The producers of Redfall have addressed the parallels between the co-op vampire shooting game and the co-op zombie shooter game Left 4 Dead. Redfall, like Left 4 Dead, is a co-op first-person shooter in which players assume the roles of characters with individual personalities. Redfall, like Left 4 Dead, involves players killing swarms of undead monsters, except vampires, to replace zombies.
It’s obvious why some fans have drawn parallels between Redfall and Left 4 Dead, even if the gameplay so far hasn’t really given off an L4D flavour. Redfall does not look to be as hectic as Left 4 Dead, and it has an open environment rather than discrete levels. Redfall gameplay video plainly shows that the game is aiming for something different than what Valve’s series has to offer, but it hasn’t prevented parallels from being drawn.
Arkane’s Ricardo Bare addressed the Left 4 Dead parallels in an interview with GamesRadar. Bare noted that he understands why Redfall has been likened to Left 4 Dead, but that the game is more similar to Far Cry. “Redfall occasionally seems like what you’d get if you merged the Arkane creative ideals with Far Cry 2 or S.T.A.L.K.E.R,” studio director Harvey Smith remarked. Fans of those games should, of course, keep an eye on Redfall if it isn’t already on their radar.
One possible issue with drawing influence from Far Cry is inheriting the shortcomings of that series. Far Cry games may feature wide environments that are potentially too huge at times, according to GamesRadar, but Redfall should not have that problem. Redfall’s open environment is smaller, and the pace is “slowed down” in comparison to Far Cry.
Although Redfall seems like it could be difficult to carry off, Arkane has a track record that can’t be disregarded. Since launching Dishonored in 2012, the company has been on a roll, following up with Dishonored 2, Prey, and, most recently, Deathloop. Most of Arkane’s work has been hailed by fans and reviewers alike, so Redfall should live up to expectations.
According to rumours, the Redfall release date has been pushed back internally, and the game will now be released sometime in May. This information comes from trustworthy sources, but fans should take it with a grain of salt. Redfall still lacks an official release date, but with the game still slated to arrive in the first half of 2023, more detailed information should emerge sooner rather than later.