While the concept of a game being redeemable is almost always true, it is pretty anti consumer to release a game like this. it seems that they just weren't able to solidify an idea and decided that the sunk cost means they should just throw it to the consumers and recoup what they can by keeping it embargoed up to release date. I dunno I'm just tired of extremely large companies having zero accountability. Also i feel bad for the devs putting in the hard hours to create something that consumed years of their lives and it ends up as another live service with a 6 month life line before the plug is pulled.
Triple A gaming is turning into a similar industry to how the Electrical or Industrial world works. Atleast for me, bc I work as a designer and engineer. Basically I spend months or years in a big project for fabrication and installation of big electrical enclosures. When the project is done its like another tick off the list of things and a good thing to add to the resume. Triple A gaming is almost like that, doing development work and just releasing a product to a client or consumer base. Your thoughts on the project after that point are basically non existent unless some maintenance issue happens. Your just working, getting your work done, and releasing it to the client. Shame but the production style of AAA games in the last few years have just turned into churning out a product for consistent revenue.
Anti consumer... give me a break man. Make an informed decision before you buy a game. If you still go forward with it then don't complain about the consequences of your own actions.
@@hanumanbearpig Whether or not someone buys the game and regrets it is irrelevant to the point - it's still an anti-consumer practice to create and release a game that you feel is so unimpressive that you embargo the reviews until AFTER the release so that the inevitable poor reviews don't affect the initial sales as much.
@@rnickerson43 While i understand that some people dislike the game for such reasons, It is purely opinionated. I for one am having so much fun with this game. If before the game came out you felt as if it would flop in your opinion, then why preorder it. If the game flopped and you refunded it why are you still going around complaining about how you dislike the game.
I just want to say I really appreciate your channel. So many gaming channels rely on some kind of shtick or feel the need to have some over the top wacky persona. Others would not have the confidence to have such a low-key and laid back style out of fear of being "boring". But I really respect that you're not afraid to just be yourself and really go as in depth as you do.
Your dedication to quality is incredible. From what I've seen of this one, 100% sounds like it could be a real chore. Thanks for the excellent work you do
Finally. I appreciate at least one review that is not just a big rant about how broken the game is. I love that you objectively break down what is good, bad, or mediocre about this game. Keep up the good work.
I think the major reason why people are criticizing this game heavily is because it’s $70 in the US. Games need to deserve that price while this game feels like Borderlands 1 with some slight window dressing.
Exactly, they can’t just charge 70 bucks for these games but still continue to give us broken, unfinished garbage time and time again, knowing full well how bad a state the game is in, yet releasing it anyways while charging 70 bucks for it, it’s a joke that isn’t funny anymore, it’s insulting to say the least.
Not necessarily gamers but “normie” gamers. Normie gamers will blind buy the newest game without any second thought (why FIFA and Madden games still sell while they stepped up in micro transactions to worst than a Japanese mobile game.) Gamers are mostly cautious about what they are buying now.
Brilliant video. Congrats. I love the channel, the idea of it, the care you put into your reviews and how you never put yourself above the games you play. You are precise, honest, but also really respectful of both the devs and their craft. Mortismal is one of my favorite gaming channels and now, with this review of Redfall and your statement on failure, you have my utmost admiration. Really, really impressed. Thank you for your work.
It’s because many people who haven’t developed the skills to properly articulate elements that work or don’t, just bandwagon on the outrage of the day…same with “culture war” YTers. I really appreciate Mortym’s approach! It’s always a treat to see these.
But should you? Should a game with so many chances and failed examples before it be allowed the same leniency as it's predecessors? Why should this game be except from the basic principle of learning from mistakes? Why should we stay level headed when the developers are clearly fine with shipping us a broken product? Why should I respect this product enough to give it a fair chance when it's creators have no respect for me?
@@joelshajan8706 By all merits, everyone has the right to be bashing this game. Triple A price tag and it’s broken launch at launch, static cutscenes, cut costs etc etc. But still props to Mortim for being fair in this review.
