Like many, I winced at Redfall's original announcement trailer from 2021. An open world co-op vampire FPS sounded like a strange direction for Arkane, the modern champion of the immersive sim. But co-op shooters are fun, and there were certainly glimpses of Arkane's creative flair in the trailer—its weird weapons, magical movement abilities, and expressive art style had me tentatively onboard. I thought it could surprise me.
The glaring flaws in Redfall feel like the result of a conflicted creative vision within Arkane
