Arkane Studios’ latest game,Redfall, has recently received a lot of attention with a brand-new trailer and gameplay footage showing how the four announced protagonists work together to slay hoards of vampires. Rightly so, the initial response to seeing a four-person squad fend off hoards of supernatural creatures reminds fans of similar shooters such asthe ever-popularLeft 4 Dead.
That being said, after diver deeper into the gameplay ofRedfalland learning more information from developers, players will see that the game shares more qualities with looter-shooter RPGs, namely theBorderlandsseries. Arkane’s history shows that the developer thrives in creating a sprawling world with interesting protagonists that utilize different weapons and abilities. Hence, it makes sense to draw some comparisons toBorderlands.
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Comparing Redfall to Left 4 Dead
Anybody who is familiar with FPS titles will be well aware of theLeft 4 Deadfranchise. And many developers have tried to recapture the magic behind the two games, with the mostrecent iteration coming in the form ofBack 4 Blood. However, it seems that not even the spiritual successor toLeft 4 Deadhas been able to recreate the satisfying feeling of completing a run with four players working together cooperatively.
WhenRedfallwas first announced in 2021, it seemed like it was Arkane’s attempt to usurpLeft 4 Deadfrom the cryptid-slaying throne, but upon closer inspecting,Redfallis aiming to do more than that. On the surface,Redfalllooks eerily similar toLeft 4 Deadright down to the look and feel of the combat, and it has definitely taken some inspiration from the successful co-op shooter, but it is also adding some unique twists.
First and foremost, Arkane has stated thatRedfallis a single-player experiencethat can be enjoyed with friends via co-op, but the story-focused game very much allows for solo play to be viable.Left 4 Dead, on the other hand, strongly encourages cooperative play, with each mission featuring a group of four characters that are controlled by AI if not by another player. Fans of the series are aware of how essential working together is inLeft 4 Deadbut also know how ineffective the AI tends to be.
Redfallhas distanced itself fromLeft 4 Deadby not creating the need for a four-person team and not adding AI-controlled bots to the game if it is played in single-player. Though some see this as a potential issue that could have players missing out on the comradery between the protagonists, it is Arkane’s attempt to show that its newest title is a unique, story-driven experience, as opposed to a linear shooter.
How Redfall Has Taken Inspiration From Borderlands
Though it might not be seen on the surface, many ofRedfall’s core gameplay and multiplayer features seem to have been adopted fromBorderlands.Redfallwill allow players to upgrade characters’ abilities through an XP system, and Arkane has stated that there is a loot system in the game, with different rarity of weapons appearing as different colors in the player’s inventory. Incororperating loose RPG leveling elements anda loot system may not be exclusive toBorderlands, but it has popularized these features in modern FPS games.
Another example of howRedfallfeels similar toBorderlandsis the level design.Redfallwill be set in an open world that will allow players to explore areas and fight enemies at their own pace, which is a new concept for an Arkane title. And likeBorderlands,Redfallwill feature different enemy typesranging from vampires to human cultists, likely of varying strengths, scattered throughout the world.
The most controversial feature inRedfallis also one that makes it more reminiscent ofBorderlands. It was recently announced that thoughthe campaign ofRedfallcan be played entirely in co-op, it is designed to be played entirely solo and will not feature AI-controlled characters.Borderlandsincluded the same feature, allowing players to choose their desired protagonists with specific abilities and skill trees, and then sending them into the world alone even though the experience is usually more enjoyable with friends and allies with different abilities.
It seems thatRedfallis adapting many features from other popular shooters in an attempt to curate a unique experience all its own. Though Arkane has acknowledged the similarities between its newest title and other games, the developer promises thatRedfallwill be so much more than just another copy.
Redfallwill release in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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