Redfall, the latest game from Dishonored and Prey developer Arkane Studios, is finally out today – and so are the “early” reviews. Unfortunately, Bethesda only chose to drop the review embargo on the same day as the game’s launch which isn’t uncommon for the publisher but it does raise plenty of red flags. It seems like those red flags were more or less accurate as Redfall has received some of the worst reviews for a AAA game in 2023.
Redfall is the new game from Arkane Studios and focuses on a vampire invasion of a small town called Redfall. It’s up to a group of fighters to purge the vampire takeover using special abilities and weapons. Players can either play solo or with up to three friends in co-op multiplayer, though just be aware that host progress isn’t shared. On paper, the concept for Redfall sounds amazing but the execution hasn’t turned out favourable for all parties involved.
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Redfall currently sits with an Open Critic average of 66 with only 29% of critics recommending the title. The general consensus is pretty harsh as most called it a rushed, unfinished product that just felt unsatisfying to play. Combat feels week, enemies are bullet sponges and the visuals are jarring, especially in 30FPS for Xbox Series X/S reviewers. Many still praised its fun, mindless gameplay and co-op elements. Let’s take a closer look at what some sites are saying.
Gaming Nexus – 7.4/10
Redfall is a bigger and much more deliberately paced game than I was expecting. Fun in multiplayer, I found that I enjoyed it even more solo. Creeping around with a sniper rifle, shooting vamps with stake launchers from afar, I was able to play Redfall as a stealth game, which was highly enjoyable. Some technical issues still need to be ironed out, but there is a lot of fun here for folks that vibe with the spooky open world. Read the full review.
Press Start – 6.5/10
Redfall is a gold dust-rare miss for what has been a very consistent deliverer of quality video games. If you are able to look beyond the game’s several questionable design choices, Redfall can serve up just a small bite of mindless fun beneath the island’s black hole sun. Read the full review.
GamingBolt – 5/10
Redfall is Arkane’s most underwhelming game to date. A fascinating setting and some remnants of the developer’s beloved gameplay formula aren’t enough to overcome the game’s numerous issues, from stiff controls and disappointingly rote design choices to lackluster storytelling and technical deficiencies. Read the full review.
GameSpot – 4/10
Arkane takes a stab at infusing the genre du jour with its signature style, but the end results are a bloody mess. Read the full review.
Windows Central – 3/5
There are far too many similar shooters out there that simply do almost everything Redfall is trying to do, only far better. Redfall struggles to grasp an identity of its own in a very noisy market. While embers of fun do exist in Redfall, it’s maddening that this is the product of the legendary studio that gave us Prey. Arkane is very clearly out of its depth with Redfall. Read the full review.
Redfall is currently available for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It’s also available on Xbox Game Pass.
