Redfall: One Year Later, There’s No Hope Left For A Comeback

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Obaid Ur Rehman

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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The gaming industry is full of excellent and poor releases. Certain times, bad games often make a comeback, but the industry isn’t all rainbows and sunshine, as there are releases that fail to recover from a poor start.

Many games launched as a broken mess. In my opinion, Cyberpunk 2077 is the best example, but look at it now. It could have easily won Game of the Year if released in this condition.

Much like Cyberpunk 2077, Redfall was far from playable at release. It was frowned upon due to the numerous optimization problems, bugs, broken AI, and more. The core gameplay was never this title’s strongest suit.

However, some fans were adamant that Arkane Austin could make a comeback eventually. The game will be exactly one year old in just over a week. Honestly, I don’t see any hope for a comeback at this point.

Why it matters: Bethesda previously made the bold claim that it would not give up on Arkane Austin’s unfortunate release, hoping to make it relevant on Game Pass for a whopping ten years.

Redfall – A Major Failure

When Cyberpunk 2077 was released, it surely was an unplayable mess, and most of the gamers refunded their purchase. However, the developer didn’t let this bring it down and continued to support it. Today, Cyberpunk 2077 looks completely different and has won over the entire fandom.

Redfall, on the other hand, failed to pull off this stunt. That is mainly because the game didn’t have that much potential to begin with. Looking at Cyberpunk 2077, you could see a ton of potential from a mile away, but Arkane Austin’s work never gave off this vibe.

Redfall is an utter disappointment and that makes me sad.
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Even after the 60FPS patch, barely anybody returned, which shows precisely that performance issues were the least of its problems.

The developer reportedly wanted to support the game for the long term, but I don’t see how it will make a comeback now. There is not a single shred of hope left for Redfall, so the best decision would be to leave it as it is and work on the next project.

Not only was it a failure, but it also damaged Arkane Austin’s reputation quite a lot.

The Redfall Experience In 2024

One year later, the title has been patched multiple times. However, Arkane Austin’s patches have been slow and mostly ineffective, showing little enthusiasm from the team.

Playing the game in 2024 makes for a much better experience, though it still needs much work. Various bugs continue to show up, including one where my friends and I lost progress mid-game.

This happened multiple times in one play session. On other occasions, I’ve had enemies bugging out while playing co-op, making their health nearly non-existent. This made the game so easy that it became a chore to play.

For a title that was sold on the promise of co-op, Redfall is made worse when playing with friends. 

So how did Arkane go from Dishonored to Redfall?
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Another thing that stuck with me was just how bland Redfall’s art direction is. Perhaps this was due to the team’s switch to Unreal Engine, but I was shocked that this vampire-themed world was seemingly created by the same team that brought Prey to life.

Arkane Austin’s releases were never the most popular among mainstream audiences, so a live-service project was a poor choice for the team. Ultimately, this became a major part of Redfall’s undoing.

Let’s not forget how disappointing the core gameplay is. CDPR completely overhauled Cyberpunk 2077 after recent updates, and this was sorely needed for Redfall.

The gunplay lacks a punch, the progression barely feels rewarding, and the story content is as bland as it gets. This is just scratching the surface of everything that is still wrong with the title in 2024.

Arkane Austin Was Dealt A Bad Hand

According to reports, Redfall was always going to be a disaster. The game was clearly not ready to be released, yet Microsoft was okay with pushing it out in the worst state possible.

Keep in mind that this was the first major AAA release for Xbox last year. The $70 price didn’t do it any favors either, pushing audiences further away.

The truth is that comebacks like Cyberpunk 2077’s are nothing short of a miracle. Lightning doesn’t always strike twice in the case of such games, and it certainly didn’t for Redfall.

Perhaps Arkane Austin has already moved on, but I don’t know for sure.

The developer’s communication has been abysmal since this colossal failure, making it hard to know what lies ahead. Nonetheless, I don’t think Redfall will ever make a comeback.

Obaid Ur Rehman

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

Get In Touch: Laiba@hidgt.com