A Flawed Game Till The Very End, Redfall Deserved To Die, But Not Arkane Austin

For better or worse, video gaming has become a lot more revenue-focused these days. Games that do not perform well have to go, but they don’t go alone, they take their respective studios with them. There are multiple examples of this in recent times. Forspoken killed Luminous Productions, Saints Row did the same to Volition, and now, Redfall is taking down Arkane Austin.

The Curtain Falls On Arkane Austin

Arkane Austin is the latest addition to the “studios killed by their flopped games.” Microsoft recently announced a restructuring at Bethesda, which included closing down Redfall developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks, mobile game dev Alpha Dog Games, and the absorption of Roundhouse Studios into ZeniMax Online Studios.

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— Tango Gameworks (EN) (@TangoGameworks) May 7, 2024

I think I don’t need to tell you just how cruel and ridiculous this decision was. While I’ll never forgive Microsoft for unjustly closing down Tango Gameworks, the failure of Redfall didn’t mean Arkane Austin’s worth was no more. Can we just forget that the developer was responsible for the majestic Prey, and crucify it for one failure? Microsoft indeed thinks so.

Redfall was a bad game right from the start and a rare mistake from Arkane. I always knew that it was destined to fall, and it did rightfully so. Arkane Austin’s loss is unfortunate, but Redfall deserved it.

https://twitter.com/bornposting/status/1787866293363687480

Redfall — Flawed Beginnings

Back when Redfall was first announced, it’s hard to admit but I was excited for it. A vampire looter-shooter was an intriguing concept, but the final product ended up crushing every speck of interest I had. A bland game through and through with a poor story, hollow characters, average gameplay, uncountable bugs, and a horrible enemy AI, it was the very definition of a mediocre game.

Redfall, is one of the worst games I have ever played.
byu/jackthefallout inpcmasterrace

On top of being a weak product, Redfall decided to add another layer of insult for the players by being an always-online. The game has multi-player modes, but it’s not an online-only game. Single-player and offline modes exist, too, but Redfall demands you stay online even for those. What does this imply? It means the game wasn’t yours; it never will be.

This opened up a whole new controversy and reason to hate the game for being so blatant about its anti-consumer practice. And the inevitable has finally happened. Microsoft has shut down all development on Redfall, including a rumored “offline mode.” The game hasn’t gone away yet, but it’s only a matter of time. All the time and dedication you spent in it? Down the drain.

Empty Promises

If you ask me, Redfall’s greatest flaw was the extreme lack of content. This is a problem that plagues many online and live service games of today. Companies think a live service is a source of extreme money, and no effort is needed to create unique and versatile content. Just add microtransactions and battle pass rewards to incentivize spending, and you’re good to go.

The only thing that kills a live service? Lack of dedication and meaningful updates
byu/Neggy5 intruegaming

Even if you were to like Redfall gameplay, it was only a matter of time before you ran out of things to do. Completing the campaign teleports you back to the start, and there’s nothing of interest once you go through its select few features. First, a completely bland gameplay, and then nothing different and new to sustain it, the game was destined to fall.

For a game so devoid of content, Microsoft had the nerve to ask a whopping $70 dollars for it, based on an empty promise that Redfall would be Bethesda’s “most-supported game.” Where in the world is that support, I’d like to see it. Months passed by, and there was nothing we were once so enthusiastically promised. No new content, no versatile game modes, nothing. 

3 months after release & Redfall has had no substantial update. People are also still waiting on the additional content they paid for.
byu/welshdragon888 inXboxSeriesX

If you ask me, the concept of post-release content and Season Passes that charge extra on a simple promise of “more will come, trust me” has to be one of the most ridiculous inventions of modern gaming.

Redfall Deserves It, The Others Don’t

If only Redfall were dying, trust me I would’ve been the happiest guy on the planet. Unfortunately, Microsoft took it out on many other innocents. Punishing Tango Gameworks for something it never did has to be the worst thing Microsoft has done in a long time. Not just that, Arkane Austin didn’t deserve to be buried after just one mistake, either.

God, all of these closures have sucked but there's something about Arkane Austin closing that has totally taken the wind out of my sails.

What a ******* horrible thing.

I might go play Mooncrash and silently be angry at all the folks who didn't.

no Danny!
it's Xbox's fault… pic.twitter.com/lrueS5DEUx

— dannyodwyer (@dannyodwyer) May 7, 2024

The circumstances are unfortunate indeed, but at least you won’t see me weeping for Redfall. It was a death well-deserved, and should serve as an example for all other games looking to replicate the same and capitalize on the misguided crusade of “turn everything into live service.” The misuse of live services and the plain nasty always-online need to go, and if Redfall’s downfall contributed to that, it’s for the better.

I just wish it didn’t come at such a hefty price I was not ready to pay.