Why The Upcoming Redfall Should Be Amazing

Redfall is the upcoming vampire-themed shoot 'em up from developer Arkane Studios — and having that developer behind the scenes is the very reason the game should be brilliant when it finally arrives in May. Let me explain...

Arkane Studios, who arrived on the scene in the late '90s and have arguably never put a foot wrong when it comes to game development since; the review scores for their short list of released titles have always remained high. Starting with Dishonored, though, the studio was rocketed into household-name (well, amongst gamers anyway) territory. Their unique stamp and highly polished gameplay gives them that well deserved recognition.

Dishonored 2 and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider soon followed, showing that Arkane still had plenty more up their sleeve for the gaslamp fantasy series. They somehow built on the brilliance that was Dishonored, adding in a bunch of new gameplay features and world building elements. I'm not someone who enjoys stealth-oriented gameplay — much preferring a chaotic, guns-blazing approach — but Arkane made stealth fun for me.

Next, Prey (2017) was released and Arkane proved that they weren't a one-trick pony. Prey showed us that Arkane had limitless potential, and could really achieve anything they put their minds to. It's a truly massive RPG, this time with a science fiction setting; you're trapped on a space station (the game's non-linear, open world) with an unknown malevolent alien lifeform. Ultimately, you must uncover the truth and escape — and you can do that however you like! The game really does not restrict you at all; there are endless abilities and combinations to use them in, and you can venture around the facility to your heart's content. Prey honestly has so much to talk about I suggest just reading our review here, as there's not enough space in this article for me to waffle on about it any further.

The most recent release from Arkane was DEATHLOOP, a game that returns to the tried and tested Dishonored formula, although it's not an exact copy. While the meat and potatoes of it consists of the player needing to assassinate multiple targets, across several locations, with a heavy emphasis on stealth — ergo the connection to Dishonored — everything else is something new. The narrative and its characters are the biggest departure from the Dishonored titles; the chemistry between Colt and Juliana, as well as the 1960s modernist-influenced aesthetic allow Deathloop to stand out from the crowd. You can also read our Deathloop review here.

Now I appreciate you cannot just say Redfall will definitely be good before it has released and we've all experienced it, but considering Arkane's previous work, there's a good chance that it will be. Arkane has this way of implementing player choice like no other developer; they almost never appear to reuse, but instead refine their characters, settings, and stories. It allows us to experience their style, but never play the same game twice. They really are at the top of their game, and in my opinion the gold standard of game development. Conversely, though, this could end up being the black mark on their career; we'll just have to wait and see on the 2nd of May.