Let me guess: you have only the vaguest idea, if any, of what Redfall is all regarding. Is it a Left 4 Dead or Borderlands style co-op shooter, only with a vampire setting? Is it an online action game on big maps like Ghost Recon: Wildlands or even Battlefield? A games-as-a-service title, but with a bit of arcane gameplay à la Dishonored? The answer to all these questions: No, absolutely not! So let me explain what Redfall really is.
Basically, it’s quite simple: For starters, forget the talk regarding co-op. Redfall is a true story-driven single player game. There is also a co-op mode for up to four players, but it is purely optional and therefore more comparable to that in the Far Cry series, albeit a lot more sophisticated. It’s also a true open-world game in which you explore the game world, are carried through the story by main missions and complete side quests along the way. And all this in an incomparable arcane style with numerous cool special abilities and a wide variety of gameplay options that always give you the choice of how you want to solve a situation.
So much for the rough framework. Now let’s take a closer look at the details. First the story: This is regarding unholy blood experiments that have created a power-hungry vampire race in the coastal town of Redfall. Vampires have supernatural, magical powers, which is why they are worshiped as gods by the followers of an ominous cult and misused as vicarious agents for their plans of conquest. You play a kind of ghost hunter who is supposed to put an end to the brood with all sorts of tricky gadgets.
You can imagine these like the “magic powers” in previous games from developer Arkane, such as Dishonored and Deathloop. Instead of casually waving your arms to teleport to ledges and rooftops, this time you throw a kind of portal grenade – but the result is regarding the same: flup, and you’ve “beamed” yourself to the place, on that you threw. The other equipment that your character carries with them works more or less like the technical counterpart to the typical arcane powers: you use an electric antenna to conjure up lightning, which paralyzes your opponents for a short time and makes them vulnerable to a stake through the heart . Or you fog their minds for a short time and let the cult followers fight for your purposes.
Redfall: basically like Far Cry in cooler
In the process, Redfall roughly follows the usual formula for open-world games. However, the developers promise to avoid the infamous Ubisoft formulation of this formula if possible. That means: On the way from main mission to main mission you will always discover side tasks and optional activities. However, the game does not just want to overwhelm you with their mass, but rather place them in a targeted manner and, above all, embed them meaningfully in the events. As a reward, they not only provide you with valuable materials that you can use to improve your weapons and special abilities, but also act as storage and fast travel points, allowing you to gradually acquire the geography of the game world.
In general, the game world: Although this is much smaller than you are used to from the limitlessness of Ubisoft or Rockstar Games, it was clearly handcrafted down to the smallest detail and designed specifically for the gaming experience for which Arkane is famous : Instead of just falling through the door to loot the next treasure chest like a conveyor belt, it makes sense to first explore the surroundings, look out for patrolling enemies, take a detour, sneak over the roof or enter through the back door of the neighboring house.
The only worry that crossed my forehead as I played it came from the sideline activities, which over time might eventually prove too monotonous: the vampire dens, for example, which you can invade to destroy the heart of the brood, to limit their influence in the neighborhood, their random nature evoked unwelcome memories of Bloodborne’s generic Chalice Dungeons.
The vampire setting proves to be one of Redfall’s most exciting hallmarks: As you roam the streets of the town, approaching enemies announce themselves as voices in your head as they try to intimidate you with murmured threats and telepathy to your sanity bow. While Redfall is not a purebred horror game, it draws many subtle facets of horror from the mystery genre.
Especially in his style and some almost surreal events: On the beach, for example, a house-high tsunami wave rises into the sky, which seems to have been frozen in motion or was stopped in time by a supernatural force. Moments like this regularly induce WTF awe-inspiring moments that are far too rare in the interchangeable landscapes of most open-world games. In a way, the seaside vibe struck me as a dark version of the Goonies’ hometown.
Alluded to: In the estate of the vampire god
The main missions in particular seem to capitalize on all of this and are staged to the point. In the chapter we’re allowed to allude to, we’re supposed to confront a vampire god at his hilltop estate. The eerie atmosphere in the dark gangs and the constant whispering of the lurking danger are reminiscent, probably on purpose, of the legendary section in the role-playing classic Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.
However, the intrusion already turns out to be like a typical Arkane game, whose philosophy is known to always grant the player the greatest possible freedom. Shall we shoot our way through the front door with heavy artillery? Or do we stay at a safe distance for now and turn off the guards on the roofs? Arriving inside, an unexpected sight immediately presents itself: The laboratory of the former scientist, who carried out forbidden experiments here and thus mutated into a vampire god, was apparently destroyed by a supernatural phenomenon that cut through reality like a dimensional rift.
No, Redfall is not a Left4Dead clone, but a story-driven shooter, and the new trailer introduces you to Redfall’s story in more detail.
In order to uncover the mystery behind what’s going on, we have to go to a parallel world, for which the game comes up with another cool idea: we have to collect the ghostly memories of the scientist’s daughter, and then go through her dollhouse to an alternate reality of the estate to enter Imaginative moments like this cement the impression of Redfall as a game that impresses with its scenic highlights, the enigmatic story and the mystical flair and does not rely on interchangeable arbitrariness and the co-op experience.
Co-op mode: Four classes for a hallelujah
However, for the sake of completeness, let’s briefly touch on the co-op mode, as it has played a large role in the game’s marketing campaign so far. As I said: Redfall is primarily a real single-player game that you can also play with friends, but you don’t have to – and not the other way around, like Outriders, Borderlands or Left 4 Dead, which can also be played alone , but then it won’t be the same fun for a long time.
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So basically similar to Far Cry, but unlike that, it was designed with co-op in mind from the start, so it’s not a carelessly added appendage, but a multi-layered, enriching experience. For example, each player can choose from four very different character classes, which can have a strong influence on the group’s actions simply by their composition. If the developers’ ambitious plans work out, Redfall might be one of the few games that combines the best of both worlds, offering a full gaming experience for both single players and those who prefer to play in teams.