Level headed? He is shilling cuz if he didn't he would get destroyed. Look at resident evil 4 remake. If you say anything Bad about it you get cancelled. So of course people will shill. Look at exclusive ace and jack frags!
@@joelshajan8706 this is Arkane’s Fallout 76, and the best games they have made (Dishonored and Prey) are miles above anything Bethesda have developed. The backlash from this pos will be far reaching and not forgotten anytime soon. I just hope they can recover as a studio, because they’ve made some of my favorite games I’ve ever played.
I have more of an issue around pre-ordering. I believe if we as consumers stop pre ordering titles then developers will ensure their products are upto scratch before they leave the studio. Developers have got lazy on-top publishers put pressure on them to release the game whether it is ready or not.
I think part of the backlash against this game comes from the fact that people are getting tired of basic mechanics and other things that should be finished BEFORE release are pushed out the door half baked. But they will slap that 70$ price on it and hope you dont notice all the wrong in it. I think the word your looking for with the combat is inconsistent.
Its unbelievable to me that you have people defending this game. When are people going to learn? How many times are we going to go through this release now, patch later process? The consumers are not beta testers, AAA games should be released when they are finished. Not released half finished and then slowly patched over time. We are paying $70 for games, and even more in other countries. We should have higher standards than that.
I think you are being very generous with your criticism of this game, considering the price tag, all the issues it has and the resources available to the studio (Microsoft money).
The best part is that he 100 percents all the games he reviews. I've seen loads of reviews where they openly admit to only playing a couple hours out of a 60 hour game and then basing the entire review around that.
Thanks for the awesome video! In this era that asks us to love or hate something instantly constructive criticism like yours seems like a rare species. One the most of important things that you mention is that the core gameplay doesn't seem broken so it's not impossible to get a less frustrating game over time.
It's amazing that you decided to complete the game, based on what I've seen. The vast majority of articles and reviews have given this game poor ratings for many reasons. As a subscriber I appreciate your commitment to what you do. I don't even have thr option to play this game and once upon a time that was upsetting.
It's not a bad game at all the gameplay is really good for the type of game it is people just accept every game to be GTA or Cod and that not realistic had a great time so far over ten hours play time and I've been gaming longer then most of u have be alive
This is a rather positive review, although I think the term "constructive" is better. However, it's still very generous since you are saying the game will be good once they fix the graphical glitches, combat balance, AI, itemization, cutscenes, vampire nests, enemy varieties, number of side quests, character uniqueness and pathfinding. That's a tall order, and realistically they are unlikely to fix most of those. Your final recommendation makes sense though, which is wait for Arkane to fix the game and for a good sale. I think being constructive helps offsets all the "OMG It's Awful" reviews (which I notice only started once the early reviews pointed out problems, i.e. the negativity is a pile-on/bandwagon effect once reviewers knew they were not being an outlier) and the shill reviews (of which there were a few early reviews). Being consistent and not swayed by what the audience "mood" is makes for a more trustworthy reviewer, and if it helps get review copies earlier then that helps us, the audience looking for a non-hysterical review.
With all the over the top negative reviews of this game playing it up for clicks, I found myself thinking “I can’t trust any of this until I see what Mortym says.” Thanks for being a level headed and reliable reviewer.
While I can appreciate the idea that "things you fail at can be fixed if you put in the time and resources particularly if your passionate about the thing", companies seldom operate like that! Just take EA's reaction to Mass Effect Andromeda, or Anthem, or just about every title released by Square Enix last year.
Yeah. On the other end you have CD Project Red who really made the effort to fix Cyberpunk after it's rather disastrous release. But you know what they say about first impressions... From this and other reviews it's clear the game is simply unfinished and was rushed to meet the release deadline. This is simply unacceptable for an AAA game at this price point and while I feel for devs working hard on the game, it deserves to fail for that very reason. If you want to release an unfinished game, use early access, not full pricing.
