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Arkane Studios

so-far,-redfall’s-campaign-feels-like-a-hollow,-open-world-fps-that’s-only-partially-congealed Rock,Paper,Shotgun

So far, Redfall’s campaign feels like a hollow, open world FPS that’s only partially congealed

May 2, 2023RockPaperShotgun

So far, I wouldn’t say Redfall is a “mess”. A mess, to me, implies an excess of things that become a horrible, overwhelming tangle. Having played the vampiric FPS for a clutch of hours now, I’d say it feels more like an “absence”. Arkane’s latest strikes me as an open world shooter with a few simple strands that never seem to go anywhere. Occasionally, there are flashes of a team that – as we all know – are capable of brilliance, but Redfall has me following a path of irritation, and feeling a slight sadness for what might’ve been. Read…

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redfall-review:-a-bloodless-imitation-of-arkane’s-best-work VG247

Redfall review: A bloodless imitation of Arkane’s best work

May 2, 2023VG247

Dishonored’s magic is spread thin across a co-op open world where compromise is everywhere 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…

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what’s-the-best-game-set-on-a-horrible-island?-the-best-games-ever-show-episode-48 VG247

What’s the best game set on a horrible island? The Best Games Ever Show Episode 48

April 21, 2023VG247

The clever subtext here is that the definitive horrible island is Great Britain, hope that helps. As most of us are residents of a horrible island, we at VG247 have raised a suspicious eyebrow at Dead Island 2 for being not set on an island or, frankly, horrible enough for our liking. Which has led us to ask the question: what is the best game set on a horrible island? There are so many to choose from, as islands are a popular setting in video games: their size is naturally limited, so it’s much easier to proportion them realistically without…

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how-arkane’s-multiversal-parisian-pipedream-eventually-gave-us-deathloop Rock,Paper,Shotgun

How Arkane’s multiversal Parisian pipedream eventually gave us Deathloop

April 19, 2023RockPaperShotgun

There’s an alternate world where Arkane made The Crossing, and it’s not necessarily a better one. Before Dishonored, the developer was looking down the wrong end of a bad publishing deal which, in the estimation of founder Raphaël Colantonio, would have ended in either The Crossing’s cancellation or a deeply underwhelming end product. In that timeline, there’s no telling whether the studio would even exist today. Nevertheless, for fans of Arkane’s sophisticated and immersive first-person adventures, this lost project remains tantalisingly forbidden fruit: a foolhardy mashup of single and multiplayer in which teams of invading players would attack the protagonist…

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what-makes-redfall-different-to-other-arkane-games?-it’s-all-comes-down-to-trust VG247

What makes Redfall different to other Arkane games? It’s all comes down to trust

March 22, 2023VG247

Conversations with friends? No, this isn’t a Sally Rooney novel, but an intriguing mechanic in Arkane’s latest sci-fi romp. One of my favourite ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moments in games comes in Final Fantasy 10, just after you defeat a big machine on a lake of ice near one of the title’s multiple temples. Your party jumps onto snowmobiles – two people per vehicle – and heads towards Macalania Temple to continue its journey. You follow main character Tidus for this part of the game, but who accompanies him on the sled can vary. It can be more or…

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VG247’s The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.39: The best game that completely flopped

February 17, 2023VG247

Being the best is no guarantee of success. Just ask my bank manager. Welcome to VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 39 – The best game that completely flopped. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how good something is, it just never gets the right break, or it arrives at entirely the wrong time. An artist may die a pauper, unappreciated in their time, but be considered among the greatest painters in history in the centuries following their demise. This is a form of cruelty we call “existing”. Anyway, this is a podcast about Shenmue and things. It’s good. Check out VG247’s…

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dishonored:-death-of-the-outsider-will-be-free-to-keep-from-epic-next-week Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Dishonored: Death Of The Outsider will be free to keep from Epic next week

January 26, 2023RockPaperShotgun

Dishonored: Death Of The Outsider, Arkane’s wonderful standalone expansion following on from Dishonored 2, will be free to keep from the Epic Games Store next week. It could be your chance to complete the series, given that the giveaway follows on from Dishonored 1 and its expansions being given away via Epic at the start of the year, and Dishonored 2 being given free to Amazon Prime subscribers at the same time. Read more

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arkane-says-that-redfall-is-closer-to-far-cry-than-it-is-to-left-4-dead VG247

Arkane says that Redfall is closer to Far Cry than it is to Left 4 Dead

January 8, 2023VG247

Though it also finds the comparisons understandable. Immediate comparisons between Redfall and Left 4 Dead are understandable, but Arkane says it’s actually its take on Far Cry. Odds are, if you see a game reveal that shows off a four-play, co-op shooter, you’ll probably think ‘oh hey, like Left 4 Dead.’ That’s what plenty of us did with Redfall, but in a recent interview with GamesRadar, creative director at Arkane Ricardo Bare dived deep into some details about the game, including all those comparisons to the classic Valve title. “It’s totally understandable for somebody to come to that conclusion,” Bare…

