Deadfall (2023)

Redfall might not be the worst game released in 2023, but I don’t think I have played something more uninspired. It looks dated, its performance is disappointing, its plot is bland, the controls are glitchy, and the entire gameplay loop is the most generic and passion-devoid AAA schtick you could think of. If Arkane clearly wasn’t willing to make this game, then why would any of us should or want to care about it? Not even the fact it’s on Gamepass makes it being worth downloading it and playing for a day or two.

Redfall unfortunately does not follow the "fresh" ideas that Arkane had recently.

What bums me out the most about Redfall is that it had the potential to be a great game, but its poor execution resulted in frustration. It has its good points, such as fun gunplay, interesting premise and enjoyable cooperative mode; however, its inability to define its own identity, combined with poor performance, repetitive gameplay, silly game design flaws and a swarm of bugs, make the overall experience just average. Unfortunately, the game disappoints, and its worst problem is the lack of focus on defining what its purpose is.

Redfall's grocery list of problems, from storytelling to open world design, are so extensive that it seems more humane to drive a stake through this beating heart – if you can find it.

I wanted desperately to find a good game underneath all the bugs in Redfall, and every now and then a tiny ray of light would shine through and give me hope. I took my time to give it a fair opportunity where others wrote it off only a few hours in. Unfortunately, they were right, and this will go down as one of the more disappointing games that I’ve played in recent years. All we can hope for now is that Redfall’s disastrous journey serves as a warning to Microsoft and its stable of development studios. Not because the world’s second-largest company can’t take the hits, but because players deserve better.