Redfall is now out and available to play after an impatient wait since its reveal in 2021. If you're weighing up whether to take the plunge, there's plenty to learn about the game.It's looking like another frenetic bit of fun from the geniuses at Arkane, although this time you'll be able to team up with friends for the first time. Find out all the key details right here.

Redfall release date

Redfall is out now, with its final release date having arrived on 2 May 2023.

When Redfall was first announced, it was with the above glitzy CGI trailer, which optimistically ended with a 2022 release window, something that felt like it was potentially unlikely even at the time. That was proven so when the game was delayed by Bethesda in early May 2022 at the same time as it delayed Starfield, too.

How to buy Redfall

Redfall is now available to order if you'd like to try its vampire-killing action for yourself.

Redfall square
Redfall

Arkane's newest game can now be ordered on both Xbox and PC.

Redfall platforms

We know what platforms Redfall is out on, and it's another big game that's being dictated by the purchase of Bethesda by Xbox. That agreement means that it won't be coming to PS4 or PS5.

However, it's great news for Xbox fans, since that means it's a console exclusive for the Xbox Series X and S and, even better, the game is on Xbox Game Pass has also come to PC.

It hasn't hit the Switch, though, since that console's less-powerful hardware just wouldn't be able to run it.

Everything we know about Redfall: Trailers, release date, gameplay and more photo 2
Bethesda

Redfall graphical modes

Speaking of console power, Redfall's social channel made an interesting announcement in April 2023, confirming that the game would launch with only one graphical mode on Xbox Series X and Series S, seeing it run at 30FPS.

While the resolutions targetted are 4K and 1440p respectively, it'll be very interesting to see if performance holds up to that 30FPS estimate. Meanwhile, those of us who've become attached to 60FPS will have to wait for a post-launch patch to try a performance mode.

Redfall story

Redfall is titled for a fictional town in Massachusetts that's been taken over by a cult of vampire worshippers that has somehow managed to block out the sun to give total domination to their undead overlords.

You'll explore it as one of a crew of up to four, trying to figure out what's happening and how you can stop it, and it seems like you'll have to come up against plenty of vampires along the way, along with cult members who haven't yet been transformed.

In traditional Arkane style, there should be plenty of free-form style to the action, and we also know the four protagonists thanks to the game's official website:

  • Devinder Crousley, a cryptozoologist
  • Layla Ellison, an engineer with telekinetic powers
  • Remi de la Rosa, who has a robot helper called Bribon
  • Jacob Boyer, an ex-sniper with a vampiric eye and a pet raven's ghost

They look and sound like an eclectic bunch, and we're sure they'll be great fun to get to know thanks to Arkane's normally witty writing.

Redfall gameplay

Redfall is set in an open world, the whole confines of the town apparently open to you and your mates as you investigate the grisly experiments that have exploded vampirism into plain sight.

We got our first look at real gameplay in June 2022, in the reveal that you can watch above, and it looks like what we expected - an Arkane game with a heavier emphasis on action than the likes of Dishonored.

We can see each of the characters getting their moment in the spotlight, with powers like a spectral elevator on evidence, and a bunch of different weapons that look punchy and satisfying. We now know that whichever character you choose will be your for the whole game, so there's no swapping between them on the fly.

It's clear that you will be able to use some stealth, at least, with silenced guns and takedowns always an option, and we can see a few different types of enemies that will be standing in your way, too.

Arkane says the same minds behind Prey's Talos-1 and Dishonored's Dunwall are the ones who designed Redfall's huge world, so we're hoping it has the same interconnectedness and intricacy of those beloved settings.

The fact that the whole game is playable in up to four-player co-op is completely new for the studio, and could be a huge step forward, but it's also been clear to reassure players that anyone looking to play it through on their own will still have a classic Arkane experience without missing out on anything.

The host of a co-op session will be the only one making story progress, sadly - while you'll keep XP and weapons you gain when you drop into a friend's world, the missions you complete will still remain incomplete when you return to your own version of Redfall.

Additionally, it also turns out that you'll need a persistent online connection to play the game, even in singleplayer, which hasn't gone down too well with some players.

A longer gameplay showcase came out in January 2023, which you can watch below - it gives a strong sense of what it'll be like moving through some of these missions.

You'll have skills and abilities to upgrade as you progress through the game, and you can also customise your gear as you like, which sounds fun. Weapon traits will put twists on how each works, in a system that sounds a little like that from Deathloop.

There will be a map to clear, in classic open-world style, with neighbourhoods that you can take back from vampire control to help Redfall's citizens reclaim their city.

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If you're keen to learn more about upcoming games, be sure to check out our lists of the most interesting titles coming down the pike to a range of platforms.