Redfall has debuted on the market. Unfortunately, all indications are that it is the worst work in Arkane's output.
Redfall, an open-world shooter by Arkane, studio known for its Deathloop, Prey and the Dishonored series, has debuted on the market.
It is worth mentioning that the ElAnalistaDeBits channel has prepared a video with a visual comparison of the game on different hardware platforms:
There are few studios with a track record as impressive as Arkane's, so expectations for the game were high. Unfortunately, all indications are that this time the team didn't deliver.
The game collects average reviews. On OpenCritic the average rating is 66%. Below we cite sample scores:
What is interesting is the very large disparity between ratings. In the case of Redfall there is no question of any consensus. Most reviewers agree on one thing - that the game was released before it was completed. Quite often there are also opinions that the game lacks the elements that made Arkane's earlier titles unique, such as meticulously designed maps, rich story background or huge freedom of task completion.
While media reviews are average to poor, the reception of Redfall on Steam is downright abysmal.
"Eben ignoring the performance issues, this game is just bad. The AI is pathetic, even on the highest difficulty level. The controls are clunky. The graphics are mediocre. The world is empty. I don't understand why these companies think they can start charging $70 for unfinished garbage. I was unable to stomach even an hour of this game."
"Another strong contender for the worst PC port of the year. How did Arkane end up with this after Dishonored?"
"The game is boring, bland and empty, with a non-existent storyline, poor combat system and weak gameplay. I can't believe that the same studio that created Dishonored, made Redfall."
Already at the time of the game's announcement, reactions were poor. After all, Arkane is famous for rich and complex single-player games with meticulously designed levels. The team never seemed like a good choice for a cooperative open-world shooter. The developers still tried to assure that the solo mode would also be good, but that never seemed believabe.
It is worth recalling that this was not the studio's first contact with co-op formula. Arkane also helped with Wolfenstein: Youngblood, which was also poorly received. It's clear that for this team, trying to chase popular genres is not a good idea and the developers should concentrate on what they do best.
The shallowness of Redfall alone is only half the problem, however. The game was released too early. This is never a good idea, but in the case of smaller companies it can still sometimes be understood. Here, however, the publisher is Microsoft. Was it really worth forcing a release before the game was ready?
If, despite these negative reviews, you decide to play Redfall on PC (which is a good idea, only if you have Game Pass), it's worth getting acquainted with the game's system requirements first.
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Author: Adrian Werner
A true veteran of the Gamepressure newsroom, writing continuously since 2009 and still not having enough. He caught the gaming bug thanks to playing on his friend's ZX Spectrum. Then he switched to his own Commodore 64, and after a short adventure with 16-bit consoles, he forever entrusted his heart to PC games. A fan of niche productions, especially adventure games, RPGs and games of the immersive sim genre, as well as a mod enthusiast. Apart from games, he devourers stories in every form - books, series, movies, and comics.