Game news Redfall: Xbox exclusive would be “closer to Far Cry” than Left 4 Dead according to its creators
Expected for this first half of 2023, Redfall continues to reveal itself little by little. After the first images shared by Microsoft and Arkane, the vast majority of the gaming community compared this app to co-op shooters like Left 4 Dead. A mistake according to the creators of the game.
Arkane’s new project
Microsoft will finally offer real exclusives this year, starting logically with the release of red fall. Arkane’s new software, to which we owe Dishonored, Prey or even Deathloop more recently, should act as a small revolution for the studio. More ambitious than its predecessors, Redfall should offer an open-world coop shooter experience, while a compromise between these two genres was too difficult to make according to studio director Harvey Smith.
We probably should have chosen between open world and cooperative multiplayer. But if Redfall hits the level of quality we’re envisioning, then it’ll be an entirely different beast. It’s really great, the game really offers a lot of cool things. – Harvey Smith, director of Arkane Studios Austin
Soon after the reveal of the game, a large number of members of the gaming community compared the software to Left 4 Deadreference of the co-op shooter. A “totally understandable” comparison according to the game’s creative director Ricardo Bare, but nonetheless misleading. For him, Redfall is closer to a title like Far Cry.
It’s completely understandable that someone would come to that conclusion. There are four playable characters, you can play co-op and fight undead. However, in terms of how to play and experience Redfall, it’s not like those games at all. Redfall is closer to Far Cry. – Ricardo Bare, creative director
A rich open-world…
If Redfall was closer to Far Cry than Left 4 Dead, it would probably be for its open world. But where Far Cry mainly offers exotic settings, Redfall would offer more familiar territory, anchored in Massachusetts in the United States. A novelty for Arkane, which usually sets out to create a more original environment – the city of Dunwall for Dishonored, the Talos I space station for Prey or even the sixties-inspired island of Blackreef for Deathloop.
When we started Redfall, we wanted to achieve a familiar place for the first time. We wanted to take a familiar setting and explore it in depth. Redfall Island is a place where, after hours of exploring, you feel like you know it the same way you know Talos or Dunwall. When I said we wanted to “stretch”, this is what I meant: What happens if we take all of our experiences – and our creative values - and put them together in an open world? – Harvey Smith
Redfall would bet above all on its open-world – ambitious, rich, immersive and addictive. A co-op shooter that goes off the beaten path of the genre to offer an unprecedented experience, defined by its permissibility. Follow a series of main or side quests, browse the map, fight freely… the choice would be left to the players.
We have a main base where you can talk to NPCs and do side quests. You can also walk up to the mission table and choose story missions. Or you can also completely give a damn and go outside; choose a direction, shoot anything that moves, and navigate the living world we’ve created. – Ricardo Baré.
…and vast
Not only rich in activities, the open world built by Arkane should also be vast, without reaching the size of current open worlds. The studio prefers to work on the density of its world rather than its width to offer a variety of situations and buildings. In addition to a day/night cycle, the Redfall map is divided into two parts: an urban first, inspired by “small” East American towns, and a more rural second, with crop fields, farms and vegetation.
I think eventually we will return to more compartmentalized immersive worlds. But we wanted to know what discovering an open world would look like according to Arkane and see where every little road would take you. You’ll want to see if you can fit into a barn you’ve spotted, or climb up a watchtower you can see on the horizon. Or go into a house to read all the notes inside. (…) Some of the highlights of Redfall come from exploring, soaking up the world around you, and being caught in the thick of the action at times. This is the atmosphere that we wanted to transcribe from the beginning – Harvey Smith
Compared to the open worlds of the Far Cry license, the Redfall open world would be much smaller. For example, it does not include any vehicle. A conscious creative choice that allows Arkane to build an immersive horror atmosphere.
In terms of freedom, there is everything you would expect from an open world, however Redfall is a game that is played “on foot”. The scale and rhythm are slightly diminished in this sense. We want you to sneak through a cornfield after dark in the fog, while you hear vampires whispering in the dark. Maybe you’ll spot a farm in the distance and sneak inside, only to stumble upon fanatics and survivors in need of rescuing. That’s the kind of vibe that Redfall has. – Ricardo Baré
Redfall is expected for the first half of 2023 on PC and Xbox Series.
