Redfern presents an ambitious Banished-themed environment built around a large symmetrical structure with strong vertical presence and interconnected bridges. The design establishes a clear aesthetic direction and central focus but suffers from lighting inconsistencies, confusing visual cues, and limited gameplay variety between upper and lower levels. The presentation feels more suited to a larger-scale battle, with a visual design that currently outweighs gameplay depth.

Gameplay:
Matches on Redfern tend to concentrate almost entirely on the second level. The upper platforms dominate line-of-sight control and power positions, leaving the lower areas underused. There are few incentives for players to drop down or traverse vertically; adding key weapon spawns or equipment to the ground floor could balance risk and reward. The layout itself is repetitive in structure — each section of the main complex mirrors the last, leading to predictable encounters. The map’s footprint plays slightly large for 8v8 and might function better at 12v12 scale. Spawning can also feel disconnected early on, with initial placement occurring away from teammates inside enclosed spaces, which reduces situational awareness. Overall, strategy becomes one-dimensional: hold the upper level, avoid the lower. Adjusting weapon placement, varying routes, and providing more meaningful vertical traversal would add much-needed dynamic flow.

Art:
Lighting appears unbaked or artificially ambient, which flattens surfaces and prevents the Banished style from feeling grounded or believable. The heavy use of emissives near the Needler and Spike Grenade areas, while visually striking, pushes the art direction toward a “Tron-like” aesthetic instead of maintaining the gritty Banished tone. The green circular energy feature in the neutral atrium draws immediate attention but ultimately misleads players — it looks interactive yet serves no gameplay purpose. Similarly, the steam vents in front of the Cindershot spawn visually communicate that they should function like lifts but have no player interaction, which undermines player trust in environmental cues. The water section in the green-lit cove also lacks clarity; from ground level, players can’t easily read the depth or understand if the water is safe to enter. Rocks and terrain blending are inconsistent, with visible seams and material mismatches. The steam effect used in certain Banished corridors emerges without a visible vent or source, creating visual noise and confusion. These art and readability issues collectively disrupt immersion and mislead player expectations.

Technical:
From a functional standpoint, Redfern loads and runs stably, but several design oversights impact clarity and flow. The initial spawn places players in a small cave area separated from the rest of the team, limiting coordination at the start of a match. Lighting generation or baking has not been properly completed, causing depth perception and color balance issues that make navigation harder than it should be. There are currently no named locations, which makes communication and callouts difficult during organized play. While the geometry itself is sound and collision feels consistent, overall player guidance suffers due to the lighting and visual clutter. Once lighting is rebuilt and spawn orientation is improved, the technical side could match the map’s strong structure more effectively.