The cooperative shooter Redfall is set to be released in 2023 by the developer studio Arkane Studios Now there are more details about the open world. Co-Creative Director Harvey Smith also explained how the NPCs in Redfall fight each other.
What kind of game will Redfall be? Redfall will be a shooter with cooperative gameplay, including a story. The whole thing will take place in an open world that offers room for discoveries.
The game focuses on fighting the vampires in the place Redfall and uncovering the mystery behind their appearance.
The player can choose one of four playable characters, each with specific abilities and traits.
Behind the game Redfall is the publisher Bethesda and the developer studio Arkane Studios, known for games like Wolfenstein: Young Blood or Dishonored.
Redfall Co-Creative Director Harvey Smith offered insights into the cooperative shooter Redfall in an interview with IGN. He elaborated on what the open world in Redfall will offer:
- Environmental storytelling
- NPC behavior
- Solo exploration vs. group exploration
- Size of the open world
- Two areas within the world
Here you can see a trailer for the game Redfall:
What Smith says about the open world of Redfall
What does environmental storytelling mean in Redfall? As an important element that the developer studio has integrated into Redfall, Smith mentions environmental storytelling. This means that the environment in the game contributes to the narrative and the story.
Players receive certain hints through the game world and can draw their own conclusions about what has happened. Smith cites graffiti and the way a corpse is displayed in the game as examples.
How do NPCs behave? The artificial intelligence is also supposed to act within the story and respond to the player. It should rely on cues from the player, such as visual contact or sounds, to search for them.
Can players also go exploring alone? Redfall offers many opportunities to explore the game world, and discoveries are an important part of the gameplay.
If the player goes on an exploration alone, stealth gameplay (i.e., sneaking past enemies undetected) becomes more important. Environmental storytelling and the story come more to the forefront as well.
If the player opts for group gameplay, Smith expects the gameplay to become crazier and faster-paced.
Here you can see the 4 playable heroes in the gameplay trailer:
How large is the open world in Redfall? The player will primarily explore an urban environment on foot. Regarding the size of the game world, Smith says:
It is mostly very open. At first, it was even too open. I felt that there weren’t enough obstacles or channels, but there are very, very open roofs and alleys and streets of this little town – Redfall, Massachusetts – which is a kind of fishing community, a tourist community. Quaint, historical New England stuff with this secret takeover by vampires.
Harvey Smith via IGN
What areas are there in Redfall? The world in Redfall is divided into two areas: The first area hosts the first half of the missions. It represents the downtown area of Redfall. The second area is more rural and contains buildings such as lighthouses or churches.
How do NPCs fight each other in the game? The game contains various enemies belonging to different factions, such as vampires or cultists.
There are conflicts between the various factions in the game, causing them to fight among themselves. The player can strategically use this to their advantage.
Smith reported how he managed to pit different enemies against each other in Redfall:
- Smith walked down a street with his character (Jacob)
- Saw a vampire a bit further ahead
- Retreated as his resources and health were depleted
- Encountered a group of Bellwether Security soldiers (enemies who want to gain biotechnical insights about the vampires)
- Smith turned around again and saw cultists (enemies who are followers of the vampires) in an alley
- In a garage behind the cultists, there were two floating vampires that were asleep
- Smith (Jacob) shot in their direction and ran back to the Bellwether soldiers
- The NPCs encountered each other and fought, the vampires came into contact with UV light and froze
- Meanwhile, Smith hid and watched the others fight
- In the end, a Bellwether sniper was left who took out a frozen vampire
- As the sniper turned around, she was killed by Smith (Jacob)
What do you think about Redfall? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
If you’re interested in cooperative shooters, this upcoming RPG shooter might also be interesting for you.
