I'm utterly confused about Redfall. Bumfuzzled. Bemused, and bemoaned. Arkane, the great developers behind the Dishonored series are making... a teen-Vampire game. It goes without saying that this column is going to be a tad short. Is there really that much to say, after all? I am bewildered. Especially because no one else seems to be talking about this. Seriously, guys, it's 2021, right? Why is everyone so excited about a teen-Vampire game?
Twilight ended basically a decade ago. Even the Zombie-craze is pretty much over. I understand that Arkane must have been working on this for years before we even got a glimpse, but... huh? The Vampire craze ended ages ago, and to be honest, teen-Vampires were always kind of... well... terrible. No one is asking for this, yet somehow, no one is crying foul.
It's an interesting comment on our industry that one of the most beloved studios in recent memory is making a teen-Vampire game, and no one is talking about it. Has inspiration really dipped this low? I understand that Call of Duty, FIFA, Assassin's Creed, and other Triple-A titles have lost any sense of purpose in recent memory, but surely there is some hope left?
Arkane is a studio that can, at points, stand on the same level as studios like Sony Santa Monica and Naughty Dog. It might seem a bit extreme, considering the calibre of those two studios, but Arkane's Dishonored 1 and 2 were just that damn good. It is absolutely fine that the studio wants to expand out, and build new IP, but yet again I ask... teen-Vampires? Why? Who thought this was a good idea?
It seems that at this stage in the game, even new ideas are rehashed old ones. Okay, you don't believe me? Here are a few facts for you:
- An Open-World Co-Op Shooter? Old.
- Teen-Vampires? Old.
I'm not saying that Redfall is going to be bad. Let's make that super clear: I don't know if it will be good or bad. It could go either way. My confusion is not whether Arkane will do a good job - I'm sure that as teen-Vampire FPS Co-Op Open World Games go, Redfall will probably be good - but yet again... Teen-Vampires... Really? Why?
Not to mention the freaking trailer, guys. You would be challenged to find more cringe in such a short period of time. I repeat: Teen-Vampires... Really? Why?
Urg! Just... watch this abomination.
Yet again: it will probably be good, but I'm sorry, there's just so much disappointment running through my veins right now. It has been over a month since E3 now, and the Microsoft-Bethesda Conference featured so many fantastic games, so when Arkane took the stage, there were some pretty big expectations and... I just don't know what to think. Teen-Vampires... Really? Why?
It was a bit of a brutal moment, to be honest, and I think I'm a little traumatized from it. Okay, that might be a bit of an extreme thing to say, it's not like I just played Black Ops Cold War and witnessed Activision's insane racism in action (now THAT was traumatic). It was a new game from Arkane. It will probably be fine. What's my problem? Well, it's 2021. Not 2010.
It could potentially be the multiplayer component. What is it with fantastic single-player developers deciding to produce big multiplayer games? Why do they feel the need? It's infuriating! I want my single-player experiences. I want my Dishonored. I want my Mass Effect. I want my Uncharted. Do I want another open-world Co-Op game? No! Especially if it is a teen-Vampire game. Shouldn't that go without saying?
Arkane is are a fantastic studio, who produce fantastic games. I am sure that the same will be said about Redfall. I am sure that Redfall is going to be a fantastic piece of work, a multiplayer-game to tell our kids about. Well, maybe not to tell our kids about. But still, though. My criticisms are probably not well thought-through, and are probably just some pent-up rant after months of trials and tribulations. That's okay. I am probably wrong.
Still. Teen-Vampires... Really? Why?
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