable characters) is Julianna Blake, whose backstory is far more tragic than her wily personality reveals. Deathloop’s opening cinematic shows a tense fight between Colt Vahn and Julianna Blake, the game’s most essential characters.
13. Why do Juliana and Colt remember?
Colt – and through his DNA, Julianna – still experiences the island naturally, using the natural properties of the anomaly and huge amounts of built-up residuum in his body, not using the technology created by Aeon to experience the loop.
14. Is there a bad ending in Deathloop?
The “bad” ending in Deathloop, on the other hand, offers a more satisfying conclusion. While Colt may not have ultimately broken the loop as he had originally intended, it feels a much more fulfilling end to the story.
15. Who should I play as in Deathloop?
If you choose Colt, you replay the same day to formulate and execute the perfect plan to break the loop. If you choose Julianna, you invade other players’ games as the guardian of the loop and do your best to disrupt their attempts to break everything Julianna has worked for.
In conclusion, playing as Julianna in Deathloop is a thrilling, unpredictable, and ultimately rewarding experience that offers a unique perspective on the game’s world and mechanics. It’s a chance to embrace the chaos, disrupt the loop, and become the ultimate guardian of Blackreef. So, pick up that machete, equip your masquerade slab, and get ready to unleash some mayhem!