Can a broken game ever be good? Not in the technical way that a faultless piece of coding can be good. Not in the usual way where the mere function of running game is the lowest expectation.
What if you take a trusted studio like Arcane and have them make someone else’s game and it is broken beyond belief? That gets more interesting.
It begins to channel different things, looter shooters before their primary development and social hooks were added. Something like RAGE, from Bethesda’s own catalogue, a neat idea with advanced textures that does come together despite id coding to the metal (they are not alike in this last way). And most clearly, it’s like Duke Nukem Forever, this instantly outdated pastiche of ideas that used to work that is thankless of the teams who have worked on it and for the players who play it.
There’s the stuff that has gone right, evidence that more things can go right. There are slices of worldbuilding which suggest an environment and beautiful places, that if stacked together as levels, would have their maximum impact. Instead, they are connected in two open world between vast quantities of empty spaces.
All the technical errors you have heard about are true. Every time you’re having fun with Redfall, it crashes. There is some fun, because Arkane are / were a deeply talented team of programmers that have made some defining games where you can path through them how you want to. There is no point here: you can go in guns blazing or the stealthy way and the same things will happen. Just don’t think about anything.
Just don’t think about how good it could have been, when you trace the edge of the map and there’s this gorgeous mountain of water suspended high in the air, or when you find a really cool multiplex with a fun mission in it, or find some really crunchy horror-themed shotguns.
Don’t think about what it would be like to play the multiplayer. The single player can hardly bare the weight of the game’s performance. Whole sections are so badly optimized the game becomes a total slideshow. Don’t worry that they didn’t design whole swaths of the game that seem like they ought to be designed.
Don’t worry because you’re in good hands with Arkane who make good games you don’t have to worry about. I remember now, that first E3 with Dishonored and how bright and happy the team was then. I think of them when I play Redfall now and hope they are still bright and happy, somewhere.
What if you take a trusted studio like Arcane and have them make someone else’s game and it is broken beyond belief? That gets more interesting.
It begins to channel different things, looter shooters before their primary development and social hooks were added. Something like RAGE, from Bethesda’s own catalogue, a neat idea with advanced textures that does come together despite id coding to the metal (they are not alike in this last way). And most clearly, it’s like Duke Nukem Forever, this instantly outdated pastiche of ideas that used to work that is thankless of the teams who have worked on it and for the players who play it.
There’s the stuff that has gone right, evidence that more things can go right. There are slices of worldbuilding which suggest an environment and beautiful places, that if stacked together as levels, would have their maximum impact. Instead, they are connected in two open world between vast quantities of empty spaces.
All the technical errors you have heard about are true. Every time you’re having fun with Redfall, it crashes. There is some fun, because Arkane are / were a deeply talented team of programmers that have made some defining games where you can path through them how you want to. There is no point here: you can go in guns blazing or the stealthy way and the same things will happen. Just don’t think about anything.
Just don’t think about how good it could have been, when you trace the edge of the map and there’s this gorgeous mountain of water suspended high in the air, or when you find a really cool multiplex with a fun mission in it, or find some really crunchy horror-themed shotguns.
Don’t think about what it would be like to play the multiplayer. The single player can hardly bare the weight of the game’s performance. Whole sections are so badly optimized the game becomes a total slideshow. Don’t worry that they didn’t design whole swaths of the game that seem like they ought to be designed.
Don’t worry because you’re in good hands with Arkane who make good games you don’t have to worry about. I remember now, that first E3 with Dishonored and how bright and happy the team was then. I think of them when I play Redfall now and hope they are still bright and happy, somewhere.