Redfall (Arkane Studios)

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/05/01/where-are-all-the-redfall-reviews/?sh=748bce54119f

Interesting tidbits ahead of embargo (does not look encouraging):

"Someone did screw up, however, and a YouTube published an “I’m 20 hours in” review live earlier than they were supposed to. They gave the game a 6/10, which obviously isn’t great, but I have no idea who this reviewer was or what they usually score games. It’s not a great score but it’s one random one out of dozens that are about to come in. Still, I bet Bethesda is real mad about that. (Update: A second review has gone up early, scoring the game a 78/100. I bet a bunch of people mix up 11 AM and 11 PM today). (Update 2: Another early one, this time a 4/10. Yeesh)"
 
If this game is bad I’ll be super disappointed. Even Deathloop, which I didn’t exactly love, was still a pretty good game.

Has Arcane actually made a bad game?

Ultimately, I think I need to be the judge of this myself. I hate to say this, because I try not generalize too much about people and which generation they belong to, but I’ve noticed that younger gamers don’t seem to appreciate Arkane the way I do as an older gamer. Both Prey and Dishonored 2 should have generated a much bigger buzz than what they did (Prey in particular), and I felt (perhaps incorrectly) that it was mostly younger gamers who turned away from these games.

I am glad that Redfall is on Gamepass though. I would’ve bought this game no matter what, and it’s nice to know it won’t cost me if I decide to abandon the game. (Games are getting expensive again. In CAD funds, the triple-A titles are approaching a hundred dollars. A hundred god damned bucks!)

I’m still excited about this game though. I’m actually leaving work early today to play at 5pm. LOL. Don’t tell anyone.
 
I asked twice in the Steam Forums just to make sure no Matchmaking.

I'm thinking maybe there is a chance with matchmaking maybe the servers are not live.
 
Hershy said:
If this game is bad I’ll be super disappointed. Even Deathloop, which I didn’t exactly love, was still a pretty good game.

Has Arcane actually made a bad game?

Ultimately, I think I need to be the judge of this myself. I hate to say this, because I try not generalize too much about people and which generation they belong to, but I’ve noticed that younger gamers don’t seem to appreciate Arkane the way I do as an older gamer. Both Prey and Dishonored 2 should have generated a much bigger buzz than what they did (Prey in particular), and I felt (perhaps incorrectly) that it was mostly younger gamers who turned away from these games.

I am glad that Redfall is on Gamepass though. I would’ve bought this game no matter what, and it’s nice to know it won’t cost me if I decide to abandon the game. (Games are getting expensive again. In CAD funds, the triple-A titles are approaching a hundred dollars. A hundred god damned bucks!)

I’m still excited about this game though. I’m actually leaving work early today to play at 5pm. LOL. Don’t tell anyone.
Click to expand...
Can't really think of a bad Arkane game. Deathloop simply didn't interest me, so I can't say it's bad. It's why I'm still tepidly interested in this game despite the cringe design and dialog.
 
Uh-oh.

Karak, of ACG, had this to say: “One of the Worst Games So Far In 2023 Redfall has its fun gameplay moments but they are eaten away with every bug, odd design choice, boring skills…” - not recommended.

I really value his opinion too. Oh well.
 
Boring skills sounds like someone I know.
All they had to do is make a Left for Dead clone. Not a Back 4 Blood clone.
 
Last edited:
early pre-embargo leaks don't sound promising...apparently the game has a good story but the gameplay feels outdated
 
I did some research, watched all the videos and I just couldn't find anything interesting other than "generic, wannabe borderlands copy"
 
this is what happens when a publisher forces a developer to do things outside of their comfort zone...seems like Bethesda forced Arkane to develop a more mainstream commercial game versus their usual niche immersive sim genre and this is the result
 
God damn… I’m deflated… how long will it be before we see another game from Arkane… two, three years?

Hopefully they return to their single-player only roots. But, damn… two to three years… that’s a long wait.

Starfield better be good, that’s all I have to say.
 
This prompted me to do bit of research on studio, to figure out what happened to this once amazing studio. This is from couple of years ago:

"The studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group). This has created tension within the company. You have one group of developers who just want to develop great games, another group that wishes to push their personal politics on every employee and into the products they make, and corporate that wants to push GAAS."

Source: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/will...s-affect-deathloop-and-future-titles.1567797/

Wonder how legit this overview is and if true, how big of an impact all this infighting is having on RedFall or future potential projects?
 
Hershy said:
God damn… I’m deflated… how long will it be before we see another game from Arkane… two, three years?

Hopefully they return to their single-player only roots. But, damn… two to three years… that’s a long wait.

Starfield better be good, that’s all I have to say.
Click to expand...

