"So sad to see a great developer reduced to this": Redfall fans are feeling down after its disappointing launch

Redfall
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Redfall fans aren't doing so hot following the game's rocky release. 

Arkane's vampire FPS game was released today, May 2, and has received a lot of lackluster reviews - including our own Redfall review, describes the games as "rushed, unfinished, and unsatisfying." It's a similar story if you scroll through the Redfall subreddit, where you'll see a lot of disheartened players.

This has come as a gut punch to fans who've been patiently waiting for Redfall to release ever since it was revealed back in 2021 and eventually delayed. As you can imagine, a lot of players have taken to the game's dedicated subreddit to vent their frustrations. 

This game was definitely not ready to come out from r/redfall

"With all the advertisements and promotions I was expecting a much better game, especially with Arkane behind the game," one Reddit user writes, perhaps unintentionally demonstrating the entire point of marketing campaigns and why you shouldn't pre-order games. 

This also gets at one of the biggest recurring complaints: Redfall doesn't feel like an Arkane game. After all, Arkane Studios is responsible for immersive sim fan-favorites such as Deathloop, Prey, and Dishonored. But as one fan put it: "So sad to see a great developer who gave us games like Prey and Dishonored reduced to this." 

"I'm legitimately dumbfounded. How is this game this bad?" another wrote, listing the issues they've encountered playing the game on Xbox Series X - specifically the problems it has with framerates. "I have been super excited since the announcement trailer," the same user continues, "this is unacceptable and I am incredibly disappointed."

Redfall players have been airing frustrations with the game's graphics, AI, core gameplay, lack of matchmaking, and the price you're expected to pay for the game in its current state. Right now, Arkane parent company ZeniMax is charging $70 for Redfall, and this has not gone down well with fans who pre-ordered the game and weren't prepared for how it would play upon release. 

The future is looking a little bleak as after Redfall's disappointing launch, some fans are worried about Starfield.

Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at 12DOVE before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.