@@Peterski The cynic in me would refute that slightly, CDPR only stuck with Cyberpunk as long as they did, because had they failed to, had they walked away, I wager it would have killed their studio. They had years worth of DLC in the pipeline that was abandoned and a multiplayer spinoff (for some reason) that was also canned. The Witcher was meant to be a completed IP that they weren't going back to... And yet that is what they pivoted to instead of more Cyberpunk. They choose to salvage their studio and a sliver of its reputation, not to fix Cyberpunk because it was the right thing to do.
Andromeda wasn't bad in any area that was actually fixable. The actual gameplay is great, the graphics are good, the worlds look great. The problem with Andromeda was the story being mediocre, which they can't really do anything about post-launch (except maybe with DLC I guess). And the facial animations were bad, but idk if that's just something you can fix post-launch. Anthem on the other hand, that was an embarrassment.
@@Zack-vi7is If memory serves, EA announced that dlc or sequels for Andromeda were being put on indefinite pause, like 3 weeks after launch. They pulled the plug faster than anyone could have drawn up plans for story dlc that might have helped Andromeda!!! That said the smarter move would have been to never touch the Mass Effect IP again and treat it as a completed product.
I am inclined to believe the opinion of someone who has spent countless hours playing a game to perfect it as opposed to other reviewers who only play it on passing. Your reviews offer invaluable insights into a game's gameplay loop that may not become apparent without spenting a lot of time with the game. Highly appreciated!
Tbf, reviewers who only play it casually are more likely to have the experience that casual gamers have with it as opposed to completionists. So in a sense they're more relevant to most people than this reviewer is. Albeit not as accurate.
Its amazing that they not only ignored the same issues that were in their last game, but seemingly just made a Co-op Looter Shooter without even utilizing general quality of life things even their contemporaries like Dead Island 2 do such as offer an option to increase the level of any weapon with enough in game currency. Hopefully Arkane was more hampered by Executive demands or hardware limitations then incompetence, as Redfall's lows really do make Borderlands look like a masterpiece at times.
I’ve put about 6 hours in the game so far and this review is the first to align so well with my own views on the game. I’m definitely going to check out your reviews for games I haven’t played in the future.
This was actually super useful for me, good job! I have been interested in this game for months, mainly because of the setting tbh - love the New England in the fall style of it. But then all the reviews came in and I was totally put off. But... I have Game Pass, and Game Pass for PC (very high end PC) so will now be checking it out, if only for the atmosphere / vibes. If I don't like it after a few hours I can always get on with my life! Again, good job on the review!
I really do appreciate a reviewer who has actually played the full game, most of these other reviews they are like lvl 5 where the enemies are still dumb founded you're in their game. But as you said that very much changes later on, great job!
They are still dumb in the ending too ai dorsnt change and as another 100 percenter...im glad i got this for free..cause it is still not worth 50 bucks
Sure but thats not a reasonable defense for AI being shit, its not like they miss their shots more often, they are literally hardstuck by chairs and objects
New to this channel and already loving the balanced 100% evaluation style instead of the usual impulsive hate-dumping you find on so many other ones. Agreed on your take here too, you can definitely see there's a good looking and fun game to be had here beneath the imperfections, all of which are, as you correctly stated, salvageable. Please accept my subscription by way of thanks.
I have to say, this review is a testament to your work ethics, it really felt like a review analyzis as to what is good and bad about the game, if its salvageable, and taking the perspective of the devs and consumer alike without the vitriol that the internet is famous for, its good to know that there is an opinion that i can trust regardless if its my cup of tea or not, keep up the amazing work, these efforts arent going unnoticed
Really well constructed and thorough review. I played about 7 hours and I have to admit that I really don’t see this game being improved noticeably post launch: highly doubt theyre going to add animated cutscenes, better bosses and more rewarding skills. I think this is one is dead in the water (or the coffin?) and I am fully expecting a “we are moving on from Redfall and focusing on our next title” announcement early next year.
