Redfall is the next game from the Dishonored and Prey devs at Arkane and not, it turns out, the subtitle for The Elder Scrolls VI. A CG reveal trailer for the game served as the big ‘one more thing’ moment at the end of the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, but beyond revealing the setting and co-op focus, it didn’t show much of how Redfall is actually going to play. While the details are still vague, some follow-up info has made what we can expect a bit clearer.
“Redfall is an open-world co-op FPS from Arkane Austin, the award-winning team behind Prey and Dishonored,” the devs say on the official site. “Continuing Arkane’s legacy of carefully crafted worlds and love of creative game mechanics, Redfall brings the studio’s signature gameplay to the co-operative action and FPS genres.”
Reading between the lines, the implication seems to be that this will be much more action-oriented than Arkane’s previous games. Immersive sims like Dishonored certainly let you get into fights, but the balance was always weighted more to encourage stealth. It sounds like the scales might tip in the other direction for Redfall, but in another release the devs mention that you can expect more “subtle” character builds, too.
While Redfall does prominently feature co-op, it will also be fully playable solo. You’ll find loot, get new skills, and clear outposts on a big open-world map, which “reacts to your choices and actions”.
FPS games with a little bit of RPG games thrown in? Not exactly a surprising combination these days, but Arkane has plenty of room to make a version of the formula all its own. Redfall is currently scheduled to launch in summer 2022.