As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I’ve played through more games than I can count. Some have been masterpieces that I’ll remember for years to come, while others have been… less memorable. Redfall, dear reader, falls squarely into the latter category – but not without its charm.
As a dedicated gaming enthusiast, I’ve come to realize that numerous components play a crucial role in determining whether a video game thrives or falters. It’s astounding to see how, even with the most anticipated games, the absence of player engagement post-release can lead to its downfall. Conversely, it’s equally intriguing when a seemingly subpar game manages to triumph against all odds, despite its shortcomings.
Occasionally, a game receives more criticism at launch than it warrants, and two instances of this have stood out lately. After some time, I delved into what’s often referred to as “Xbox’s biggest disappointment in years”: Redfall. This title, which met with an unfortunate fate when it was released, endured a barrage of criticisms, eventually leading to the closure of Arkane Austin studio, its creators. However, is Redfall as big a failure as people claim?
Given that I invested around 26 hours into the game and completed everything, it’s not great. The main flaw of Redfall lies in its mediocrity, as Xbox’s first-party content is currently facing greater scrutiny than ever before.
A flawed game that still manages to be fun
In my article for Windows Central, Jez Corden was the one who initially evaluated Redfall. His final rating of 3/5 indicated a mixed reaction. He expressed that while there are elements of enjoyment in Redfall, it’s disappointing to see this game coming from the renowned studio that produced Prey. According to him, Arkane appears to be struggling with Redfall. I personally agree with his critique.
After numerous attempts to enhance the game over the past year, the Redfall I played and appreciated didn’t merit more than a 3.5/5 rating from me. Fundamentally, Redfall has its flaws, but the gaming community often overlooks games that receive scores below an average of 8/10 as complete junk. However, this is not always accurate. A game rated 7/10 can still offer a lot of enjoyment despite its apparent shortcomings, and even with its issues, many players enjoyed Redfall when it was first released – far from being unplayable.
After several updates post-release, a myriad of bug fixes and performance enhancements were implemented. Arkane Austin specifically addressed glitches and crashes, enhanced NPC AI, perfected movement and combat mechanics, introduced new weapons and content, boosted overall performance (including the introduction of a 60 FPS mode on Xbox Series X|S), and even added an offline play option in the final update. Although Redfall’s “Hero Pass” did not materialize, it was thanks to this last update that I was able to enjoy the game offline.
To put it straightforwardly, I thoroughly enjoyed my extended stay in Redfall. Earlier on, I delved deep into the cursed towns of Redfall and Burial Point, not just for a casual stroll, but rather to complete every mission, investigate every nook, and uncover every hidden gem. In total, I invested more than 30 hours into Redfall and essentially 100%ed it. If I hadn’t been having such a good time, I wouldn’t have spent so much time on it, given that there was no compulsion for me to play it at all. In fact, I didn’t even intend to write about the game until the end credits appeared, which is why you won’t find any screenshots from my gaming session in this article.
In Redfall’s grisly, vampire-infested world created by Arkane Studios, I found myself captivated, almost enamored with the concept of a town cut off from civilization and under siege. The echoes of genius from the team behind Prey (2017), one of my all-time favorite games, were evident. Wandering through these desolate areas, uncovering tales of struggle and survival, and gradually moving towards a brutal conclusion kept me engrossed for extended play sessions.
Currently, Redfall, available to play on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass, is in a significantly improved condition compared to its initial release. Despite this, it’s not flawless – I experienced crashes during loading screens, issues with terrain and traversal, strange enemy behavior, and other minor glitches. However, the game performed exceptionally well on my Xbox Series X, running smoothly and feeling quite stable. Regrettably, even if the game had launched in this state initially, it probably wouldn’t have entirely shielded it from criticism.
The unfortunate tale of a game doomed to mediocrity
Previously, I mentioned that my rating of 3.5/5 for Redfall isn’t primarily due to technical problems like glitches, performance issues, or optimization flaws. In fact, the game runs smoothly on Xbox Series X at present, and even without its multiplayer aspects (the studio closure led to the termination of Redfall’s online servers), it offers a lot of entertainment. Regrettably, the core issue with this game is that it seems to have struggled to establish a unified identity since its early stages in development. Unfortunately, even after-launch updates wouldn’t have been able to completely resolve this problem entirely.
Redfall captivated me with its intriguing concept, a solid foundation for an engrossing storyline, and a compelling gameplay loop that involves investigating Redfall, evading or confronting vampires and their corrupted cultists, saving survivors, and searching for the necessary equipment to endure in this nightmarish isolated sanctuary. Each gem you discover, however, may be disappointingly unremarkable or requires brushing off a layer of grime before its beauty can shine through.
In simpler terms, the foundation of Redfall seems weakened due to complex gameplay elements such as connecting weapon power with a level-based system and dividing the game’s special abilities among four different character classes, making it difficult for Arkane Studios to showcase their unique talent for creating an open, interactive world. Additionally, the campaign is hampered by choppy cutscenes resembling slideshows and a linear mission design that leaves gaps in the storyline and prevents characters and plot points from being fully developed or emotionally impactful.
The fundamental structure of gameplay in Redfall seems overburdened with its peculiar efforts to blend RPG and looter-shooter elements. These issues likely wouldn’t have been rectified post-release, regardless of the number of updates Arkane Austin provided; they are deep-seated design flaws that should have been prevented at the outset.
Regardless of other factors, I remain deeply saddened by the closure of Xbox studios such as Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. I expressed my disappointment when these studio closures contradicted Xbox’s promises of fostering creativity, and after finishing Redfall, it’s even more disheartening to see how a single mistake can bring down an entire, renowned development team. It seems that many others share my sentiment, as evidenced by the comments made by the studio director of Arkane Lyon regarding these closures.
Despite its imperfections, I’d wholeheartedly suggest giving Redfall a try, especially if you’re fascinated by the concept and seek a relaxed, open-world vampire hunting experience. Notably, Redfall can be easily accessed via Xbox Game Pass, making it an appealing choice. In essence, Redfall could be considered a “C-tier game,” implying it wasn’t destined to win awards or revolutionize the industry. However, it has the potential to provide numerous entertaining hours for those able to overlook its shortcomings and appreciate the game for its unique charm.
Could Redfall be underrated, perhaps misjudged as a disappointing high-profile Xbox exclusive? Not exactly. Was Redfall deserving of the widespread criticism across the internet, including from those who didn’t even play it? Definitely not. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in between. Redfall is an average game that manages to lean towards the positive due to its endearing qualities, and despite (or maybe because of) its distinctive imperfections, it can provide an enjoyable experience.
I’m personally glad I gave Redfall a chance, and I’m sad that we’ll never see anything else come out of Arkane Austin because of its failure. I really wanted Prey 2.
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2024-11-14 18:09