Despite having a high-profile, day-one launch on Xbox Game Pass and coming from one of the most acclaimed developers in the industry, Arkane Studios’ Redfall has gotten off to one of the roughest starts of any AAA game in recent memory. Thanks to a multitude of technical problems and uninspired gameplay that veers wildly away from the sorts of systems-heavy titles Arkane is known for, Redfall is now one of the lowest-rated Steam games of all time. But despite the game’s poor critical reception, Redfall still manages to tell some truly interesting, and deeply depressing, stories across its campaign.
One of the bleakest stories players will uncover during their time in the vampire-plagued town of Redfall is that of the shocking and senseless death of a local child, Amelia Addison. The daughter of a local doctor employed by Redfall’s Aevum Therapeutics company, Amelia and her untimely death play a pivotal role in the grisly events that transpired before the start of the game. The tragic loss of this little girl not only led to the creation of Redfall’s Hollow Man, a terrifying Vampire God, but also paved the way for the titular town’s bloody downfall.
Redfall’s Amelia Was an Unwitting Participant in a Cruel Experiment
Having learned that the Hollow Man had been Amelia’s father - Dr. Peter Addison - in his mortal life, Redfall’s “House of Echoes” mission tasks players with exploring Addison’s sprawling mansion. As they make their way through the mansion players will eventually stumble across an elaborate dollhouse belonging to his daughter Amelia, now bereft of its dolls. After finding the dolls and returning them to their rightful place, a doorway to Dr. Addison’s memories is opened and the sad truth of Amelia's death is revealed.
By destroying special vampires known as Sin-Eaters inside Dr. Addison’s mind, players unlock the diabolical doctor’s memories and discover the grisly circumstances behind Amelia’s death. In an attempt to cure himself of the degenerative mental disorder that was taking his life, Addison had begun infusing himself with samples of Amelia’s blood in a process called parabiosis. While this unorthodox treatment eased his symptoms, it slowly killed Amelia. Determined to save his own life at any cost and bribing the young girl with a butterfly pin to get her to acquiesce to the procedure, Dr. Addison continued draining Amelia’s blood until it eventually took her life.
The Death of Amelia Paved the Way for Redfall’s Vampire Invasion
With Amelia dead and his symptoms rapidly returning, Dr. Addison searched furiously for another cure for his disease until being recruited to help form Redfall’s Aevum Therapeutics. Building on the research into parabiosis gained from the slow murder of his daughter, Addison infuses his blood with the powerful and mysterious “Gateway sample” to fuel his transformation into the Hollow Man. The fallout of these immoral experiments would eventually lead the town of Redfall to become overrun with the vampires that comprise the game’s main enemies.
Redfall makes it clear that Amelia’s untimely death left a lasting mark on the people of the town, with NPC ally Reverend Eva taking the death particularly hard. After uncovering the grisly truth behind Amelia’s death during the “House of Echoes” mission players have the opportunity to help Reverend Eva create a memorial for the Hollow Man’s ill-fated daughter. By searching through Redfall’s vampire-ravaged streets to find a card Amelia had made in church, along with her stuffed rabbit, players help Reverend Eva make a memorial for Amelia in the first map’s Firehouse.
Even in a game already filled with some of the bleakest character backstories of any recent shooter, the events surrounding Amelia’s pained life and untimely death make hers one of Redfall’s saddest stories. And although it’s far too late to save Amelia by the time players step foot onto Redfall’s vampire-infested streets, at least the game gives gamers the chance to help ensure that the townsfolk will never forget her.
Redfall is available now for PC and Xbox Series X/S.