If Bram Stoker could see the ways that vampires have evolved since his novelization, he would likely be as impressed as he was shocked. The bloodsucking monsters have long found their way into video games as well, with titles like Vampyr and Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines putting players into a vampire's shoes. Now Bethesda and Arkane are introducing their own spin on the vampire genre with the upcoming Redfall. It will put the player in the titular city in Massachusetts as a part of a four-player squad that is trying to get out the truth about what's happening in the small island town.
The Redfall player will be able to play alone or have the option for up to three of their friends to join them. Similar to other squad multiplayer games like Left 4 Dead, the player and their teammates will choose from a cast of four characters. The names of the playable characters in Redfall are Devinder Crousley, Layla Ellison, Remi De La Rosa, and Jacob Boyer. Each character was given a brief moment during the trailer at E3 2021, and their individual personalities shined through.
Devinder Crousley: Cryptozoologist
Devinder Crousley has many talents, be it writing books on the existence of cryptids or putting together some new invention to his work easier. After years of being scoffed at, Devinder finds himself in Redfall right as the town comes under threat from the vampires. The years of studying cryptozoology and creating traps for those supernatural creatures finally pay off when he uses what he's learned against the encroaching threat of the bloodsuckers.
Layla Ellison: Telekinetic
A researcher from Wisconsin, Layla Ellison was working at the Redfall Technical University studying biomedical engineering when she volunteered to take part in a medical trial at Aevum Therapeutics. During that trial, something happened to Layla, and now she has the power to move, create, and empower objects through her telekinesis. In the Redfall trailer, she can be seen using her powers to create an elevator for herself and Jacob, and then she pushes an energy force through her umbrella.
Remi De La Rosa: Combat Engineer
The tense action happening in Redfall is only the most recent battle in Remi De La Rosa's life. As a combat engineer, she's been on the frontlines of fights across the world, helping those in need as a member of the Navy. Now, trapped in Redfall during a vampire apocalypse, Remi is the one who might need some help. She'll get it from her robot partner and new friends, as they try to save every last survivor around Redfall.
Jacob Boyer: Sharpshooter
Jacob Boyer is a ghost, sneaking from one shadow to the next as he silently takes out his prey. As an ex-military sniper, Jacob has been down a dark path that has made him into the watchman he is today. In tandem with his raven partner, he'll do everything he can to try and take down the vampires that now lurk the streets of this small town.
This cast of characters is sure to have plenty of interactions with each other in the world of Redfall, so players will be able to really learn what makes each character tick. Hopefully, Redfall works more like a Borderlands four-player squad with ability upgrades, diverse weapon loadouts, and some more depth to each survivor outside of what was shown in the trailer.
Redfall is planned to launch in summer 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X|S.