Glad to finnaly see someone making a real review & not just rushing a review after 3hours "it's bawd & that's all". Always a joy looking your reviews ^^
Thanks for pointing out the reason why the vampires can go outside when there's light in this game. Almost all the other reviewers were pointing out like if was a huge oversight
That's because they didn't pay attention to the first 5 minutes. They just wanted to hop on the bandwagon hate train and never actually gave the game a chance
Amazing job as always Mortismal! If feedback could be provided to your incredible reviews, if any, I would say that the transitions between the sections of your analysis could be smoother, because sometimes they feel a little forced. What other reviewers do, and I'm not suggesting you do that, is that between sections they show some gameplay to reflect what was just said (without the reviewer speaking, I mean!). Anyway, hope this makes sense, great as always!
Your reviews are consistently better than everyone and getting better every time I watch. I love that you include a short steam deck section in your vids and you always try to see the good in everything. I appreciate you.
What a concept to 100% a game before reviewing - no joke, I have never come across anything like this. Liked and Subscribed!! Also, I am thoroughly enjoying Redfall despite its flaws. The atmosphere and the Arkane signature is still there and feels great - awesome job with this objective review and noting artistic preferences!
I've seen so many reviews of this game where the reviewer played 5 or 6 hours and then said (justifiably) "It's absolute trash, do not buy, do not buy!" - and I think you bring a lot of perspective to the table with your review style. While the game really is in a terrible state on launch, you forced yourself to play it long enough for the good elements to have a chance to come to the surface. And that enables you to give an informed and balanced conclusion. Subscribed.
Great review I really appreciate all the work you put into them! I do appreciate you addressing the issues the game has and stating that it is not all bad. I'm sure it is important that the people who actually put the work in these games have an opportunity to see that work noticed. I think the problem a lot of people have is that you didn't say a single thing the studio wasn't already aware of. The difference between a failed video you put out and a game like this is that you have full control over what you do with it in the aftermath. The people who made this (very passionate people, I've no doubt) are most likely not the people who can decide it's fate. It was sold unfinished, they knew this. The more mild the feedback the less incentive they have to care about it and maybe fix things. If they even care about feedback, the game selling well = good enough I guess.
One thing about the combat model that seems strange to me is that while you instantly die in singleplayer, and have to respawn, in multiplayer there is a system similar to the Fight For Your Life mode in the Borderlands series: you drop to a knee for 60 seconds and can continue to fight enemies while hoping for a revive. Given how quickly enemies can shred your health farther into the game it seems rather stupid to specifically penalize those playing solo.
That mechanic is there so that your teammates can revive you. Since nobody can revive you in solo you just die. The obvious thing to do would be to scale the enemy numbers and damage according to party size. Guess we'll chalk that up as another unfinished thing
@@redsky5440 But it is aviable in borderlands while playing singleplayer. And since you can get your own revive why limit it. If it was a down state where you could crawl for help it would make sense
Finally, a review I can respect, because it isn't saturated with extreme, sensational claims. Some reviews are full of exaggerations and sometimes outright misrepresentations, to the point where it feels like they either played fifteen minutes, are just trying to go along with the crowd and repeating the same talking points, in denial about the possibility of being mistaken about a first impression in any way, or straight up making something up to fit a narrative of a game being All Good or All Bad. I don't necessarily agree with all points, but I can respect a reviewer who doesn't feel like they're gaslighting me or trying to ride a wave of me-too public opinion. And 100% at least means the player knows what they're talking about... One point of order: Vampire nests are very clearly designed to just focus the endgame grind for players chasing the high end weapons. That's pretty much what they're for. Not exactly unusual for a game with looting elements. On that note, did you actually farm for the Unrivaled blood samples, and what difficulty did you play on? Curious as to whether the oneshots are an issue on Dusk with appropriate gear to improve survivability. Personally, I bought it on Steam a day or so before launch and had enough fun that I decided to keep it. It's a bit cheaper in my country, so that helped swing it. Also, having picked up Deathloop only after the Golden Loop update... If these problems were present there, they certainly aren't now. That game is great in the final update, and combat feels nicely tuned, neither too easy nor too ridiculously difficult. So that makes me think Redfall won't stay in its unbalanced state. Oh, and as an added bonus, the soundtrack is absolutely fire and very affordable as those go on Steam. One of my favorite OST pickups in the last year.
