E3 2021 certainly had many surprises up its sleeve, and one of which is the new cooperative shooter, Redfall. Going off from the trailer, Bethesda and Arkane Austin certainly put in a lot of work on the game. It will be released sometime next year, and fans already can’t wait for the official release. If you’re already looking forward to the game, here’s what we know so far so you know what to expect out of this interesting game.
What Is Redfall?
Arkane has been rumored to be developing a vampire game for quite a while. Now, in this year’s E3 2021, we finally have the first look into the project named Redfall. The trailer for this new game was surprising and exciting to watch as it unveiled new settings, foes, and characters. According to co-creative director Ricardo Bare, the game focuses on world-building and innovative gameplay mechanics.
In a nutshell, Redfall is a vampire apocalypse cooperative shooter game by Bethesda. The trailer itself might not give a glimpse of how the gameplay works. However, it does give us glimpses of the four playable characters we’ll be more than familiar with upon release. Moreover, it also showcases the abilities each character has to fight off enemies.
On the other hand, the trailer also reveals a lot of different types of vampire foes we’ll encounter during gameplay. With all of these combined, the game somewhat gives off Left 4 Dead feels in a nice vampire wrapping.
Apart from these, there’s not much to go off of just based on the game’s trailer. However, Bethesda did provide more details through interviews and Redfall’s reveal page. We’ll talk more about that later.
What We Can Expect From Redfall
Redfall PC will be coming out sometime in the latter half of 2022. Despite how far off we are from the game’s actual release date, we already know a lot about the game. Of course, the details are still a little vague in terms of the nitty-gritty of what we’ll encounter. However, we do know enough to excite us for its upcoming release. Here’s what you can expect in terms of Redfall’s story, gameplay, characters, and more.
Story
Oftentimes, a game’s story acts as the heart and soul that drives its creation. However, there are times where games only focus on unique and interesting gameplay mechanics rather than the story. In Redfall’s case, the story will probably act as a sort of inciting incident that explains the game’s premise.
Unfortunately, we still don’t know a lot about the Redfall Arkane Austin developed in terms of story. The trailer gives us the bare minimum: we just got an idea of the setting, characters, and gameplay. As for what goes down behind the scenes, the details are scant.
Thankfully, Bethesda did give us a few bread crumbs in terms of the basic plotline. Redfall’s reveal page gives us quite a few interesting details to work with. Redfall is the name of the island town that the game is set in. Before the chaos, it was known for its quaint streets and charming neighborhoods. However, the vampires robbed Redfall of its former glory and ruined everything.
These vampires aren’t what you might be familiar with in classic literary works. Dracula or Twilight’s sparkling bloodsuckers don’t even look similar to the Redfall’s vampires. That’s because Redfall’s vampires don’t merely suck blood. Instead, they’re more like scientific experiments that went haywire.
According to the reveal page (and a hint from the trailer), these vampires can block the sun with an eclipse. That’s an interesting detail to know because it isn’t a power we’re used to seeing in vampire-related fiction.
Characters
One of the most interesting elements of a game is arguably its characters. The ones you play usually make a big impact on the story and gameplay. How they experience the world and its intricacies are usually a big part of how games create impact.
However, multiplayer games like this one rarely focus on character development and story. That’s because cooperative shooters usually focus on gameplay mechanics and the fun of how you play. Nonetheless, characters still do play a role in the story and the world, especially since they come with unique abilities.
In this case, Redfall provides four main characters you can choose from to play as. Like we said, each character comes with a different backstory to draw you in. Moreover, each character’s skill set is useful in different ways and can help defeat foes through various methods. It’ll all depend on your style of gameplay and your team’s strategy. Without further delay, here is the list of characters (with their abilities) that you can choose from.
Devinder Crousley
Modern media has been keeping up with the times and Redfall is no exception. One of the characters in Redfall, Devinder Crousley, has a pretty modern backstory. His job is a professional influencer but has a focus on cryptozoology and paranormal investigation.
Devinder initially came to Redfall to document and broadcast the paranormal activity within the area. However, he isn’t simply an influencer that holds a camera (what kind of a crummy skill would that be?). That’s because Devinder also likes to invent and create weapons for fighting. Hence, he’s probably going to act like a weapon modder within the game.
Jacob Boyer
Another character we know about in Redfall is named Jacob Boyer. He’s a little unique because he’s the only one with a “Vampiric Eye” thanks to the vampire attack. Moreover, he also has a special raven companion to help him during his fights. These abilities combined make him the group’s best sharpshooter.
Layla Ellison
One of the characters you can play as is Layla Ellison. She’s a graduate of Redfall Technical University with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. Sounds important, especially for this scenario, right? Moreover, Layla also had some experience working at a local research organization called Aevum Therapeutics.
However, she lost her regular life when the vampires took over. All she remembers before the vampire attack was a disaster that struck in the company’s facility. Now, she wakes up to having purple telekinetic abilities, like a mage that can move objects with her mind.
