Gamers are guaranteed to come across all manner of disturbing creatures during their time with Arkane Studio’s vampire shooter Redfall, from stumbling Bloodbags bursting at the seams with plasma to some genuinely creepy bosses, but the game’s hulking Rooks are the ones that seem most likely to truly leave players panicked. Summoned by Redfall’s powerful Vampire Gods whenever players start to cause too much mayhem, the sudden appearance of a Rook can leave gamers with the same sense of dread many experienced when first coming face-to-face with another iconic horror shooter enemy.
Although the two enemies couldn’t be more different in terms of their physical appearance, Redfall’s Rooks share several similarities with the Witch from Valve’s Left 4 Dead series. Much like the wailing, waiflike woman in white from Left 4 Dead, the Rook in Redfall represents an immediate threat to players whenever the massive monster appears on the map. With some unique abilities and devastatingly powerful attacks that set it apart from the other foes inhabiting the spooky seaside town of Redfall, the storm clouds that signal the appearance of a Rook let players know they’re in for a challenge.
Rooks Hit Back Like a Force of Nature in Redfall
Making his initial appearance during the Fall Like Lightning mission in the Redfall Commons map, the Rook lands on the battlefield amidst a burst of deadly red lightning. With an absolutely massive frame in comparison to the other supernatural foes encountered so far by this point in the game, it’s immediately evident that the Rook represents a new sort of threat. Capable of quickly eliminating players with his devastating melee attacks when fighting in close quarters, the Rook also has the ability to call down red lightning strikes to unleash destruction at a distance.
Making the Rook an even more intimidating presence is its single-minded nature, with the terrifying creature ceaselessly hunting down the player until it is finally eliminated. Much like the Witch from Left 4 Dead, a Rook makes for a challenging but still manageable fight when encountered on their own but can quickly become a force to be reckoned with when they appear on a battlefield already crowded with other enemies. The Rook’s penchant for overwhelming displays of violence isn’t all it has in common with Left 4Dead’s witch, though. Like the Witch in Valve’s co-op zombie shooter, Redfall’s Rooks only attack once players have drawn their ire.
Redfall’s Ever-Watchful Vampire Gods Keep Players on Their Toes
Following the first encounter with the Rook during Redfall’s Fall Like Lightning mission, players are told that the Vampire Gods are watching their actions and will summon powerful Rook Storms again if players draw their anger. From that point forward players are presented with a meter on the bottom of their screen that slowly fills each time they kill vampires or complete certain missions and tasks, with a Rook being summoned once the meter is filled.
The introduction of this mechanic requires survivors in Redfall to carefully consider their actions going forward, as the guns-blazing approach to enemy encounters that made for a viable strategy in the early game will now quickly bring down the wraith of the Rook. Co-op players a bit more leeway thanks to strength in numbers, but solo players may find themselves taking a stealthier approach as they move throughout the world to avoid killing too many enemies and summoning the Rook. Though it is impossible to entirely avoid the Rook throughout the game, by switching up their strategy players can have at least some control over how often they’ll come face to face with the Vampire Gods’ most lethal enforcer.
The Rook in Redfall is not only a fun, if occasionally frustrating, change of pace from the game’s standard vampires, but it also encourages the same satisfying risk-vs-reward approach to combat and exploration as Left 4 Dead’s iconic Witch. And while reviews for Redfall remain decidedly mixed, at least run-ins with the lightning-summoning Rook make for some truly memorable encounters.
Redfall is out now PC and Xbox Series X/S.