So what do other outlets think about it? Here’s the tour so far:
On a more positive note, our friends at VGC gave the game four out of five stars – describing it as a refreshing shooter, even if it didn’t quite live up to the usual Arkane standards:
“Redfall is a compelling adventure with killer combat and an atmospheric setting in which you could easily lose a weekend. Although it feels lackluster by Arkane’s regular standards, it’s an ambitious and successful experience above all brimming with narrative nuance and unique ideas.”
GameSpot rated it “half stocked” and said it shouldn’t have been released yet:
“In the end, Redfall is a game that should never have been released yet. Its cascade of bugs gets in the way of the gameplay loop to explore its world with friends, and that loop itself feels hacked by poorly executed elements that are unsuitable for the execution team. I can’t pretend to know.” Whether Arkane to choose To make loot shooter or was Charged to make a shooter, but I can tell you what it’s like: one of the best game studios in the world is suddenly toothless.”
Windows Central awarded it 3 out of 5 (reviewer Jez Corden also stated it a “6/10”) and while calling it a “serviceable” open-world shooter, he admits that Arkane is “very straightforward” out of its depth:
There are just too many similar shooters that simply do almost everything Redfall tries to do, but much better. Redfall is struggling to grasp an identity of its own in a very noisy market. While the embers of fun are in Redfall, it’s crazy that this is the product of the legendary studio that gave us Prey. It’s very clear that Arkane is out of its depth with Redfall.”
GamesRadar+ summed up Redfall as “rushed, patchy, and unsatisfying”:
Redfall ultimately falls short of usual Arkane standards. It feels rushed, patchy, and unsatisfying to play. Single-player is hampered by a team-based open-world shooter structure, multiplayer is hampered by bizarre decisions, and decent weapon play is marred by Uninspired significant structures. It is a confusing game full of contradictions and the result is unfulfilled.”
Furthermore, the team at VG247 gave Redfall 3 out of 5 stars – calling it a “bloodless imitation of Arkane’s best work”:
“The sun has vanished. Obliterated by a host of vampire deities who, instead of glittering mansions and Gothic castles, lay claim to a modest island town off the coast of Massachusetts. Low lighting is provided by ultraviolet lamps and the muzzle glow of military contractors and private military cults; a little warmth from the inhabitants’ bodies Locals huddled together in resistance. If the Internet works, your weather app will tell you to expect tepid temperatures at best. Perhaps that explains why Redfall doesn’t get a bit queasy.”
Currently, Redfall sits on a Metacritic score of 64 out of 100 for Xbox Series X | S, and on Open Critic the game currently has an average score of 66 out of 100 from reviewers.
(tags to translate) Xbox