Remi De La Rosa
Lastly, we have Remi de la Rosa. Remi is probably the only one with the most fighting experience before Redfall was attacked. Before coming to the island, she used to be a combat engineer and special rescue operative in the American Navy. Moreover, she is a genius who was able to build herself a robot companion to aid her in battle.
Setting
We already know that Redfall’s setting is in, well, the island of Redfall. However, it wasn’t clear from the trailer whether or not the game would follow a linear path. According to Bethesda, Redfall seems to be an open-world game that you can explore. The town will be dynamic and change every time you play the game.
All of these things can help the game feel more alive and meaningful. The evolution of the island might be connected to the vampires’ evolution, too. However, we’re not exactly sure about the specifics.
General Gameplay
As you might know, Redfall is a game developed by Arkane Studios. Hence, it wouldn’t be surprising for it to play much like their older titles. The game features an open-world setting that you can explore to your heart’s content. You can collect items, customize your tools and gear, and even upgrade your abilities as you play.
Like other cooperative shooters, the game should allow for flexible strategies when you play the game. Whether you choose a head-on action-packed strategy or a strategic, stealthy one is entirely up to you. However, the game’s developers note that the game is always evolving and changing. Hence, the choices you make will matter to the overall experience.
On the other hand, while the trailer emphasized vampires as your main opponents, they’re not the only enemies you face. Redfall also adds human cultists to the mix, increasing the number of problems your team has. These cultists worship the vampire monsters to save their own skin and maybe to join the enemy team.
Other Gameplay Details
Redfall might not be dealing with zombies, but the enemies are still considered undead. Moreover, the game also deals with lots of common elements from other games like cooperative gameplay and fast-paced action. Hence, you might draw similarities from games like Left 4 Dead.
It’s not a surprising thing to make comparisons between the two games. There are certainly many similarities between Redfall and Left 4 Dead. For instance, there are multiple types of vampires in Redfall that have different abilities and methods for thwarting your team. The Angler, which uses a telekinetic harpoon to drag teammates away, was one of the most notable types that L4D vets will be all too familiar with.
Despite all these similarities, Redfall maintains its own identity through its unique elements. For example, one of the most prominent mechanics in Redfall is the immersive sim heritage, similar to Dishonored’s possession ability.
According to Bethesda’s Pete Hines, Redfall aims to stay consistent and logical just like Dishonored’s gameplay design. How those abilities manifest and are utilized within the game should also remain consistent and coherent. You can see this already played out in the trailer when Layla propels Jacob to the rooftop with telekinesis.
On the other hand, Bethesda also mentioned that the vampires in Redfall are continually evolving. They’re changing constantly and, although we haven’t seen it in the trailer, this will certainly play a role later on. Whether this means your foes become more powerful or nullifies your abilities as the game progresses is uncertain.
Solo vs Multiplayer
According to the description, Redfall is mainly a co-op first-person shooter. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t play the game when you’re alone. Pete Hines mentions that you can play as a single player in his interview with Gamespot. Hence, players have the option to do things on their own or play with friends.
However, we’re not yet sure how Redfall will feel in single-player mode. There was quite a large focus on teamwork and the game is cooperative. Perhaps you might be allowed to swap between characters during games when you’re playing in single-player mode? We’re not sure. It could also entail the use of AI at your command. Regardless, we’re looking forward to how Redfall executes single-player gameplay in a mainly cooperative game.
Platforms & Release Date
When is the game Redfall going to be released? Unfortunately, there is no precise date yet on when Bethesda will release Redfall. However, we do have an estimated time frame. According to the trailer, Redfall will launch sometime in the summer of 2022.
The target release date is a long time from the current date. Moreover, with the pandemic still going strong, it wouldn’t be surprising if the release date gets pushed back. Hence, don’t expect Redfall to release exactly during summertime. As for the price, that’s also still up in the air at this point.
The game’s launch date is still a long way off, so pre-orders aren’t out just yet. However, you’ll likely be able to pre-order the game once summer 2022 is just around the corner. Let’s just hope that Arkane Studios does a diligent job and stays on schedule.
Which platforms will have the game, you might ask? Well, one thing’s for sure: Redfall will be coming to the Xbox Game Pass from day one. Moreover, it will also be available on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. If you don’t have an Xbox, don’t worry; it’ll also launch on PC.
Conclusion
Redfall is Bethesda’s new upcoming first-person cooperative shooter. The game takes place on the island of Redfall, Massachusetts, where a vampire apocalypse is running amok. Players have the option to choose between four characters, each with unique backstories and abilities. The game focuses on cooperative gameplay but can also work in single-player mode. While the game will only launch later in 2022, fans are already excited thanks to the promising trailer. Only time will tell whether or not that excitement will pay off when Bethesda officially releases the game on PC.
