So what did other outlets think of it? Here's the roundup so far:
Starting off on a more positive note, our friends at VGC gave the game four out of five stars - calling it a refreshing loot shooter, even if it doesn't live up to Arkane's usual standards:
"Redfall is a compelling adventure with killer combat and an atmospheric setting in which you can easily lose a weekend. Even though it feels watered down by Arkane’s systemic standards, it’s an ambitious, primarily successful experiment full of narrative nuance and unique ideas."
GameSpot labelled it "half-staked" and said it shouldn't have been released just yet:
"Ultimately, Redfall is a game that should not have been released yet. Its litany of bugs hampers the gameplay loop of exploring its world with friends, and that loop itself feels compromised by elements that are poorly executed and ill-suited to the team implementing them. I can't pretend to know whether Arkane chose to make a loot-shooter or was assigned to make a loot-shooter, but I can tell you what it feels like: one of the best game studios in the world suddenly made toothless."
Windows Central awarded it 3 out of 5 (reviewer Jez Corden also mentioned it being a "6/10") and while it called it a "serviceable" open-world shooter, it admits Arkane is "very clearly" out of its depth:
"There are far too many similar shooters out there that simply do almost everything Redfall is trying to do, only far better. Redfall struggles to grasp an identity of its own in a very noisy market. While embers of fun do exist in Redfall, it's maddening that this is the product of the legendary studio that gave us Prey. Arkane is very clearly out of its depth with Redfall."
GamesRadar+ summed up Redfall as being "rushed, unfinished, and unsatisfying":
"Redfall is ultimately not up to Arkane's usual standards. It feels rushed, unfinished, and unsatisfying to play. Single-player is hampered by a squad-based open-world shooter structure, multiplayer held back by odd decisions, and decent gunplay is marred by uninspiring mission structures. It's a confusing game, full of contradictions, and the result is unfulfilling."
And to top it off, the team at VG247 gave Redfall 3 out of 5 stars - describing it as a "bloodless imitation of Arkane's best work":
"The sun is gone. Blotted out by a pantheon of vampiric gods who, in lieu of gleaming palaces and gothic castles, have laid claim to an unassuming island town off the coast of mainland Massachusetts. Low light is provided by the UV lamps and muzzle flare of private military contractors and cultists; a little warmth by the body heat of locals huddled together in resistance. If the internet worked, your weather app would tell you to expect lukewarm temperatures at best. Perhaps that explains why Redfall is slightly underbaked."
Currently, Redfall is sitting on a Metacritic score of 64 out of 100 for Xbox Series X|S, and on Open Critic the game currently has an average of 66 out of 100 from reviewers.
