Despite being a horror-themed four-player co-op shooter, Arkane Studios’ Redfall appears to be influenced by Far Cry more than Left 4 Dead. The forthcoming vampire adventure will send players to Redfall, Massachusetts, to fight back against a vampire coven’s violent takeover. Redfall’s premise is comparable to Valve’s popular zombie survival series Left 4 Dead, but the gameplay may be more akin to a supernatural Far Cry.
On the surface, although focused on two different classic creatures, Redfall and Left 4 Dead are extremely similar. Redfall’s solo and co-op gameplay, similar to Left 4 Dead, will allow players to work together to fight through hordes of terrifying otherworldly creatures.
Players in both Left 4 Dead games can choose between four post-apocalyptic survivors, ranging from the loud biker Francis to the quirky mechanic Ellis. Meanwhile, the telepathic Layla and the supernatural sharpshooter Jacob are among Redfall’s deadly heroes. Both Left 4 Dead and Redfall put their spins on zombies and vampires, with unique varieties such as L4D’s scary Witch and Redfall’s diligent Watchers.
Redfall and Left 4 Dead Share Very Little
While Left 4 Dead and Redfall allow four players to work together to slaughter swarms of horror icons, Arkane Studios’ upcoming shooter is much more than a reskin of Valve’s co-op classic. Unlike the Left 4 Dead games, which take place in linear levels, Redfall will take place in an open-world environment.
The game environment also appears to be incredibly massive, with one Redfall site larger than Prey’s renowned spaceship setting, Talos I. In addition to the baseline talents of L4D’s survivors, Redfall will have numerous RPG features, with each playable hero owning unique powers and skills.
With Bloodsuckers, Redfall is a far cry.
Redfall appears to play more like Far Cry than Left 4 Dead in practice. Each version of Ubisoft’s first-person shooter franchise takes players to a new exotic locale, with an open-world style allowing them to explore the globe at their leisure. Far Cry normally assigns missions and defeats adversaries to gradually drive them out of the game environment, a popular mechanism that will be present in Redfall as players hunt down and fight powerful vampire rulers. Redfall will also feature covert vampire slaying, with players using stealth to defeat their bloodsucking adversaries, a practice already emphasized in the Far Cry series.
Redfall stands apart from other Arkane Studios titles like Dishonored and Prey by bringing players on a cooperative first-person shooter experience through a vampire-infested Massachusetts town. Fighting zombies with three buddies automatically draw similarities to Left 4 Dead, but Redfall promises to stand on its thanks to its open-world layout and RPG components. Redfall is similar to a supernatural Far Cry in that players must clear the map piece by piece using stealth tactics and inventiveness. By embracing these distinct strengths, Redfall may distinguish itself from other co-op shooters and prove that it is more than just Left 4 Dead with fangs.