Redfall Appears Doomed To Fail
Redfall has had an uneven road leading up to its launch, as Arkane and Bethesda struggle to drum up excitement about their game without dampening hype in any meaningful way. From IGN gameplay showcases to news that Redfall will always remain online even for single player experience or recent news that Xbox Series X version would only support 30fps at launch; people haven’t taken too kindly to how Redfall has been advertised thus far.
Bethesda and Arkane have taken measures to repair Redfall’s already poor reputation. Gameplay previews released after IGN’s preview have demonstrated faster-paced action that appears more engaging to gamers at large, and have stressed their intention of eliminating its always online requirement and promising 60fps performance mode in due course.
However, these positive efforts are failing to provide true relief from player concerns about Redfall, particularly with regard to online functionality and framerate issues. While issuing statements like you’ll remove online-only features may make headlines but that hardly counts as taking responsibility for something you caused? In terms of framerate controversies involving co-op shooters like Redfall being played at 30fps may not seem devastating at first sight but considering all previews have featured 60fps frames it feels somewhat misleadingly advertised and disappointing that games this early into next generation already have 30fps issues again compared with 60fps counterparts!
Redfall, being developed by Arkane Studio – known for their close quarter, immersive sims that pack interactivity and discoverability into small spaces – seems set up to fail from its inception. Even its release two weeks before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may signal further failure for Redfall as an open world co-op shooter.
Redfall may also fall prey to the Zelda curse.
Arkane could use an easy win right now; their previous titles may have received critical acclaim but commercially have never really set off fireworks – Dishonored was their flagship title but more recent games such as Deathloop and Prey didn’t generate as much mainstream interest as they might’ve wanted to. Redfall may appear an easy win given it will launch on Xbox Game Pass day one; but nonetheless it hasn’t garnered massive amounts of hype yet.
Redfall will likely not fail initially on Xbox Game Pass; at least not initially. A co-op game that debuts day one should attract plenty of newcomers; people unlikely to venture beyond FIFA/NBA/Madden/Call of Duty tend to embrace new experiences via Game Pass subscription services like Redfall may help fuel its initial popularity due to these players taking a gamble on something unfamiliar; Redfall could benefit immensely from such initial exposure as its initial success will surely come through these sources as people look for games they can share together on Game Pass subscription plans like Redfall does today if not already interested.
Redfall may have the potential to become Microsoft’s summer blockbuster title; but with its Game Pass subscription model rendering physical game sales virtually irrelevant and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom likely overshadowing Redfall shortly after launch. While Redfall won’t necessarily end up as an unmitigated failure, its potential could easily have become lost within weeks after its debut based on how its marketing had been presented thus far – instead becoming another afterthought come June.
