RELATED: Deathloop: How To Solve The Data Casette Puzzle

Residuum will help Colt keep hold of the best gear that he finds, but even completionists won’t be able to get enough residuum to bind everything that Colt wants. Therefore, priority needs to be placed on a selection of items that Colt absolutely needs in Deathloop. This is a breakdown of the essentials that will help Colt out early.

Updated on December 15th, 2021 by Hodey Johns: With worth recognition at The Game Awards, Deathloop is getting players interested even more, if that were even possible. Being recognized on almost every front, art, gameplay, story, acting, and more is an honor that Deathloop’s development team richly deserved. All that being said, this game is rough on new players, especially brand new players that now have to compete with geared-up opponents that have been Colt-killing machines for a while. To make up for the disparity in gear, they’ll have to make smart decisions about what to infuse first. This list has had several items added to help with that decision-making process.

Anything That Julianna Has On Her

The rest of the entries on this list are going to be specific, but it’s important to note that players who use Julianna have likely beat the game and have ideal gear on them. That’s why defeating one is such a chore. But killing Julianna for the first time is more than just a mountain of an achievement.

These Juliannas will drop their gear, some of which can only be obtained via long and complicated investigations and events. These aren’t obtainable early through conventional means and this is the most significant loophole to take advantage of.

A Silenced Weapon (Not The Spiker)

Sneaking up on enemies works alright, but most of them can’t be killed safely without opponents spotting Colt while in the act. A silenced weapon completely changes the complexity of the game, allowing Colt the freedom to shoot from the shadows.

RELATED: Deathloop: How Do Batteries Work?

The PT-6 ‘Spiker’ is silenced, but it requires charging up and often fails to kill enemies despite landing a headshot, alerting the entire compound to Colt’s presence. That defeats the purpose of a silenced gun. The rest will work fine, taking out security cameras and enemies from a decent distance away.

The Aether Slab

This list isn’t trying to play favorites. Players who have unlocked the Heritage Gun will likely want to play it loud and proud. And that’s perfectly fine! But there are instances the game has where only a well-geared Colt can survive.

The alternative to being well-geared is to be invisible. Invisibility sneaks through trip mines, security grids, and evades enemy sightlines. Depending on how players operate, the Aether slab might not be in Colt’s final build, but it will most certainly help him get the equipment he wants to check off these essentials.

Golden Harvest Character Trinket

The only thing better than residuum is more residuum. The Golden Harvest should be infused immediately and shouldn’t be unequipped until Colt has every single weapon, trinket, slab, and upgrade in the game. Gathering extra residuum turns the journey of obtaining everything else that much easier.

Not having it equipped and active is one of many rookie errors when playing Deathloop. It functionally makes the game easier and quicker, allowing Colt to infuse an extra two or three pieces every part of the day. That totals about eight to twelve extra items; a colossal advantage.

A Julianna-Ender

Julianna isn’t going anywhere. There is a good reason that dealing with her is one of the game’s premier tips. The AI is somehow more dangerous than a human opponent, so trying to turn her into a computer-controlled opponent isn’t the smartest way to handle her.

Instead, customize a gun that messes her up. Any automatic weapon should do the trick, especially ones with a slow or damage over time modifier. The Mind Leech trinket will stop Julianna from using her powers. Pro tip: Two Limp-10s can apply both of these negative effects at once.

Renewable Character Trinket

Slabs draw from Colt’s power supply, but this supply gets drained in short order. To combat this, the Renewable token grants a massive increase in power regeneration. There is still a delay between using power and having the power regenerate, but this makes the recovery much faster.

This function works for every slab, allowing players of all builds to use whatever powers they’d like more often. A Colt that gets this trinket early will be set regardless of what slabs they like or build they are going for.

Legendary Weapons

Losing a great weapon during a run is heartbreaking, but losing a legendary weapon can result in throwing the game out in a blind rage. Even if the game is considered one of the best narratives in video games for 2021, setbacks can make players hang up well before the ending.

Legendary weapons require doing a specific challenge (or getting them from Julianna) versus other weapons that can be looted randomly. Remember that each legendary can have different bonuses, it’s wise to infuse one with each bonus.

Spring Heeled Trinket

Before getting fully equipped, movement is going to be very limited. For many great side quests or when fighting or trying to get to a new area, one jump just doesn’t cut it.

A double jump is great to have early, but most players keep it for the entire game, so it will be residuum well-spent. The game has a great amount of vertical action that is waiting for players who can escape to the rooftops.

Lightning Strike Weapon Trinket

Every weapon should have a unique set of trinkets. The Julianna weapon, for example, should have Mind Leech and Stopping Power on it, two trinkets that are completely worthless for any other weapon. But Lightning Strike is universally great.

Damage drop off is intense in Deathloop. With shotguns and SMGs, gamers will notice that Colt basically has to be in the face of an enemy to deal damage. Lightning Strike fixes this and it also expands the range of longer-ranged weapons, helping them to cover the entire map.

The Shift Slab

What’s better than running away? Teleporting away. The Shift Slab is perfect for new players that lack the mobility and map knowledge to get around. Those who master its use keep using it for the entire game to escape from map situations.

It has plenty of offensive uses as well. Getting into an ideal position for whatever the preferred weapon is without taking footsteps is an unparalleled advantage against both human and non-human enemies.

Deathloop was released on September 14th, 2021, and is available on PlayStation 5 and PC.

MORE: Deathloop: How To Solve Fia’s Pictograms