Arkane Studio’s upcoming vampire shooter Redfall will let players slay the bloodsucking undead using both first-person shooting and careful stealth. The developer is most well-known for creating immersive RPGs like Prey and the Dishonored series, which all include stealth mechanics to some degree. While the co-op vampire shooter Redfall may seem like a departure from Arkane’s previous work, the game will apparently still contain staple features from past titles.
First announced back in June 2021, Redfall will take players to a titular Massachusetts town that has been overrun by monstrous vampires. Players will choose between four different characters, with each possessing their own skills and abilities that help them put their undead foes back in the ground. The mystical sharpshooter Jacob Boyer, the robotics engineer Remi De La Rosa, the veteran vampire hunter Devinder and the telekinetic warrior Layla all bring their own strengths to bear against Redfall’s Dracula lookalikes. Arkane Studios has assured fans that they can play Redfall solo or co-op, with multiplayer groups able to create a squad using any combination of the four protagonists.
While Redfall appears to be a fast-paced co-op shooter, Arkane Studios has revealed that the game will let players be stealthy too. Lone players can quickly become outnumbered, but they can use stealth and scouting abilities to give themselves a tactical advantage over the bloodsucking hordes. Creative Director Harvey Smith reveals that stealth can be used in Redfall to get the drop on enemies, reach strategic locations or even avoid fights entirely. Smith describes Redfall as a “stealth-enabling shooter” that combines various mechanics, like sight and hearing-based enemy AI, to create truly dynamic enemy encounters.
While there are rumors of a new Dishonored game in development, Redfall seems to carry on the series’ legacy to some degree. Arkane Studios’ most well-known franchise takes players to the fascinating and immersive fantasy cities of Dunwall and Karnaca, and Redfall seems to match their level of care and detail. While Dishonored is typically billed as a stealth series, the games include a multitude of different powers and weapons that let gamers hunt their targets however they please. Redfall promises to include some limited stealth mechanics, too, potentially making the game more similar to Dishonored than fans initially imagined.
With Redfall, Arkane Studios looks to be putting a fresh new spin on the cooperative shooter genre. Players will be able to choose between four unique playable characters and exterminate the vampire menace through either head-on firefights or tactical stealth action in a detail open world. While the game looks like a far cry from Dishonored, Redfall may actually share much in common with the beloved fantasy franchise.
Redfall will release in 2023 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
