Redfall is one of the most anticipated games of 2023, an Xbox exclusive from Arkane Studios, the makers of Dishonored and Deathloop. It promises a co-op open-world adventure where you can fight vampires with supernatural powers and guns.
However, the game has received mostly negative reviews from critics and players alike, who complain about its repetitive missions, buggy performance, and lackluster story.
What Went Wrong?
Redfall is set in a fictional town in Massachusetts that has been overrun by vampires and their human minions. You can choose from four playable characters, each with their own abilities and backstory, and team up with up to three friends to reclaim the town and uncover its secrets.
The game’s premise sounds promising, but the execution falls short. According to many reviewers, the game suffers from a lack of variety and creativity in its mission design. Most of the quests involve going to a location, finding an item or a switch, killing some enemies, and moving on. There is little incentive to explore the open world, which feels empty and lifeless.
The game also has technical issues that affect its performance and presentation. Some reviewers reported glitches, crashes, frame drops, and graphical errors that made the game frustrating to play. The game’s visuals are also criticized for being bland and uninspired, especially compared to Arkane’s previous titles.
The game’s story and characters are also disappointing, according to some reviewers. The game does not offer much narrative depth or character development, and the dialogue is often cheesy and clichéd. The game’s main villains, the vampires, are not very memorable or threatening, and their motivations are unclear.
What Did The Critics Say?
Here are some quotes from some of the reviews for Redfall:
- “Redfall is ultimately not up to Arkane’s usual standards. It feels rushed, unfinished, and unsatisfying to play.” – Sam Loveridge, GamesRadar+
- “Review scores are coming in for Redfall and they aren’t just middling, they’re poor. For a game of this size from a studio that normally produces solid hits, it’s wild to see Redfall arriving with such poor scores.” – Paul Tassi, Forbes
- “Redfall’s open-world approach to a modern day Massachusetts is otherwise a little more mundane in comparison. Not only does the architecture of Redfall seem a little flavourless compared to Deathloop’s funky retro-futurism and the Victorian backdrop of Dishonored, but there seems little to absorb whenever I stop to explore.” – Luke Reilly, IGN
- “From the jump, there are signs the game would’ve benefited from another delay before launch day. That’s not to say Redfall is a bad game filled with terrible ideas, but in its current form, it’s difficult to see the brilliance among the bugs.” – Jessica Conditt, Engadget
Is There Any Hope?
Redfall is not a complete disaster. Some reviewers praised the game’s combat system, which allows for different playstyles and strategies depending on your character and team composition. The game also has some cool vampire designs and an interesting world lore that could be expanded upon in future updates or DLCs.
However, as it stands now, Redfall is a disappointing vampire shooter that fails to live up to its hype and potential. It may be worth checking out if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription or if you are a fan of Arkane’s games, but don’t expect it to be a masterpiece.