Arkane Lyon, the developers behind Dishonored, are working on a new Marvel game called Blade, announced at The Game Awards. The game will be an immersive third-person adventure set in Paris, France, and will feature the famous half-man, half-vampire character Eric Brooks. Described as a mature, single-player game, Blade will explore the protagonist's struggle between the world of the living and the power of the undead. While no release date has been announced, it is expected to be an Xbox and PC exclusive, possibly launching on Game Pass.
Head of Xbox Games Studios, Matt Booty, has admitted that Microsoft "could have done a better job of onboarding" Arkane when developing Redfall. Booty believes that the team suffered from "tunnel vision" and that Microsoft could have done more to integrate the studio into its first-party lineup. However, Booty also stated that the blame for Redfall's lackluster reception ultimately falls on himself and ZeniMax head James Leder. Arkane has since released a major update to the game, which has made improvements to almost every aspect.
According to a report by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Arkane was hoping Microsoft would cancel or reboot Redfall, a multiplayer game that did not fit their traditional style of gameplay and received poor reviews upon release. The report suggests that poor management and a hands-off approach from Microsoft contributed to the game's failure. 70% of Arkane Austin no longer works there, and it appears the studio may not exist in the same way again.
In his latest Zero Punctuation video game review, Yahtzee criticizes Arkane's new release, Redfall, calling it a "dogshit croquembouche." He takes issue with the game's selling point as a four-player coop shooter that can also be played solo, which he says has never been true in his experience. Despite forcibly installing the EA app and adding it to Windows startup without permission, Yahtzee finds Redfall to be a disappointing game from the developers of Dishonored, Deathloop, and Prey 2016.
Redfall, the new vampire shooter game from Arkane, has received extremely negative reviews, with its Metacritic score dropping below 60. It is now the worst reviewed Xbox Series X game of 2023 so far and is also reviewing worse than other famous bombs such as Godfall, Saint's Row, and No Man's Sky. The game has also received low user scores on Xbox Series X and PC. While the game is not technically unplayable, its performance issues and poor gameplay make it one of the worst reviewed major releases in years.
The official Twitter account for the upcoming co-op shooter game Redfall briefly had its banner image taken down due to a copyright report, likely related to leaks of the game on Twitter. The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of navigating copyright issues on the internet, which can often harm content creators. Microsoft has not yet commented on the incident.
Bethesda's review embargo for Redfall dropping an hour before launch is not unusual for the publisher, which has a history of day-before embargoes. While a 6/10 review has already been published, it's just one of many to come. Redfall is a major test for Arkane, which has never had this level of scrutiny, and opinions on the game's marketing and concept have been split. However, with the game launching on Xbox Game Pass, most players won't need to make a purchasing decision based on reviews.
Microsoft has shared new information about Redfall, including accessibility options such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text support, screen narration, subtitles and closed captioning, font scaling, and a colour blindness filter. The PC system requirements have also been revealed, but without details on resolution and frame rate targets. Redfall is set to launch on September 2, 2022.
The launch trailer for Redfall, a vampire-hunting shooter game developed by Arkane, showcases the spooky town and psychic distortions that players will encounter. The game's open world allows for co-op play without tethering players together, making it easier to tackle objectives from different angles. Redfall will be available on PC and Xbox consoles on May 2nd for £60/$70/€70, and will also be included in Game Pass.
A leaked image of the Redfall Xbox game case with a sticker stating "60FPS performance mode not available at launch" has been circulating online, but its authenticity is uncertain. The digital listing for Redfall has removed any mention of 60FPS, but it's not as easy to make similar changes to retail copies. Arkane needs more time to deliver a smooth 60FPS option, which will be available later.
Redfall, the upcoming game from Arkane, will not have a Performance Mode targeting 60 frames per second gameplay at launch, and the decision to ship the game with only Quality Mode was made relatively recently. Retail copies of the Xbox Series X|S version of the game still list 60 frames per second support, suggesting the decision to delay Performance Mode after launch was taken relatively recently. The game will be available on PC and Xbox consoles from May 2nd, with Xbox Series X players only able to play the game at 4K resolution, 30 frames per second, while Xbox Series S users at 1440p resolution, 30 frames per second.
Bethesda wasn't interested in a Dishonored 3, so Arkane created Deathloop as a small game to learn more about developing a multiplayer game. Bethesda wanted something simple and short before deciding on the next project. Deathloop grew more and more, leaving the roguelike angle behind, but keeping in elements of repetition. Ironically, Deathloop could be seen as an alternative Dishonored 3, as both are set in the same universe.
Xbox's upcoming game Redfall will launch with only 30 FPS options across both Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles, with a promised 60 FPS performance mode coming at a later date. The game has already faced scrutiny for deviating from past Arkane games to become a Borderlands-like co-op looter shooter set in a Far Cry-like world with vampires. The performance issue is significant and exists outside the concept and execution of the game itself, and there is already confusion and frustration among Xbox fans, especially since the game has already been delayed for further work and "polish."
The recently released gameplay footage of Xbox's upcoming game Redfall has received mixed reactions from fans. While some find it generic and boring, others believe it's due to the IGN players not being good at the game. Other footage, including a recent preview at the Xbox showcase, has been more positively received. The game is a departure from Arkane's usual fare and is a co-op loot shooter with vampire themes. The fonts used in the game's UI have also been criticized. Redfall is set to launch on Game Pass next month.
Harvey Smith, the director of Redfall and boss of Arkane, has spoken about the experience of releasing games under Bethesda's shadow, saying that while it can be frustrating, working with bigger studios is "a gift." He also said that he isn't worried about the potential of Bethesda's Starfield overshadowing Redfall, as the two projects are very different, and that he enjoys getting to learn from studios like id Software and Shinji Mikami. Smith also revealed that Redfall was originally in development for PS5 but was canceled after Xbox acquired Arkane.
