Open-world co-op games are a dime a dozen, and Arkane Studios' vampire-hunting shooter Redfall has the potential to be one of the best. Arkane is known for crafting immersive sci-fi worlds and giving players a set of weapons and abilities to get as creative as they'd like when exploring the world or fighting enemies. Redfall looks to expand upon some of the best elements of the studio's past titles and provides players with unique abilities and customizable weapons and gear to play the game however they'd like.
Arkane seemed to struggle a bit in marketing Redfall early on, as most gamers thought the game simply looked like another Left 4 Dead or Back 4 Blood. The developer has since clarified that Redfall plays more like Far Cry than a zombie wave shooter, which seems to have worked in the game's favor. With various developer interviews and further gameplay details emerging since then, it seems Redfall could expand on Arkane's signature style with a massive open world and four playable characters with diverse abilities.
Redfall's Characters Encourage Experimenting With Builds
Each of the four character classes in Redfall has its own unique story, style, and skill trees that allow players to experiment with different builds. For starters, there are three active powers that players can choose to level up in different ways like increased damage or radius. Some of the active powers shown so far have been a psychic umbrella shield, an electrifying javelin, or a robot companion, to name a few. Additionally, players can choose to grab various passive abilities and traditional upgrades like inventory expansions for medical supplies and lockpicks.
The weapons of Redfall consist of traditional shotguns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles, but there are also weapons specifically for vampire hunting. There is plenty of loot to acquire around the world, each with randomized traits and bonuses that benefit different characters and play styles. Players will need to closely examine the traits of each weapon they acquire to determine how it fits with their build. With a large assortment of randomized weapons that partner with various character builds, Redfall begins to sound a lot more like Borderlands than Far Cry.
Combining the vast, open world of Far Cry with the four-player co-op and class diversity of Borderlands sounds like a winning combination. Plus, where Borderlands has struggled to create an engaging story and Far Cry has struggled to innovate in its world-building, Redfall may solve both of these problems. Redfall was made as a single-player, story-driven game in typical Arkane fashion, but it is also a co-op game, so it's likely to take some interesting turns along the way. As for the world itself, the supernatural elements help it stand out and lead to some interesting gameplay elements.
Within Redfall's open world are mysterious areas known as Nests, where powerful vampires have caused reality to warp around that space. Nests have a level of procedural generation to them, so they could end up adding a ton of replayability, especially for those wanting to attempt them with different characters. Arkane Studios' games tend to offer many secret areas that often reward players for creatively exploring the environment. With the different traversal skills available, there could be plenty of opportunity for players to discover hidden areas and potentially even secret Nests.
The character customization available in Redfall could end up being one of the game's standout features, leading to more replayability and character build diversity. What began as a concern for yet another zombie wave shooter has blossomed into one of Microsoft's most-anticipated releases of the year. Redfall will be featured at the Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct on January 25, 2023, so fans can expect to learn more about the game, along with a release date, then.
Redfall releases in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.