Game 10 of 2024 - Redtape

Redtape

Developer: Pollaris Studios
Publisher: DreadXP
Platform: PC
Genre: Adventure

Difficulty: Easy
Hours: 1.5

Finished: Yes
Final Rating: 6.5/10

You're an angel that has fallen to Hell under mysterious circumstances. The question is - can you be a good enough worker bee to ascend the corporate ladder and maybe even uncover a vast conspiracy that threatens Hell's very existence? Yes, you can, and it's not particularly difficult or time-consuming.

Biblical angels go pretty hard.

My playthrough of Redtape was about 100 minutes, most of which is walking around doing fetch quests. The idea is kinda cool and I loved the art style which is very reminiscent of early 90s 3D games like Doom or Daggerfall. Hell's denizens are a strange mixture of what I think is a mix of royalty free and classic art. It's neat to look at.

Aristotle is sick of being Hell's receptionist.

As far as gameplay goes, there's not much here. You're pretty much just fetching things for Hell's higher ups and letting the story unfold. The problem is that there isn't that much story to experience. It's not that funny or well-written; it's just kinda... there. Which is fine, this is a niche game made by a small team for a low price and I have a great deal of respect for that.

There's also a minotaur. No, you don't fight him.

My major issue with the game was the end. The end is a an absolute bullshit parkour sequence in a courtroom where you dodge attacks while Hell's lawyer finds you evidence to hand to The Gamemaster (God). Does that sound cool? Well, it isn't. It's unbelievably frustrating. If Hell was a real place it would consist of this awful parkour sequence over and over again, so if Redtape was trying to convey that experience then mission fucking accomplished.

Redtape has its moments but it's hard to recommend. There's a lot of potential here, though, so I'm glad I gave it a shot. Despite my issues with the game, I love that developers are making this weird niche stuff, and I will continue supporting them as weird niche games are sort of my thing.