The gaming industry is no stranger to receiving terrible game launches, but some believe one Xbox Game Pass title from 2023 deserves to be revisited.Redfallwas announced during the Xbox and Bethesda E3 2021 showcase as an FPS from developer Arkane Austin, set in an open world that features both single-player and co-op multiplayer modes.Redfall’s premise saw a union of vampires terrorizing an isolated town after a scientific experiment went wrong, and players could choose to pilot one of four survivors to slay them.
As an internal team with ZeniMax under Arkane Studios,Arkane Austin was shut down by Microsoft which the company founder deemed “stupid.”The studio closed in May 2024, which terminated further development onRedfallwhile the devs were working on the delayed Hero Pass content. The closure resulted in over 90 job losses and came as a shock to employees, who shared layoffs alongsideHi-Fi Rushdeveloper Tango Gameworks and more.
Posted on Reddit by Odin_Fellson, the user asked, “Why did this fail?” in the Xbox Game Pass subreddit, noting they had sunk 5 hours intoRedfalland were enjoying it. The user stated they were “positively surprised” by the art design that felt “refreshing.”Redfallreleased its final update in May 2024, and Redditors noted that the current version of the game is the best it’s going to get. Most responded saying the original poster was playingRedfallafter a year’s worth of patches and improvements, which has rendered the game much more playable for newcomers and could be a fun experience with friends now that many of the bugs and unsatisfactory elements have been patched.
Redfall Fan Reckons the Failed FPS Has Potential
Redfallrefunds began to roll outafter a disastrous launch, gaining mostly negative reviews from Steam users, and went on to generate minimal sales across PC and Xbox consoles. Critics and gamers criticized the game’s enemy AI, general world design, and the plague of performance issues hindering gameplay. Microsoft boss Phil Spencer went on record apologizing for the game’s shortcomings and admitted a delay would not have saved the title’s lack of creative vision. However, two years after its failure to impress, some implyRedfalldeserves another chance.
Gamers believeRedfallis one of severalBethesda games that Amazon should adapt into a television series, following the critical success ofFallout. SinceRedfallis set in the titular Massachusetts town, fans think an action-packed vampire series, following the horror unleashed within a contained setting, would be an intriguing premise that could flourish in live-action. Other games on Bethesda fans’ wish list to be adapted include theWolfensteinseries,Ghostwire: Tokyo, andThe Evil Within.
