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If you’ve heard all the buzz (both good and shockingly bad) about Redfall, then you’re probably wondering, what it’s all about and whether or not it’s worth picking up.

Related: Redfall Didn't Need To Launch Like This

Redfall is an open-world FPS with vampires and survivors set in, you guessed it, Redfall. Developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda, its release was hyped up since its Xbox E3 reveal in 2021. Whether it actually lived it up to that remains to be seen, and we’ve got all the essential details you’ll want to know before you make your choice.

Review

The reviews are in, and it’s not looking good for Redfall. As observed by lead features editor Jade King, Redfall simply isn’t up to par and delivers a repetitive and bland game that doesn’t match up to Arkane’s strengths. She also notes how the game’s failings can largely be attributed to the attempt at chasing the looter shooter games-as-a-service trend that is already on its way out.

It’s a pretty disappointing title that makes for a lackluster Xbox exclusive. Features editor Eric Switzer sought to find redeeming qualities in the game but was ultimately met with an underdeveloped game that was filled with bugs and performance problems.

Redfall is bland and predictable in ways that a major delay wouldn’t have fixed, rotten to the core with cynical design practices and a fundamental misunderstanding of why Arkane became so revered in the first place.

Clipping, NPCs stuck in T-pose, frame rate dips, and more issues plague the game. That said, those are all fixable issues. Unfortunately, Eric’s conclusion after trudging through broken missions and missing textures is that, even if you look objectively and assume all those things will be fixed, it’s still a “lousy game” full of interesting ideas that never manifest into anything more.

The poor reception from critics has been echoed by the majority of the player base that is leaving reviews, with a Mostly Negative review on Steam in its first week. Within three days of its launch, only 31 percent of its early player reviews were positive.

Time Expenditure

Because Redfall is intended to be playable as both a single-player and multiplayer shooter, the experience and time spent will definitely vary depending on your style. That said, single-player may not offer as much as evidenced by Eric’s piece on its campaign setup.

There is a complete narrative with main missions included, so beating the main campaign can take you anywhere from 14 to 20 hours. This can be longer if you take your time and sprinkle in side quests and additional activities as you go along. On the other hand, the game can be finished much quicker if you just barrel through the story missions.

It’s also worth noting that your experience may be slightly different depending on what character you choose to play. Every character has their own set of abilities, and there are plans to introduce new characters in the future. Although you can play every character and have them level up separately, you cannot switch mid-campaign and have to start over to use a new individual. This means you may end up with a total playtime of upwards of 60 hours if you want to complete the whole game as every character.

Cost

Redfall is currently available for PC and Xbox, with its standard edition at $69.99 on all relevant platforms.

The Bite Back Edition is priced at $99.99. This version comes with a tactical knife stake weapon attachment, a multi-weapon skin, cosmetics for the four playable characters, and the Redfall Hero Pass. The pass gives players access to two future heroes that will be added to the game.

If you already have the base edition, you can also get the Bite Back Upgrade for $29.99. As an exclusive for Xbox, it is also available on Game Pass. A standard Game Pass subscription costs $9.99 a month.

What Players Are Saying

(Un)dead In The Water And Just Skippable - Sachi Go

Redfall fails to deliver on its promises despite a delay in release, which is disappointing considering the credentials of its developers and publisher. The “open world” is smaller than expected, yet largely empty and dull. Enemies are sparse, and when you do find them, you can easily kill them even with the difficulty cranked up.

In its current state, it’s just fun enough to get on Game Pass, so you can goof around with friends and laugh at all the bugs. You don’t even need to stick together because it’s just that easy to splinter off and do your own thing until it forces the team back together for progression. A future update may resurrect Redfall, but this vampire needs to get back in the coffin for now.

As Average As It Gets – Ben Jessey

Arkane Studios has built a reputation for creating unique and wonderful games. Yet, Redfall doesn’t live up to the company’s legacy in multiple ways. The biggest disappointment is the repetitive and uninspired missions, as that’s an area where the likes of Dishonored 2 and Prey excelled.

That is not to say the game is completely terrible, as it has a nice-looking world and smooth gunplay. But the latter is somewhat hampered by uninspiring AI, and the former isn’t enough to make it a recommendable game.

Not Worth The Price – Amanda Hurych

As an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, I'm a lucky one. I've sampled Redfall because it released as a day one launch to the Game Pass library. I cannot imagine the fury I would have felt if I paid full price for this game and saw what was in store. I do not recommend you buy this game. Feel free to give it a whirl if you have Game Pass; it's not completely unplayable, but do not waste a single dollar on Redfall if you can help it.

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