Arkane Studios looks like it is betting on a larger version of its formula withRedfall, an upcoming exclusive in the Xbox ecosystem. Connecting first-person combat in a reactive game world, Arkane Studios has cultivated a dedicated audience by designing games that offer a multitude of problem-solving techniques in combat, exploration, and narrative. Much like the excellentDeus Exfranchise,Redfallseems to be introducing carefully crafted encounters that encourage strategic action.
Fans have appreciated the style of gameplay that Arkane has celebrated over the years, a genre often referenced as the immersive sim, and its next FPS could take this framework into a seamless, open-world format with the option of co-op play. In the early 2000s,Deus Exwould function as an earlier archetype within that genre, inspiring a new generation of first-person RPGs that focused on interactive set pieces and branching paths. The franchise was revitalized under Eidos Montreal, with some even drawing competitivecomparisons betweenDeus Exsequels andCyberpunk 2077, althoughRedfallmight become a more innovative extension of those features in its story-driven setting.
RELATED:Redfall’s Stake Mods Need to Be More Than Visual Upgrades
How the Deus Ex Legacy Lives on at Arkane Studios
From the originalDeus Exto the 2016 release ofDeus Ex: Mankind Divided, the sci-fi series has combined character progression and futuristic themes to augment players using cybernetic abilities. Story hubs provide puzzle-like challenges that are flexible to the player’s actions, and it is this structure that gives this gaming hybrid a shock factor. Although the complexity of narrative systems may sound daunting, someshorter immersive sim gamesleverage their mechanics to deliver strong choices where the player feels like a participant in the fiction itself.
There might be flexibility in defining exactly what the genre can be, butDeus Exand its precursors live on through titles that still explore the possibilities of living worlds. BothDeus Exand Arkane Studios historically align with a player-driven philosophy, supplying tools and mechanics which lend themselves to experimentation. Harvey Smith, the lead designer of the firstDeus Ex, now works as a creative director onRedfall, and originally joined Arkane Studios to help createtheDishonoreduniverse. With a leadership team that is partially responsible for the best FPS and RPG crossovers,Redfallcould express a flavor of vampire-hunting that is more related toDeus Exthan previously expected.
Redfall’s Roots in the Immersive Sim Genre
InRedfall, players fight back against a vampire cult taking over an island town on the East Coast of the United States. Not too dissimilar fromDeus Ex’s special forces weaponry, these agents are equipped with an advanced arsenal that is geared towards various specializations. What is represented in these loadouts are armaments ranging from silenced pistols to brutish machine guns, and recent footage also highlights discrete story moments localized to different regions of the map. Emphasizing objective variety, thelatestRedfallgameplay presentationpreviewed hostage rescues and maintenance runs meant to disrupt the vampires' rule over the island.
The equipment and challenges represented inRedfall’s marketing suggest a project that focuses more on coordinated missions than mindless violence, but it is possible that Arkane is making that a valid form of play as well.Deus Ex, despite having action andclassic stealth video gameelements, is a title that can be thought of as a sum of its parts. Immersive sims have gameplay that is usually defined by the players themselves; the locations and characters form a network of behaviors that grants unmatched replayability, and Arkane’sRedfallcould have a charm derived from the team’s history of inventive games.
It is probably too early to get excited aboutanother sequel toDeus Ex, yet at the same time, the series' creative pulse can potentially be seen in new IPs too. Assuming that Arkane Studios remains true to its traditions,Redfallmay implement environments that evolve as each decision twists the direction of the overarching storyline. It would be exciting to see these kinds of consequences play out on a grand scale, especially in the company of friends in multiplayer. The conspiracy fiction ofDeus Exestablished a great foundation for cause-and-effect storytelling, andRedfallshould be a great candidate for spreading that vision.
Redfalllaunches May 2 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
