Microsoft and Bethesda’s Redfall review
Posted Date – Mon 08 May 23 at 12:45am
Hyderabad: Sharing a release window with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can be daunting for the best games, but for Redfall, due to delayed releases and game-carrying expectations, That’s going to get even harder with Microsoft and Bethesda’s new alliance.
In terms of corporate strategy and PR optics, Redfall should not only excel as a game, but also pave the way for Starfield, as the duo promises to give gamers around the world a reason to buy into Microsoft’s vision for the gaming industry.
Developing an open-world FPS game isn’t new to Bethesda and Arkane (they’re the makers of Deathloop, after all), but after playing Redfall for a few hours, I found it to be as polished, imaginative, and executed as it is. its predecessor.
While Redfall has a more interesting premise (vampires block the sun) and a wider range of playable characters, its gameplay feels dated and reminiscent of the 2016 game. While not an exact comparison, I found a game from that year, such as Watch Dogs 2, to be a superior experience.
Despite its limited game mechanics, Redfall has some bugs and glitches, as the action in the game can even feel tense and jerky. During my gameplay (on PC with an X-series controller), I can’t get my character to use the medkit on the D-Pad. Combat is simple and repetitive as I indulge in hunting vampires and cultists to amass new guns and perks.
Redfall offers little to no freshness for the player, which becomes very apparent early in the game as it requires you to free civilians trapped in a firehouse. When you arrive at the station, the game prompts a dialog telling you how to destroy the building in three possible ways, and simply reading the dialog triggers a recall of a similar feature in 2014’s Assassin’s Creed Major League.
Despite Redfall’s unique visual aesthetic and strong narrative foundation, the game is too mechanically limited for me to think it’s something an update or patch can fix.
