Redfall was one of the larger-scale reveals of Microsoft and Bethesda’s joint E3 conference this year. The co-op action first-person shooter game impressed with its reveal trailer, which showed off a little of what Xbox fans can expect in the aftermath of Xbox’s Zenimax Media acquisition. Redfall is one of the first Arkane Studios games set to be released as an Xbox console exclusive, and from the looks of it, fans should be excited.
Another reason Xbox fans should be excited about the release of Redfall is due to id Software’s involvement in the creation of the game. The developer is fresh off the success of Doom Eternal, and fans looking forward to Redfall may be hoping id Software carries over some of its ideas from the rebooted Doom franchise. Doom 2016 saw the series revived with great success, and fortunately for Redfall, plenty of what made Doom such a hit among fans could be translated into the upcoming title.
Redfall Should Learn From Doom’s Gameplay
One of id Software’s most popular triumphs has been remodeling the gameplay of Doom in a modern title. One of the ways in which Doom’s gameplay was successful in 2016 was through the speed at which Doom is played. The player has little option but to approach the game at full speed, stopping only to melee a stray demon. While this may be initially daunting to players new to the franchise, with a little practice player’s soon get a hold of the unique gameplay. Mastery of Doom’s movement system can lead to quite spectacular results, which is why Doom stands as one of gaming’s most rewarding titles. The movement system alone is a lot of fun and could make traversing Redfall’s large open-world a joy.
Aside from the movement system that makes Doom’s action feel non-stop, the wide variety of enemy types also adds a unique element of challenge and diversity. Each new area of Doom introduces a zone full of all kinds of enemies, some challenging, some less so. In order to not make the game too easy, there’s a fair amount of strategy that must enter into the player’s demon-killing decision-making. While tempting, it’s unwise to target the big baddies first due to the army of imps surrounding them which would soon overwhelm the player. Further, killing imps provides precious resources, which may come in handy during the big boss fights. There’s a balancing act involved in Doom’s gameplay that makes it more than just a simple shooter. Redfall’s vampire enemy types could do with a similar sort of balance.
Doom’s Ammo and Health Replenishment
It would be safe to assume that players will require a lot of ammo in Redfall, and ammo scarcity could prove to be a problem as the player progresses. Fortunately, Doom has provided the perfect framework for replenishing ammo supplies without distracting from the gameplay. The player completes takedowns in order to gather resources from enemies, with each takedown corresponding to different types of resources. In Redfall, providing a way to gather health and ammo supplies without having to scour the map from hidden drops could help to not distract too harshly from the experience of killing vampires. Fortunately, the popular way to kill vampires in fiction is with a stake through the heart, which would translate well into an in-game takedown.
On the topic of Doom’s ammo and resource replenishment methods, many of them are absolutely brutal, which is a good thing. Doom’s brutal glory kills range from splitting imps in half with a chainsaw to ripping a Cacodemon’s eye from its socket. Doom’s brutality is such that players may begin to feel bad for the demons in Doomguy’s wake, but the resources are worth any guilt the player may feel. These takedowns keep Doom feeling fresh as the game progresses. Upon finding a new enemy type, a player’s first thought will always be of what brutal killing method id Software has thought up. Beyond this, though, these takedowns and their rewards encourage the player to take a varied playstyle, which could help Redfall become more replayable.
Redfall releases in summer 2022 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.