You could think of Redfall as a mix of Back 4 Blood multiplayer action with the powers and quirks of Deathloop, all wrapped up in a story about vampires taking over a sleepy little island town.
Redfall sees four players take on a mix of vampires and their human thralls in the titular town of Redfall, with a variety of weapons and abilities.
The game is somewhat exclusive too, coming on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC, as well as being available on Xbox Game Pass.
So with that in mind, read one for everything you need to know about Redfall.
Redfall release date
After a delay, Refall was released on May 2, 2023. And is currently available to play right now on Xbox Game Pass.
If you want to buy the game then check out the box below, which aims to flag the best prices for Redfall.
Redfall trailer
There's a whole host of videos on Bethesda's YouTube channel detailing various aspects of Redfall. But the most compelling os far is a deep-dive into how Redfall will play, via a 10-minute gameplay video. Check it out above.
Redfall gameplay
As showcased by the first gameplay trailer, Redfall is a first-person “open-world co-op shooter." And it has echoes of a blend of Left 4 Dead survival shooter action with a narrative that sees players, explore what went wrong with the island of Redfall.
Players are able to do this by themselves or with a group of fellow players. And each of the characters payers will be able to step into, and each character has a range of skills and abilities, some of which seem plucked out of Dishonored. Oh, and there's a decent selection of guns as well.
Players will need these guns, gadgets and powers as they will be up against a range of enemies, from standard human cultists to fast and dangerous vampires.
But players don't have to run-and-gun, as there are options to take a more stealthy and tactical approach.
Redfall characters
Redfall’s trailer introduces us to four playable heroes: Devinder Crousley, Layla Ellison, Jacob Boyer, and Remi De La Rosa. Each character has their own personality and their own abilities on the battlefield.
These unique powers include Remi being able to control a robot companion, and Layla having telekinetic powers. It seems that each character will play substantially differently from the rest, and finding out which one suits your playstyle will be a big part of the fun.
We’ve also got a look at the various villains of Redfall. These include uber-powerful vampires, but also a human cult that worships the creatures of the night. Our heroic foursome will have to do battle with both in order to survive till dawn.
Redfall is set in a world where a science experiment gone wrong accidentally created vampires. These creatures are continuing to evolve as well, so expect multiple classes of bloodsuckers hunting you down.
These former humans have managed to isolate the island and have blocked out the sun leading to never-ending darkness in a small Massachusetts town. It’ll be up to you, and your co-op companions, to prevent the titular Redfall from being bled dry.
Redfall Xbox and PC exclusivity
When Microsoft purchased ZeniMax in 2020 and thus snapped up Bethesda and Arkane in the process, it looked like the writing was on the wall for Redfall on PS5.
But there was a PS5 version of Redfall in the works, only it got scrapped. In an interview with IGN France, Arkane's Harvey Smith explained: “We got bought by Microsoft and that was a huge sea change. They said, ‘no PlayStation 5. Now we’re gonna do Game Pass, Xbox, and PC.’”
So unlike Arkane's previous game Deathloop, the PS5 will have no chance of getting Redfall. And that could give you one compelling reason to get an Xbox or a powerful gaming PC.
Redfall PC specs and requirements
Microsoft has released the PC requirements for Redfall. They fall into Minimum, Recommended and Ultra categories and are as follows:
Minimum
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz or AMD Ryzen 5 1600
- GPU: AMD RX 580 / Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 / 6GB VRAM
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 100GB SSD
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Recommended
- CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3.60GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- GPU: AMD 5700 / Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 / Intel ARC / 8GB VRAM
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 100GB SSD
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Ultra
- CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3.60GHz or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- GPU: AMD RX 6800 XT / Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 / 10GB VRAM
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: 100GB SSD
- OS: Windows 11 64-bit
Redfall performance controversy
Somewhat surprising is that Bethesda has announced Redfall will be locked at 30 frames per second when it launches on Xbox Series X. While it'll be rendered at 4K, rather than the 1440p of the Xbox Series S, it won't be able to hit the smooth 60 fps we've come to expect from first-person shooters.
A 60 fps "Performance mode" is set to arrive as a post-launch update. But it's a bit baffling why this wouldn't be included at launch.
With fast-paced games, a faster frame rate is pretty much key to ensuring you're popping off headshots and moving fluidly around arenas. 30 fps can feel sluggish in comparison.
If developer Arkane can ensure the frame pacing in the 30 fps mode is super stable, that could go some way to mitigating the lack of a 60 fps mode at launch. But we'll have to wait and see; as a result, it may end up being the case that playing Redfall on one of the best gaming PCs could be the way forward.
Redfall crossplay
In some very welcome news, developer Arkane has confirmed that Redfall will be crossplay between players on different platforms. So, whether you're playing on Xbox or PC (via Game Pass, Steam or Epic Game Store) you'll be able to play with your friends. Plus, this should help keep the Redfall player base nice and healthy even months after launch.
Redfall early impressions and reactions
Despite all the promises of the above, Redfall appears to be a bit of a disappointment. Not only is it reportedly very buggy, its action and setting appear to be rather bland in comparison to previous Arkane games.
Our colleagues over at PC Gamer noted that "Redfall fails at not only being an immersive sim, but everything else, too." While GamesRadar said Redfall "feels rushed, unfinished, and unsatisfying."
We hope patches can claw back some of the early goodwill towards the game, but even then it looks like a title that perhaps won't hit the high points of Arkane's back catalog. We'd cautiously suggest you give it a try on Xbox Game Pass, but perhaps wait for some patches first.
