The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard

About

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard is an action-adventure game set in the Elder Scrolls universe. Players control Cyrus, a Redguard warrior searching for his missing sister in the island of Stros M'Kai. The game combines real-time combat with puzzle-solving and exploration in a third-person perspective.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard screenshot

65%

Audience ScoreBased on 125 reviews

story27 positive mentions

gameplay6 negative mentions

The game features an engaging story with memorable characters and a well-crafted narrative that immerses players in the Elder Scrolls lore.
The dialogue is rich and well-voiced, adding depth to the characters and enhancing the overall experience.
Exploration and puzzle-solving elements provide a rewarding gameplay experience, allowing players to interact with the world and its inhabitants in meaningful ways.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and technical issues, making it frustrating to play, especially on modern systems.
Controls and combat mechanics are clunky and outdated, leading to a less enjoyable gameplay experience compared to other titles in the series.
The linear gameplay and lack of RPG elements, such as character progression, may disappoint fans expecting the open-world freedom typical of the Elder Scrolls franchise.

story
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
62%
4%
The story of "The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard" is widely praised for its engaging narrative, centered around Cyrus's quest to uncover the mystery of his sister's disappearance amidst political intrigue and ancient lore. Players appreciate the well-crafted characters, witty dialogue, and the rewarding exploration of the island of Stros M'kai, although many express frustration with technical issues that hinder gameplay. Overall, while the story is compelling and adds depth to the Elder Scrolls universe, the game's numerous bugs and crashes detract from the overall experience.
- “Cyrus's inner conflicts and his quest to save Iszara and the larger drama at hand surrounding the Imperials is gripping to say the least, and the story's climax is amazing.”
- “The story is filled with interesting characters, witty dialogue, and a strong sense of purpose, making it one of the more narrative-driven Elder Scrolls games.”
- “The plot is engaging, weaving political intrigue and ancient mysteries into a narrative that immerses players in the world of Tamriel.”
- “There's a set path to follow, with limited opportunities for free exploration or branching storylines.”
- “The game crashes constantly, particularly when doing mandatory objectives such as picking up quest items.”
- “It's an unfortunate by-product of rushed development that led Redguard to be filled with bugs, mostly ones that cause the game to crash, which is a damn shame as if you enjoy the old Tomb Raider style gameplay then it's one hell of a game. The story isn't perfect but it's certainly enjoyable and much better than recent Bethesda games.”
gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
70%
16%
The gameplay of "Redguard" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its fun adventure elements and puzzle-solving aspects, while others criticize its linear design, slow controls, and lack of traditional RPG mechanics. Although it offers a unique narrative and setting within the Elder Scrolls universe, the gameplay is often described as primitive and buggy, which may deter fans expecting deeper mechanics. Overall, it shines in storytelling but falls short in gameplay execution, making it more appealing to those invested in the lore rather than gameplay enthusiasts.
- “The overall adventure gameplay is very fun as well.”
- “This type of discovery and puzzle-solving gameplay extends to the dungeons, which have more traditional puzzles.”
- “Gameplay mechanics, while unconventional by today's standards, offer a refreshing break from modern RPG norms.”
- “Of course, it is still an Elder Scrolls game, so play it for the lore, not the gameplay.”
- “However, its linear nature, clunky controls, and simplified mechanics may not satisfy all fans of the franchise.”
- “While the game offers a unique setting and intriguing storyline set in the Elder Scrolls universe, it falls short in terms of gameplay mechanics and technical issues.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
50%
12%
The music in the game is a mixed bag; while many praise its swashbuckling soundtrack and immersive voice acting that enhances the adventurous atmosphere, others find it repetitive and overwhelming, especially during extended play sessions. Some players appreciate the variety in melodies, from haunting tunes to lively tavern beats, but note that the lack of volume control and limited selection can detract from the experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's charm, though it may become maddening for some players over time.
- “The musical score is notable, with a rousing, swashbuckling soundtrack that fits the game's adventurous tone perfectly.”
- “The soundtrack is a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere with melodies that range from haunting tunes in ancient ruins to lively beats in the local taverns.”
- “The music is fantastic and adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The music can be maddening at times, when you've been playing for too long.”
