![]() The pandemic affected everyone making games, though Arkane did also finish Deathloop during the surprise 2020 lockdowns. If Deathloop was Arkane's cost-conscious transitional game, Redfall had the image of its blank check Xbox debut.Ĭo-creative director of Dishonored, creative director of Dishonored 2 and Redfall Redfall was already in development well before the acquisition too, but Microsoft appeared to be more hands-on with Redfall than Deathloop-it was announced at Microsoft's E3 showcase, was promoted as a day one Game Pass gem, and talked about in interviews like a first-party Xbox game just like a new Halo or Gears. Microsoft acquired Bethesda in 2021 for just under $8 billion, which included both Arkane studios.ĭeathloop was in its final stages of development by that time (close enough to release that Microsoft decided to honor its PS5 exclusivity window), so it's safe to assume that Microsoft had little impact in its creative direction. Such is the inherent tension of Redfall: a game that kinda sorta looks like co-op Dishonored but constantly reminds you that it's really Borderlands. Prey's Gloo Cannon or Corvo's crossbow wouldn't feel as special if you found a new one every 10 minutes that did "+5 damage." So Redfall's Diablo-style loot didn't make a great first impression with some players, especially those who value Arkane's usual approach of distinct weapons and tools with multiple uses. Tiered loot is now being crammed into all kinds of games where it feels out of place, contributing to high-profile flops like Marvel's Avengers and Gotham Knights. Developers took notice that people were playing fewer games for longer, and that the most successful games let you play with friends. (Image credit: Arkane Studios) We changed, tooĪround the time Arkane started on Redfall, making a loot game probably sounded like a great idea. ![]() Still, it represented the beginning of a move away from Arkane's roots, and we've seen repeatedly how studios can struggle when they chase current trends-Valve flunked its attempt at a card game, and BioWare its attempt at a Destiny-like shooter.Īrkane's first co-op shooter was under a lot of pressure as one of Microsoft's only big Xbox exclusives this year. But the departure worked, and Deathloop was a critical success. It had a looser structure, fewer powers than Dishonored, and featured roguelite progression that didn't gel with some players' idea of an Arkane immersive sim. Fans didn't quite know what to make of Deathloop in the leadup to its release-Arkane's descriptions made it sound somewhat like a new Dishonored game (stealth focus, powers, multiple routes through levels), but it also gave the impression of a smaller, quicker followup to Dishonored 2 than fans wanted.ĭeathloop took place on a small handful of maps that players returned to over and over again. The studio announced Deathloop in 2019, a new immersive sim with multiplayer hooks that promised to be more replayable than Dishonored. ![]() Despite plentiful critical praise, soft sales in Prey's debut week started discussions about whether it still made sense for big publishers to fund intricate singleplayer games with live service on the rise.ĭeathloop represented the beginning of a move away from Arkane's roots (Image credit: Bethesda) Arkane's games changed post-PreyĪfter Prey's release in 2017 and Colantonio's departure, Arkane seems to have started on a new course. The glaring flaws in Redfall feel like the result of a conflicted creative vision within Arkane-as if the desire to infuse Redfall with Arkane's trademark ingenuity has been drowned out by an obligation to add things that more lucrative games have, like tiered loot, granular stats, big open worlds, and multiplayer.Īlthough it was more successful, the beginning of that change can be seen in Deathloop. ![]() Redfall wasn't announced until 2021, so Colantionio probably wasn't referencing it specifically. "Because the numbers to recoup a triple-A game," he said, "you're talking about numbers that are so high that, then you're not making a game anymore, you're making a product." In 2020, though, Colantonio told PC Gamer that making smaller games at his new studio, which released the very good Weird West last year, has allowed him to "take more risks" and worry less about the market. At the time, Colantonio said he wanted to step back from game development to spend more time with family, but left Arkane and Bethesda on good terms. ![]()
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