At the Xbox Developer Direct showcase on January 25, gamers got a closer look at Redfall's side quests and bosses that its open world will be home to. Redfall is the next game to come from developer Arkane Studios following the 2021 release of Deathloop.
Arkane Studios is best known for developing the Dishonored series as well as Prey and Deathloop, all first-person shooter series known for having highly detailed worlds and stealth mechanics. Arkane is divided into two separate studios, Arkane Lyon and Arkane Austin, which both work on their own projects concurrently. Arkane Austin worked on Prey which released in 2017, and Arkane Lyon released Deathloop in 2021. Redfall's release date was finally revealed following an in-depth look at the game from Arkane Austin toward the end of the Xbox Developer Direct.
Following a presentation on The Elder Scrolls Online, Arkane Austin took the helm to give a look at Redfall's titular setting of Redfall, Massachusetts, a picturesque island town that has been overrun by vampires worshiped by human cultists. The developers put special emphasis on how side quests and bases will work in the game, giving Redfall some similarity to Far Cry, having players uncover parts of the map by fighting unique bosses that hold control over certain areas. By fighting these underbosses, players will unlock keys that will bring them closer to fighting the elite vampire gods.
Although Redfall emphasizes co-operative play, the developers affirm that all the playable characters are capable of taking on the threats that await them. Furthermore, each character will have their own tailored upgrades that players can personalize to their play style, such as the character Layla who can lift herself up in the air or absorb incoming bullets. The game will feature of wide range of traditional FPS weapons alongside new creations designed specifically to kill vampires such as attachable stakes that function like bayonets. The presentation ended with the reveal that Redfall will release on May 2 and will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.
Redfall is one of a few triple-A releases from Xbox and Bethesda coming in 2023, another being Starfield which is slated to release after Redfall. With both these titles, Xbox would have a strong footing in both single-player and co-op experiences on its platform. Redfall in particular is likely to be successful by being available on Xbox Game Pass, lowering the barrier for entry for players wanting to play the game with others. Game Pass remains one of the most popular subscription services in gaming, and Xbox is ensuring the success of its first-party titles by including them in the service.
Redfall will launch for PC and Xbox Series X/S on May 2.