Redfall’s vampires can’t compete with your big tech and magic elevators

It was on the cards, and tonight at the XBox & Bethesda Showcase we indeed got a look at some vampire slaying in Redfall. Arkane’s spooky co-op FPS has been on my most anticipated list for a while, especially because I was hoping the studio would put their signature weird twist on things. Judging by the big guns and big abilities you have at your disposal, they have – and the vampires should be watching their be-caped backs. Never thought I’d see the day when someone made being a vampire hunter look cooler than being a vamp, but we might be getting there.

In the five minute video we saw some of the different player characters’ signature abilities. Layla, who has telekinetic powers, can counjour a giant parasol as a shield, or a magical lift as a jump spot (I say elevator in the title on suffering, you understand) to launch clear from a melee as well as get a height advantage for aiming. Aspiring inventor Devinder slams down a custom spotlight that is basically a mini sun, temporarily turning the vamps to stone. Remi has, just, the cutest little robot as a back up, and Jacob is a sniper with some mysterious new powers of his own – including invisibilty.

The special powers are the most spectacular thing, but they’re not all that’s on offer. Quoted on XBox.comProduction Director Ben Horne says that while they have the weapons you’d expect like shotguns and so on, “some of our weapons are unique vampire-hunting weapons — like the Stake Launcher or UV Beam — that can be used tactically to eliminate the vampire threat.”

Redfall itself is a pretty open area to explore, and your job is to root out vampire nests and their human cultist followers. You can chip away at it a bit at a time, and while this is geared as a co-op game, you can also apparently play it solo at a more exploratory pace. The bits we see in the video look pretty spooky and atmospheric – you know, weird writing on the walls, blood splashed everywhere, and leftover ritual gubbins, contrasted with the jaunty lights of a fair ground.

“Redfall is a game where stealth can be used to get the drop on an enemy, reach a good vantage, or avoid a combat encounter altogether,” says Studio/Creative Director Harvey Smith. “It’s not a pure stealth game, but a stealth-enabling shooter.”

Sounds kind of a bit like Deathloop when you put it like that, huh? Maybe next time we’ll learn more about what the vampires can do to you. Redfall is arriving some time next year.

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