Redfall 2 should be out in a few years.
 
Hershy said:
God damn… I’m deflated… how long will it be before we see another game from Arkane… two, three years?

Hopefully they return to their single-player only roots. But, damn… two to three years… that’s a long wait.

Starfield better be good, that’s all I have to say.
Click to expand...
Will laugh my ass off if Starfield is like be Fallout 3 in space... lol! It's been delayed like 3-4 times already. The scope seems so ambitious that some part of that game is gonna be janky on launch even with all the time they are putting in. I'm starting to get tired of games with long dev cycles... On the same topic but another note, I tried out Star Citizen for the first time. I figure, I had purchased the damn game 11 Years ago... maybe it will be fantastically playable and complete... Yeah... I loaded it up, all 256 Gigs of it and it failed to launch and hung up on the initial load screen constantly. Gonna have to try it again without my E Cores. Maybe that was the issue. The game will, quite literally, never be finished. I know some people are thinking it will be but ... It's been enough time and the dev has been bleeding the user base with cosmetics and ships it's pretty clear this is his buildup to retirement, then when he does retire, you can suck it - see ya... I have Squadron 47 or whatever that is and I couldn't even find the means by which I could launch it...
 
imsirovic5 said:
This prompted me to do bit of research on studio, to figure out what happened to this once amazing studio. This is from couple of years ago:

"The studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group). This has created tension within the company. You have one group of developers who just want to develop great games, another group that wishes to push their personal politics on every employee and into the products they make, and corporate that wants to push GAAS."

Source: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/will...s-affect-deathloop-and-future-titles.1567797/

Wonder how legit this overview is and if true, how big of an impact all this infighting is having on RedFall or future potential projects?
Click to expand...
This is the death of everything... Someday, after losing enough money and companies someone will figure this out.
 
Early reviews are calling this a turd it seems. MS is the new EA when it comes to destroying studios they buy.
 
I'm not sure why they switched to UE4 when their custom Void engine was just hitting its stride...Deathloop looked excellent on PC with DLAA, ray-traced sun shadows and RT ambient occlusion...Redfall graphics seem like a noticeable step down
 
polonyc2 said:
I'm not sure why they switched to UE4 when their custom Void engine was just hitting its stride...Deathloop looked excellent on PC with DLAA, ray-traced sun shadows and RT ambient occlusion...Redfall graphics seem like a noticeable step down
Click to expand...
Probably because they think it's easy, but it really just makes developers lazy.
 
Armenius said:
Probably because they think it's easy, but it really just makes developers lazy.
Click to expand...
Plus not holding my breath for eventual ray tracing update given that this is UE4 game - ray tracing implementations in that engine have been subpar to say the least.
 
I’m actually beginning to re-think Deathloop now - was it better than I originally thought? Maybe it was? I never came close to finishing it.
 
imsirovic5 said:
This prompted me to do bit of research on studio, to figure out what happened to this once amazing studio. This is from couple of years ago:

"The studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group). This has created tension within the company. You have one group of developers who just want to develop great games, another group that wishes to push their personal politics on every employee and into the products they make, and corporate that wants to push GAAS."

Source: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/will...s-affect-deathloop-and-future-titles.1567797/

Wonder how legit this overview is and if true, how big of an impact all this infighting is having on RedFall or future potential projects?
Click to expand...

Holy god, this sounds so crazy that it might actually be true. Something definitely ‘happened’ at Arkane.

Edit: at first I was going to leave work early to play this at 5pm, then the ACG review dropped and I decided to stay… but fuck it… the only review that matters is my own. If this game sucks then I want to discover that for myself, so I’m leavin early. I’ve been disappointed so many times by games that I no longer feel the sting. I’m calloused now.
 
Last edited:
polonyc2 said:
I'm not sure why they switched to UE4 when their custom Void engine was just hitting its stride...Deathloop looked excellent on PC with DLAA, ray-traced sun shadows and RT ambient occlusion...Redfall graphics seem like a noticeable step down
Click to expand...

Maybe had to do with the stuttering and performance issues in Deahtloop. They seem to jump around a lot. Prey used Cryengine, although these is a Texas and French studio so maybe different studios use different things.
 
The typical pattern for years now has been that high profile games mostly are disappointments upon release. Even when the core game plays good like in cyberpunk it seems like most titles are arriving An underdeveloped state.

I think there's no chance that star field is gonna be in good shape when it releases. Will probably be like cyberpunk and need a good 6 to 12 months of patching to make it worthwhile.

It just doesn't make sense to get ones hopes up unless maybe if It's an early access game that you've played and been able to tell firsthand is good.
 
Also, I get it that gamers love to hate… but what I’m seeing… mostly at other forums… is just plain weird: it seems that a huge number of people want this game to suck and the developer to burn.

