I originally reviewed Redeemer on the PC back in 2017 and it was enjoyable enough. I don’t think I ever completely beat it because it got repetitive and slightly boring about halfway through. Since then the game has been rebranded and re-released as Redeemer Enhanced Edition on both the PC and now out on Xbox One. I have yet to revisit the PC version but did get the chance to play the game from the start on the Xbox One and found the game surprisingly more enjoyable this time around, and I’m not sure why.
Redeemer is one of the purest button-mashing, action-brawlers I’ve played in years, combining martial arts and visceral gun play as you take on the role of a cyborg monk (two words I never thought I’d put together) in a surprisingly challenging top-down arcade experience that will test the mettle of anyone who attempts to play.
You play Vasily, a security officer for a cybernetics weapons factory tasked with torturing and executing corporate enemies. After being turned into a cyborg to enhance his job skills, Vasily escaped to a monastery and for 20 years has tried to live in peace, but his employers have tracked him down and it’s time to fight back.
Redeemer is pure arcade gaming with responsive controls (using an Elite controller) that allow for satisfying fight moves and combos and even some twin-stick style gun play, all presented from a top-down camera with just enough tilt to make things 3D. I was impressed with the varied combat and tactics available that allow for stealth attacks as well as furious martial arts hand-to-hand combat that mixes in a classic parry/counter system to keep the combos flowing. If Redeemer does anything well it’s making you feel like the ultimate badass…at least until the difficulty spikes and you are forced to slow down and actually start to strategize, especially on some of the larger brute bosses.
With several enemy types you’ll need to prioritize the oblivious wimps that can be taken out with a stealth kill versus the larger thugs who are immune to your fists of fury. You might want to disarm a few of the other classes of soldiers and unload your clips into these guys, but weapons definitely seem to take a back seat to delivering a righteous beat down. Enemy AI is aggressively difficult with line-of-sight awareness that will send them chasing you across levels until you or they are dead. I was also impressed with how the enemy works in groups, flanking and even moving through buildings to try and take you out.
The maps are large and even a bit complex at times, but their varied designs are both visually appealing and integral to gameplay, as environmental kills play a key role in the combat. While it might not always be apparent when you can use the level to your advantage, when it happens it’s quite satisfying, as these kills along with other fatalities are highlighted with a slow-motion, zoomed in views of the carnage. These moments are spaced out just right to be gratuitously rewarding without interrupting the flow of the game.
There is a nice upgrade system within the game that is fueled by Manuscripts and Tablet pickups that turn into points that can be spent on Monk and Soldier abilities. Monk upgrades include punch, kick and melee enhancements while Soldier perks go into each of the various weapons types. Physical attacks can become more powerful and you can increase combo hits while weapons can get boosted to hold more ammo, reload faster, and do more damage. Both Monk and Soldier abilities complement each other perfectly in the well-balanced combat system that also utilities environment kills and some a highly functional parry/counter/disarm system if you can get the timing down.
There are a few issues with Redeemer worth noting. The game lures you in with its insane and rewarding action for the first few chapters then things start to turn into a repetitive grind, and when you near the final chapters the difficulty spikes to punishing levels that seemed solely designed to artificially extend the game’s length. You’ll have experienced most everything this game has to offer in the first few hours, which ultimately leads to you mindless mashing buttons as the scenery changes. Arguably, the same can be said for anything classified as an “arcade” game, so this is more of an observation than a critique. One thing that detracted from my enjoyment back in 2017 was the lack of multiplayer, but the Enhanced Edition now adds local co-op so you can beat down your enemies with the help of a friend. Sadly, there is no online co-op available.
The Enhanced Edition looks amazing; much better than the original PC version although I haven’t gone back to see the new visuals on the PC yet, but the colors and lighting on the Xbox One are amazing. There is Xbox One X Enhanced support with 4K UHD graphics and the HDR really helped enhanced the definition of the darker areas of the game. The audio was fantastic with great surround effects coming from all channels and a thumping soundtrack to fuel the action.
Redeemer Enhanced Edition is a fantastic mindless button masher that only requires you to think when the difficulty spikes and you are presented with multiple and varied classes of enemies that require an almost puzzle-like solution to taking them all out. You will die…a lot, but checkpoints are frequent so you won’t have to replay much. There are still a few areas that could be refined but otherwise Redeemer is a must-have classic that puts a Kratos-like character in a top-down God of War game, and makes you (and an optional friend) feel like a total badass. For only $30 you won’t find a more violent and rewarding arcade brawler for your Xbox this summer.
