When Xbox and Bethesda announced Redfall, an Xbox exclusive developed by Arcane Studios that focuses on vampires, I got excited. The RPG shooter seemed just my type of game: monsters, weapons, and an in-depth story. But the game’s release was met with severe criticism, including an early capture of gameplay that was less than flattering.
I’ll be honest; I let the mob of negativity scare me away from a game I should have tried. With so much to play in my backlog and new games coming out right and left, I just… let it go. Seven months after its release, after finishing Firewatch, the indie game atop my backlog, I decided to download Redfall. It was free on Game Pass, after all.
It didn’t take long for me to realize what a fun experience Redfall is. The story relies on a lot of vampire tropes to be sure, but the campy nature of the storytelling is just fun, provided the player can resist taking themselves or the game too seriously. Arcane Studios’ attention to detail is fantastic, with layers of environmental storytelling creating a sense of real exploration in the town overrun by the creatures of the night.
Vampire cultists create traps for their neighbors, willing to commit murder to prove themselves to their eternal overlords. Paramilitary black-ops teams infiltrate the town, carrying out covert missions while killing the very survivors they are supposed to help. Mysteries lurk around every corner.
And the first person shooter meets role playing game is just plain fun. The combat is thrilling, especially with the changes instituted in the major updates from Arkane Studios. I’ve enjoyed upgrading my character on the skills tree while hunting for advanced weapons. The freedom in play styles offered by the game allows me to tackle combat situations in a way that feels right to me, sometimes slow and methodically while at other times chaotically.
Perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned here. Just because a game fails to live up to the often unreasonable hype of the masses, doesn’t mean it can’t be a good fit for you. This has been my experience with Redfall, and I’m glad I gave it a shot.
Tell us what you think! Have you played Redfall? Are there other games that you enjoyed despite their bad reputation? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord and Facebook.
Featured Image: Bethesda Softworks
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