Just subscribed. In all the videos I watched where everyone was completely bashing the game, the gameplay looked decent to me so I went ahead and tried it out. Played well on my PC (3060TI) and I’m actually enjoying it. I agree with a lot of what you’re saying. Glad to see all reviewers aren’t sycophants. I look forward to your other videos!
Underrated content by far! Seen a review, and they stated they only played the game for an hour. I have no idea how you can get the full scope of a game in that amount of time. Great work as always!
Exactly! This is not one of those rush through games. I am still playing it and I am enjoying it. The different types of vampires and how they sometimes caught me slipping is very good indeed. ✌️
Ive been jamming on this in my free time since release and i agree with much of what youve presented. My only critique of the review was your comment of playing fps on controller not being your forte. Lol. Teasing aside, thank you for the time and thorough combing youve done, and i will dig in to your back catalogue and await future reviews!
I liked your words at the end and your positive attitude. I have zero knowledge about game developing, but I wonder if all this work that is needed to improve the game is viable (read: profitable); sometimes when we ask for things in games I feel like we're demanding a ton of work hours or something that is technically really complicated. I'll also join the other comments and say that I have some doubts about the developer fixing the issues. Oh well, other games managed to do it, so why can't this one accomplish it as well. PS: the kitchen sink: a vampire's most feared enemy. That was hilarious.
It's such a refreshing take from all the "this game is rotted to the core" another plus to your 100% reviews and a testament to your integrity. This is why you are my reviewer #1!
Excellent review! I feel exactly the same about this game. As I leveled up I noticed that the world felt a little less empty and the mobs were a little faster and a little more dangerous until I actually got owned by a minor pack of vampires for the first time. I did not play death loop so I was unprepared and thought I was imagining it becoming harder because I wanted to like the game. The other thing I wanted to expand on is your affection for the art style. Not only is it good in my opinion, it is entirely sculpted. So, when you were showing footage of you fighting up the switchback later in the video, I knew EXACTLY where you were because there is so much distinctive about each location in the game.
This is the most fair review of the game I’ve seen so far. It has its issues for sure, but everyone I’ve seen saying it’s unplayable are grossly exaggerating. It should absolutely not been released yet, but the bones for a good game are there for the devs to build on, IMO.
My friend, you singlehandedly are worth more to gaming journalism than all the big media combined. Every single video that you make seems objective, in depth and well put together. The 100% you do for games should be a must for every professional reviewer, let alone huge companies that have a ton of manpower and can pool information. Please continue doing what you're doing and improving; because you're a gem that's just waiting to be found and appreciated.
Love this review! This game really needed your style of review because I feel like most others are getting turned off in the beginning of the game and not touching the end game. This game gives me similar vibes to Sons of the Forest. A great game that still needs it's systems to be fleshed out. The big difference there is that Sons of the Forest is labeled as early access and only cost $30. Whereas Redfall is labeled as feature complete and cost $70.
It costs WAYYYY more, considering the DLCs with additional characters. You will need spend over $100 for all the content. Game is a broken mess and not up to AAA standard. Honestly, Arkane should take the L on this one and just move on to making Dishonor 3 or a new IP. I'd rather them doing that than spending the next 2 years fixing a game that was DoA.
As an aside, I do love reading comments on Reddit constantly asking about your process, despite you explaining it in nearly every video. Appreciate the work as always Mortym!
You're the most honest critic I've ever found on youtube and probably in all media. Most of the critics just slams this game to the ground. A triple A title such as this should at least put more on the table. I wouldn't mind they doing 1st person cutscene or making a Dead Island style cutscene where all the characters shown up to progress the story...but I doubt they would rework the cutscene or change how the story would be told. also at this point, I'm not sure if they would release the promised content for bite back edition. shame, I do like the game story and the concept.
I appreciate your mature, logical review. Instead of saying it's garbage, all of the developers of this game should be fired etc, you say it is a good game underneath the bugs and glitches. Outstanding job. New subscriber after watching this.
