Arkane Studios has been making more of a name for itself in recent years, with popular releases and award-winning games attracting more and more attention from players and critics alike. After the success of the time-warped FPS Deathloop, Arkane's next game Redfall is garnering a lot of interest ahead of its own launch next year. The developer will undoubtedly use its expertise and the lessons learned from previous releases to help shape Redfall, even if it's a brand-new IP with its own unique gameplay.
With similarly slick aesthetics, first-person action, and a stylish and original world, both Deathloop and Redfall have a few things in common. Players may be taking down Visionaries and their goons in Deathloop and will be up against scientifically engineered vampires in Redfall, but there are some elements of the former's gameplay that the latter could utilize to make sure it's just as successful and fun to play.
Uncovering Secrets And Exploring Environments
When gamers start Deathloop, they have very little information to go on regarding who the main character Colt is and what he's doing stuck in a time loop on the deadly island of Blackreef. There is a lot of investigative work that players will need to undertake to search the various environments, gather intel, and help to restore Colt's missing memories. This provides an intriguing backbone to Deathloop's gameplay and encourages them to explore the world, which is something Redfall could definitely emulate.
Redfall has its own central mystery – the experiment that went awry that caused the creation of the vampires, and the ultimate plans the bloodsucking baddies have for the fictional town. While this might not be as complicated as Deathloop's involuntary time travel, there are still plenty of secrets that players will need to uncover to solve Redfall's puzzles. The four playable protagonists need to take down the legion of vampires and their human allies, as well as find a way to potentially reverse the science experiment and reestablish links between the isolated town and the outside world.
Interactive Combat and Creative Approaches
When it came to combat, Deathloop offered players lots of different tools and approaches. Between Colt's array of weapons, gadgets, abilities, and stealth mechanics, gamers could switch it up and get creative when they took out enemies. The combination of different skills meant they could come in guns blazing or do things a little more quietly, and it seems like Redfall wants to offer just as many options. The four main characters have their own unique powers and perks, with some favoring a tech-based approach while others suit ranged and stealth attacks.
This aspect of Redfall's gameplay seems promising, but it also appears to be more restrictive than Deathloop's approach. Colt encompassed all of these different combat styles, whereas it looks like players will have to adapt depending on which character they've chosen. With all four characters on the battlefield, all the bases should be covered, but if players are tackling the game solo they might not have as many choices as they would playing as Colt in Deathloop.
Another great element of Deathloop's gameplay was the enemy patterns. Depending on the area of the island, the time of day, and the actions of the player, NPCs would behave differently and follow certain loops that gamers would have to learn in order to plan their approach. This was highly interactive, challenging, and engaging for players as they tried to explore areas and find the targets they needed to assassinate. Redfall should try to borrow some of this interactivity and nuanced enemy behavior as gamers face the vampire overlords and their human minions, as it would make the town feel more alive and make the gameplay just as fresh and unexpected.
Redfall will launch in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.