The first hands-on opportunity for first-person shooter Redfall has demonstrated the upcoming title’s interesting blend of vampire mechanics, creative combat, and environmental storytelling. The new RPG comes from Arkane Studios, a subsidiary of Bethesda Softworks known for games like Dishonored Series, Prey, and Deathloop. Screen Rant attended a special Redfall event which featured a presentation from Arkane Studios Director Harvey Smith as well as 90 minutes of hands-on time with the game.
Once a bustling fishing town, the beach-side city of Redfall, Massachusetts has fallen into ruin due to an infestation of psychic vampires spawned by a failed attempt at immortality by the ultrarich. Consisting of two different districts, the game’s map is incredibly vast – just one Redfall district dwarfs Prey‘s entire map. The hands-on preview session began several hours into the title, and centered around a mission called “House of Whispers” that led to the mansion of an AVA founder – the company responsible for the outbreak – although players were also encouraged to largely ignore the mission and simply explore the game’s world.
Players can choose between four distinct characters in Redfall: cryptid hunter Devinder, ex-military sniper Jacob, engineer Remi and her trusty robot companion Bribón, or Layla, a med student whose blood was a catalyst for the vampire outbreak. Each one has their own specific skills, some of which recharge over time while others are fueled with psychic energy gained from vampire slaying. For example, Jacob is mentally linked with a raven who can help in battle, Devinder can teleport with a throwable translocator device, and Layla can summon her “himbo ex-boyfriend” Jason to fight for her.
Players can tackle Redfall combat in teams or single-player using not just special powers, but a wide array of weapons and environmental hazards as well. Scattered around Redfall are both the vampire-devotee cultists and the bloodsuckers themselves, the latter of which requires staking to be fully killed. There are four levels of weapons that can be found in the game which come in a variety of types besides firearms; there are also options like stake launchers and UV light guns, the latter of which will petrify vampires for easier staking. Vampires can also be killed with fire, and Smith encouraged players to use flammable environmental elements to their advantage.
The world of Redfall is littered with vile vampires, particularly in the nests scattered throughout the map. These nests cast a blue bubble over parts of the world wherein enemies are more difficult, and the area slowly expands over time until players venture through their ghostly door and destroy the heart. Players may also encounter an unsettling red mist, at the heart of which is a “repurposed” human called a Blood Bag, which can be killed to destroy the murk. Locations aren’t all negative, however – safehouses can also be found, which can be used for supplies if their generators are turned back on.
The map is full of environmental storytelling that’s further amplified through Redfall‘s overall disturbing ambiance. Whispers of vampires as players explore are haunting, and small touches like errant piano notes are the icing on the cake that really make the horror elements of the game clear. Players will get to know more about Redfall‘s world through lots of found paper, from old journals documenting survival to flyers scattered around the town’s church announcing funerals will no longer be held for the deceased.
It’s hard to get a complete picture of a game as expansive as Redfall in a short period of time, but what was shown gave a strong idea of the title’s potential. Players can expect lots of intense, creative fights utilizing a combination of weapons, powers, and the environment as they face off against the town’s many vampires and work to undo the harm of AVA by destroying the godlike creatures they created. Fans will be able to explore the eerie Massachusetts town for themselves when Redfall releases later this spring.
Redfall will release May 2 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Screen Rant attended a special hands-on event for the purpose of this preview.