You can sort of tell sometimes when a certain person dogpiles on a game that this person was never going to play the game anyhow. It’s just someone who wants to join the dog pile.

It’s almost like Arcane is being viewed by some people as a long-standing developer that needs to be toppled?

I still have hopes.
 


Looks like they've managed to outdo Jedi Survivor as the game with the worst optimization.

What the fuck are these developers doing with this engine
 
I’m sure it’ll run just great on my Xbox Series X lol.


Get yourself a PS5 and Series X so you can play all these great games without crying about optimization.


EVERYONE on pc has been bitching about the new JEDI game lol. Runs amazing on the series X.

Promise they look and run amazing granted you have a 4K 120hz panel LED or OLED.
 
Last edited:
LukeTbk said:
They announced that it will run terribly on console at launch (capped at 30fps).
Click to expand...

Damn lol. That’s trash. So then literally just skip the game until they fix it. I won’t even bother if that’s the case.

I have game pass ultimate and it’s gonna be a free day 1 game but if it’s 30FPS capped, won’t even bother.
 
what a difference 1 game makes...most Deathloop reviews were calling it a masterpiece and 10/10...now Redfall is getting 5/10 or worse
 
Redfall review

Overall, Redfall isn't really a bad game, it's just a very average one. Generally, the mechanics. shooting and exploration are all ok but nothing stands out and nothing demands your attention. The inclusion of a skill tree and looter-shooter features are underdone and seemingly added as an afterthought or as part of some checklist of what these kinds of games should be. While touted as playable solo or in co-op, it's clear Redfall has co-op at the forefront as playing by yourself is less than ideal though playing in co-op adds little to the experience.

Redfall is not the second coming of first-party AAA games on Xbox and it was never going to be. It's an average co-op shooter with half-baked ideas that never fully come together. It's fun for a few minutes but it wears thin very quickly. Give it a try on Game Pass but don't expect too much...

https://www.pcgamesn.com/redfall/review
 
Last edited:
Redfall Review in Progress- One of the Worst Games I Played So Far In 2023

 
  • Like
Reactions: Q-BZ
like this
Ok well that was a waste of a pre load. I still have back 4 blood installed that I never played after first 2-3 levels. Also that Ghost Recon game with zombie/monster nonsense that I never indulged after like 2 levels.

Just not my type of games. Can’t believe people spend so much time on this kind of crap. Different strokes I guess.
 
imsirovic5 said:
This prompted me to do bit of research on studio, to figure out what happened to this once amazing studio. This is from couple of years ago:

"The studio is going through an identity crisis with two warring factions, one is corporate and the other far-left activists. A good number of the most regressive far-left types (such as the openly misandrist Hazel Monforton) have found positions in Arkane and have caused numerous employees to leave, ignore as to not risk losing their jobs, or attempt to have HR deal with it (though it has been stated that HR is on the side of the regressive minority group). This has created tension within the company. You have one group of developers who just want to develop great games, another group that wishes to push their personal politics on every employee and into the products they make, and corporate that wants to push GAAS."

Source: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/will...s-affect-deathloop-and-future-titles.1567797/

Wonder how legit this overview is and if true, how big of an impact all this infighting is having on RedFall or future potential projects?
Click to expand...
I did notice in some of the marketing images it's just people of color shown as the player characters. Nothing wrong with that even though it's odd to have all four of the player characters in a mainstream AAA gaming title be shown as POC, so that says it was a conscious decision not to show white people as the characters, which is a pretty woke choice terms of marketing a mainstream product. It may backfire on them.
 
peppergomez said:
I did notice in some of the marketing images it's just people of color shown as the player characters. Nothing wrong with that even though it's odd to have all four of the player characters in a mainstream AAA gaming title be shown as POC, so that says it was a conscious decision not to show white people as the characters, which is a pretty woke choice terms of marketing a mainstream product. It may backfire on them.
Click to expand...
This is possibly the most ridiculous shit I've seen recently.
 
Okay, so I’ve played for a bit, and the performance is fine (I’m getting about 90 FPS maxed out at 4K on a 3090) and the game itself feels very much like it was made by Arcane.

I don’t want to say anymore, because I’ve barely played - but so far the notion that this is easily the worst game of 2023 seems like hyperbolic nonsense.

Now that could change, but early on this isn’t the turd that some people are saying it is. That said, it’s not Dishonored either, and like that guy above said, I would rather be playing Dishonored 3 right now. But oh well.

I’m going to give this a chance. I need to see some atmosphere though. I’m big on that. Arcane has always delivered on that front, and if they don’t deliver here it will be disappointing.

Edit: Karak’s review does have me worried though.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top