- “Firstly, with the music being consistently loud and repetitive, over and over again, combined with the cut scenes and conversations that drag on for hours with meaningless jabber, it leads us nowhere and says nothing at all.”
- “The music also doesn't have much variety, and at least my version didn't have working volume controls.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The graphics of the game are generally considered outdated, with low-resolution textures and blocky models that may deter modern players. However, the vibrant art style and rich world-building, particularly in the beautifully designed setting of Stros M'kai, still manage to create an enjoyable atmosphere. While technical limitations and frame rate issues are noted, the game's unique aesthetic and creative design elements are appreciated by some players, making it a nostalgic experience despite its graphical shortcomings.
- “Rich setting and world-building: the game takes place in Stros M'kai, a beautifully designed island with a distinct aesthetic that captures the essence of Hammerfell.”
- “The detailed environments and vibrant art style make exploring the island a pleasure, even if the game world is smaller compared to other Elder Scrolls titles.”
- “Graphically, Redguard may not match today's standards, but its art design remains impressive.”
- “Aged graphics and technical limitations: the graphics are quite dated, which can be a barrier for modern players.”
- “The game is based on an antiquated engine with tank controls and ugly graphics.”
- “The overall design and creative layout of the game is fine, however poor frame rate stutters bog down the gameplay severely due to rendering/graphical issues with the age of the engine itself.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that can lead to a frustrating experience, reminiscent of early problematic releases like Fallout 76. While it offers an intriguing dive into Elder Scrolls lore, the overall gameplay is hampered by these technical problems, making it more advisable to watch a playthrough than to play it yourself.
- “This game, although beatable, is incredibly buggy.”
- “Holy hell this game is buggy, almost as bad as release Fallout 76.”
- “If not for the constant and game-breaking glitches, along with terrible controls and combat, this game would not be the mediocre middle-ground between Daggerfall and Morrowind that it is now.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its ability to immerse players in a captivating narrative, enhanced by a standout soundtrack that complements various settings. Despite the primitive gameplay and some frustrating mechanics, the richly crafted environments, engaging dialogue, and unique art style contribute to a nostalgic and mysterious ambiance that keeps players invested. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a significant strength, overshadowing its dated elements.
- “The soundtrack is a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere with melodies that range from haunting tunes in ancient ruins to lively beats in the local taverns.”
- “Dated as it may be, I actually enjoyed the overall atmosphere and presentation of Redguard a lot, and it was one of the main reasons why I gritted my teeth through it.”
- “It has that mysterious, old-school, low-poly, foggy atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is also really well done given their graphical and financial limitations at the time.”
- “While it's not meant to be nearly as serious or grandiose as any of the main Elder Scrolls games, I enjoyed the dialogue and writing a lot, and like the art style and atmosphere.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some users appreciate its smooth performance through DOSBox, others report significant issues with the GOG version, including slow performance and frequent crashes. Despite its engaging content, the overall execution suffers from poor performance and control issues, detracting from the experience. Users suggest various compatibility tweaks, but these do not fully resolve the underlying optimization problems.
- “Thanks to DOSBox, this classic adventure runs smoothly, allowing a new generation of gamers to appreciate its charms.”
- “Everything about this game, except its execution on the performance and controls front, is really, really good.”
- “It has crunchier pixels and generally lower but more balanced performance.”
- “Everything about this game except its execution on the performance and controls front is really, really good.”
- “If it didn't suffer from the constant crashes and poor performance, I might go as far to say it's an underrated game, but alas, it has too many problems for that to be the case.”
- “I ran the Steam version of the game in the background to track playtime and actually played the offline GOG version, which still runs slowly and not great, but at least that one had the courtesy to stay running.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that grinding in the game is exacerbated by numerous game-breaking bugs that necessitate tedious workaround solutions. Additionally, certain quests can lead to frustrating scenarios, such as all guards becoming hostile, which can significantly hinder gameplay and make navigation cumbersome.
- “There are lots of game-breaking bugs that spring up unexpectedly and require extremely tedious temporary solutions.”
- “There's a point in the game where all the guards in the town become hostile. If I had activated that quest first, the world would be incredibly tedious to navigate because I'd be constantly forced into bouts with the guards.”