Spoilers for Redfall AheadWhile the main draw of Arkane Studios’ vampire-filled Redfall for many players will be taking on the undead hordes with friends by their side, the narrative at the heart of the spooky shooter makes for surprisingly solid storytelling. Although some questionable gameplay choices and numerous technical bugs led to Redfall being review bombed shortly after release, players who take the time to uncover the tragic tale of the Young Woman will be rewarded with a story that has more depth than most would initially expect.
Gamers who’ve been following Redfall’s development may already be familiar with the voice of the Young Woman. Released earlier this year, the story overview trailer for Redfall was narrated by the mysterious figure, her soft-spoken southern drawl recounting the horrors that had overcome the town of Redfall prior to the start of the game. While this trailer would be many players’ first introduction to the character, it’s far from the last time they’ll hear from her as they make their way through the small, seaside city.
A Voice Calling Out in the Darkness
The voice of the Young Woman is one of the first things players hear when they start Redfall as she narrates the opening cinematic. As gamers begin to explore the neighborhoods of Redfall, they’ll discover glowing Grave Locks scattered throughout the world, which the game describes as psychic artifacts containing “locks of hair taken from a mysterious figure connected to the vampire threat in Redfall.” This bit of creative exposition on Arkane’s part lets them use the Grave Locks as paranormal audio logs, with each one revealing a new recording from the Young Woman.
The majority of these Grave Lock audio logs are exceedingly short, rarely lasting more than a few sentences, but they slowly begin to reveal more of the Young Woman’s story as players make their way through the game. A picture begins to take shape of a selfless woman whose blood contained mysterious and valuable healing properties. While much of what the Young Woman says remains somewhat cryptic until Redfall’s ending finally pulls back the curtain on the true nature of the game’s vampire invasion, her post-mortem musings on her past paint a portrait of a life torn asunder by the arrogance and greed of others.
Redfall’s Tragic Tale of Greed and Murder
Players will learn more about the Young Woman as they make their way through the campaign and begin exploring the memories of the humans who were transformed into Redfall’s four Vampire Gods. These memories reveal that, prior to becoming the powerful undead entities that mercilessly twist and torment the citizens of Redfall, the four were the founders of biotech company Aevum. Promising its patients cures for virtually any ailment, it soon becomes apparent that Aevum’s miracle drug is tied to the Young Woman.
Eventually, it is revealed that Aevum’s founders lured the Young Woman to Redfall with promises that she’d be able to help heal others, only for them to lock her away as they slowly drained her healing blood to produce their drugs. When a reporter threatens to expose the truth about Aevum and bring the company down, the four succumb to their greed and lust for power, consuming the last of the Young Woman’s blood, killing her in the process, and transforming into Redfall's Vampire Gods.
After the last of the Vampire Gods is finally defeated with the help of Aevum’s repentant fifth founder, the Young Woman, revealed to be named Grace, appears in spectral form to thank the player for freeing Redfall from the vampires that plagued it. Now free from her torment, the game closes as Grace reveals that other evils still run loose in the world and warns the player that the fight has only just begun.
Redfall is available now for PC and Xbox Series X/S.