Death of a Game: Redfall
nerdSlayer Studios・20 minutes read
Redfall, developed by Arcane Studios and published by Bethesda, faced significant criticism for its poor quality upon launch, leading to negative reviews from both critics and users. Despite efforts to improve the game with updates, including performance enhancements and new features, Redfall struggled to attract players and maintain engagement, ultimately impacting its reputation and future.
Insights
- Redfall, developed by Arcane Studios and published by Bethesda, faced significant criticism for its underdeveloped story, weak combat, technical issues, and lackluster world design, resulting in overwhelmingly negative reviews from both critics and users.
- Despite efforts to improve Redfall through updates like performance enhancements and new features, the game struggled with low player numbers, a lack of engagement, and key executives leaving Bethesda, indicating a decline in its future prospects and reputation.
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What is Redfall?
A game developed by Arcane Studios and published by Bethesda.
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Summary
00:00
Redfall: Disastrous Launch and Critical Failure
- Redfall, developed by Arcane Studios and published by Bethesda, received a poor reception upon launch, being compared unfavorably even to Fallout 76.
- The series "Death of a Game" delves into the demise of games or companies, analyzing major events and evidence to solve the case.
- Redfall's development began in 2018 when Arcane Studios was tasked by Bethesda to create a live service shooter, despite Arcane's reluctance towards this genre.
- Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax, including Bethesda, led to Arcane facing challenges with the direction of Redfall, including issues with understaffing and low salaries.
- Redfall was initially described as an open-world vampire shooter, with a delay pushing its release to May 2023.
- Key departures from Arcane's leadership team, including Rald Capron and Raphael Colantonio, impacted the studio's future and the development of Redfall.
- Redfall was announced to have shed its live service elements but retained the always-online requirement, leading to criticism and the cancellation of the PS5 version.
- Redfall's launch in May 2023 was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews, scoring poorly with critics and users alike.
- Reviews criticized Redfall for its underdeveloped story, weak combat, technical issues, and lackluster world design, leading to a disappointing gameplay experience.
- Despite some interesting aspects, Redfall was deemed by reviewers as a game that should not have been released due to its numerous flaws and lack of engaging content.
12:45
Redfall: Poor Loot Rewards and Technical Issues
- Redfall and Ai are considered some of the worst games with poor loot rewards, evident through gameplay and technical issues.
- Redfall faced criticism for its core gameplay loop being underdeveloped, making looting and missions unenjoyable.
- Microsoft's involvement with Redfall was questioned, with reports of the game being a major failure and lacking engagement from the company.
- Arcane Austin, the developers of Redfall, reportedly wanted Microsoft to cancel the game due to lack of interest and talent.
- Redfall struggled with low player numbers on Steam, with a peak population of only 48 players, leading to a major update in October 2023.
- The update for Redfall included performance improvements like a 60fps mode, stealth takedowns, and controller settings adjustments, but failed to significantly impact player engagement.
- Despite the update, Redfall remained at full price, with key executives like Pete Hines leaving Bethesda, signaling a decline in the game's future and reputation.
