*Bad* -Your AI companions are brain dead and frequently get caught on things (doorways, various objects, etc.) forcing you to micromanage them at times. They also sometimes use their most powerful and costly abilities on trivial enemies. -The point and click mechanics are clunky. -Combat can be frustrating when fighting small enemies as you end up clicking everything but them. Also, no auto-attack. *Neutral* -Periodic bugs but they're only frustrating, not game-breaking (I.E., no crashes, BSOD, etc.). -While not necessary, if you want to have a much better experience then you'll need to install several mods (there's a vtmr subreddit that helps with this). -The game was developed in the early 2000s and as such, it's actually hard. -The graphics. As of the date of this review the graphics and cut scenes would be considered dated, but in 2005 they were likely top shelf. That said, even now they definitely get the job done. -Relatively linear gameplay. *Good* -Simple to use in-game console to give yourself items, XP, etc. which can easily mitigate the difficulty (if the game proves too challenging). *Excellent* -Audio. The soundtrack is amazing. The background ambience is amazing. The sound effects are great. The voice acting is superb, every actor and actress fits their role brilliantly. -Story. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any game I've ever played that has a better story, although there may be a couple that tell comparable tales (and I've got 437 games on another platform alone so this is saying something). It's just so good. The main driving force are the characters of Christof and Anezka--in any medium, their tale would be phenomenal but for a video game it's absolutely Top Tier. *Comparisons* Swan Song: Even with dated graphics and clunky gameplay, Redemption is in another league entirely. Bloodlines: BL has better graphics and the gameplay isn't as linear, but Redemption has a much better, much more emotionally gripping story.
