A twelfth-century crusader crossing eight hundred years of night to find the woman he loves.

The gut choice puts Redemption ahead of only a third of games. That is low. And yet, look line by line, and the picture shifts. The soundtrack carries it ahead of 87% of titles, art direction ahead of 68%, and desert island ahead of 66%: people would gladly take it along. Rediscovery sits above average, connection and fun just below. Then the blow lands: controller feel, ahead of 8% of games, right at the bottom. There is the fracture. A game whose atmosphere, music and gothic romance stay in your head, while your hands keep a bad memory of it. These gaps rest on few votes, so treat them as a first sketch, not a carved verdict.

The mismatch is that of a year 2000 RPG judged by today's criteria. Real-time combat and handling took every wrinkle, while the mood has not aged a day. Games from the Masquerade world are remembered above all for how they feel, and on that front this one still stands.

So who is it for? For you if you love the tragic vampire, cities at night, a soundtrack that follows you after you switch off. Much less so if you cannot forgive a dated combat system.