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redfall-is-more-like-far-cry-than-left-4-dead,-says-arkane Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Redfall is more like Far Cry than Left 4 Dead, says Arkane

January 7, 2023RockPaperShotgun

In 2021, Arkane revealed Redfall, a co-op vampire slayer we immediately termed “Left 4 Red”. It was one of several games seemingly aiming to follow in Left 4 Dead’s swarming zombie footsteps – a trend we celebrated. ‘Nuh uh’, say Arkane, in a new interview with Games Radar. Redfall apparently has more in common with Far Cry than Valve’s co-op classic. Read more

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you-guessed-it:-deathloop-and-dishonored-are-set-in-the-same-universe-after-all VG247

You guessed it: Deathloop and Dishonored are set in the same universe after all

October 9, 2022VG247

Deathloop’s director Dinga Bakaba recently confirmed the connection on the Xbox Podcast. After some speculation from fans, Deathloop director Dinga Bakaba confirmed that the game is in fact set in the same world as Dishonored. Arkane’s games all tend to have some similarities here and there, being one of the few big developers to actually make immersive simulators, but Deathloop and Dishonored obviously shared some DNA in more obvious ways. But according to Deathloop’s director himself, the games are both in fact in the same world, something likely to please fans that have theorised as such. Bakaba confirmed the connection…

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prey-director-says-he-didn’t-want-to-call-it-that,-but-bethesda-insisted-it-should-be VG247

Prey director says he didn’t want to call it that, but Bethesda insisted it should be

September 4, 2022VG247

Despite sharing a name, the 2017 bears little resemblance to its namesake. According to Prey director Raphaël Colantonio, Arkane Studios was forced by Bethesda to use the name, even though him not wanting to. If you haven’t heard of Prey, first released in 2017, that’s not particularly surprising, as it didn’t do very well (though it is one of Arkane’s best games). There was also a game released in 2006 also called Prey, made by Human Head Studios, which Bethesda owns the IP rights to. And so despite the more recent title having nothing to do with the original, it…

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quakecon-returns-today-as-a-digital-only-event,-here-are-some-highlights Rock,Paper,Shotgun

QuakeCon returns today as a digital-only event, here are some highlights

August 18, 2022RockPaperShotgun

This year’s QuakeCon begins today, and it’s once again being staged as a digital-only event. The organisers say they’re committed to being an in-person event again in 2023 but for now there’s still some intriguing streams to tune into starting from 6pm BST/7pm CEST/10am PST. Read on for more info and our personal highlights on what’s happening at QuakeCon 2022. Read more

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redfall-is-making-a-30-minute-long-appearance-at-quakecon VG247

Redfall is making a 30 minute-long appearance at QuakeCon

August 7, 2022VG247

New gameplay details and more are set to be discussed. Arkane’s next vampire-ridden title Redfall is getting a 30 minute slot at the upcoming QuakeCon, as confirmed by Bethesda. QuakeCon, unsurprisingly, is generally all things Quake, but other Bethesda titles do now make an apperance, and everything is set to get started August 18 at 6pm BST, just under two weeks away. And it looks like shortly after the welcome segment that kicks things off, starting from 6:15pm BST, there will be a 30 minute slot that dives in on the not-so-idyllic Redfall (thanks, Eurogamer). “The team at Arkane Austin…

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deathloop-creators-may-never-make-a-linear-campaign-like-dishonored-again,-and-that’s-fine Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Deathloop creators may never make a linear campaign like Dishonored again, and that’s fine

July 19, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Arkane Studios’ back catalogue shows a team that’s constantly growing, changing and learning from their past – something that has never been clearer than in their most recent game, Deathloop. The studio’s latest feels at once unique and distinct – and yet clearly carries that Arkane DNA, which has been fine-tuned with each successive release. It’s an ethos encapsulated by the game’s own time loop, in which protagonist Colt Vahn relives the same day again and again as he searches for a way to break free of it – an idea that was, among other things, designed to encourage something…

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our-eight-favourite-games-from-not-e3-2022 Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Our eight favourite games from not E3 2022

June 17, 2022RockPaperShotgun

Not E3 2022 is over. It’s done. I think? I mean there’s a Nacon showcase in July but, I mean come on now, we can’t start classing events that occur outside of June as being part of the event formerly known as E3 can we? That would be preposterous. Before long it would spool out across the entire year, absorbing every month until E3 is a constant series of video events that could happen at any point. Do you want to live in a world where Geoff Keighley is allowed to drop a World Premiere at 4PM on Christmas Day?…

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