Upcoming Xbox FPS Redfall is part of 'IGN First' for the month of April, and that means that some of the team at the gaming & entertainment outlet have now played Arkane's shooter first hand.
And over the weekend, that has resulted in a proper look at some authentic Redfall co-op gameplay. We say authentic because while any footage from Bethesda & co. is much appreciated, clips like the one above show a closer representation of how this game will actually play when fans get their hands on it.

While certain YouTube comments are quick to point out the rather haphazard approach to gameplay presented by IGN here, we'd much rather see this than even more super-polished PR footage. We've seen lots of that for Redfall so far - it's now great to see some less polished gameplay.
To us, Redfall looks like it has the potential to be much more chaotic than we first imagined! Again, this is just one approach to playing Arkane's new title and we've been reassured plenty that the game will play well in single player. Just take note that things may become a lot more action oriented in online co-op!
Whichever way you're planning to play, Redfall hits Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass on May 2nd, 2023.
What do you make of this fresh look at Redfall in co-op? Leave your thoughts on the video down below.
Comments 38
I can see why this something people would enjoy but I can’t see myself playing it.
As for IGN gameplay quality there was the notorious Halo Infinite pre-launch gameplay on Streets where they walked along the map with a plasma pistol on charge up burning through energy. Nobody expects eSports level gameplay from IGN but it was a bit jarring.
I really hope this game is good, i want to like it, but will need hands on time with it before i have a clear decision if it’s for me or not. Looking forward to it and will play it everyday until Diablo 4 comes out. Then no game will get my time for a long while. Really wish Redfall had a demo or beta to try, but i can understand why it doesn’t.
@ParsnipHero Anything is better than Polygons Doom 2016 gameplay.
I have a feeling this game is going to be bad. Too many questions at this point. I hope I'm wrong.
I really want this game to be good but I cannot think of a single example of a co-op focused game that doesn't feel a bit lacklustre in single player mode - which is how I would be playing it. The fact that you will only have access to one set of special abilities as a single player is going to severely limit how many different approaches you can take with the gameplay, unlike Deathloop or Dishonored where your character is capable of every ability the designers had in mind when crafting the levels and combat encounters. I hope I'm wrong but everything I've seen so far tells me it will feel like a diminished experience in single player.
the vid looks less impressive. enemies looked a bit of a bullet sponge, while not doing much. i will be trying SP, Looking forward to reviews.
it looks a good 8/10 game
With advertising partners like IGN, who needs competitors? IGN has gone pretty far out of their way to make this game look terrible. Which in reality, I guess it could just actually be terrible. Jury is out until launch day. I was never going to play it, so I guess I'm not bothered one way or the other.
Im looking foward to playing this. Dishonored and Prey are some of the best games of all time. Deathloop I liked but not as much as the others
@Spaceman-Spiff not sure if it should be considered but Gears of War series has a big focus on Coop campaigns and they play well as single player (altough the AI is a bit dumb at times)
Haha, literally all of the Youtube comments are just making fun of the person playing the game.
While I like the concept, nothing about the game in execution has ever looked interesting. Which is a huge shame, because a vampire-themed horror FPS could have been a great thing.
To me, the way that video is edited and the way those players were 'playing' (looked more like they had never played games before) was terrible. No co-ordination, no team-work or strategy etc. Its like 4 randoms dumped together with no means to communicate with each other and never played Redfall before so trying to work out what to do with a 'Boss' fight.
Apart from that, all the other Game-play I have seen (albeit 'limited') and all the 'videos' I watched where people had played Solo for 90mins allayed basically EVERY concern I had and is very much an 'Arkane' game - many seemed to think it could well be a GotY contender.
With it being on Game Pass, It's also a 'Risk Free' game to try. I am not risking my Cash on a 'new IP' that I may not enjoy. I can make up my OWN mind, form my OWN opinion at no 'extra' cost to myself - not base my decision on a few 'videos' and/or reviews. The concept appeals to me, the game looks 'interesting' to me - especially playing Solo to get the more 'Horror' Atmosphere you only get playing Solo...
@Balta666 I agree but I would describe Gears as a single player story driven game that is also excellent in co-op. It was never designed or marketed as a co-op game first and foremost. It's the same with Halo.
I'm not sure why but I get a real Borderlands vibe from that video. That is be no means a bad thing as I love Borderlands.
Lets be honest ign are a joke literally everything they do is just plain awful now and almost amateurish...inconsistent reviews, heavy handed gameplay videos, repetitive news articles and so on
@kungfumongoose I didn't see it but you should check out IGN playing Halo Infinite. I don't know why anyone would pay for that.
@BrilliantBill I feel character design and the general look of the gameplay are more to blame. The characters look like the random sort of focus-tested designs you'd get from a large studio. Too many of the enemies don't look or behave sufficiently vampiric. Your dull heroes have superpowers. The combat looks very looter shooter-y to me.
In terms of image quality, I do think the unimpressive lighting makes this look worse than it otherwise would.
@ParsnipHero True, you don’t expect esport levels of skill and ability but I think it’s fair for us to expect some basic level of gaming ability in these videos. It’s not like it’s a new untested genre or game style - it’s an FPS, the general mechanics set in stone in the late 90s. Come on IGN sort it out lol
Nothing wrong with chaotic gameplay. I’m sure being in the midst of a real life vampire outburst would feel quite chaotic as well 😅
@LordFunkalot yea, it’s awful and honestly I feel it does it harm than good with gameplay of this quality of people are in the fence about a game.
The Halo Infinite gameplay was truly awful but I was always going to play the game.
@Spaceman-Spiff got you.
@BrilliantBill I didn't have 'concerns' about it being an Arkane game, I had concerns that it would be a 'generic' open world, 'ubisoft' style with markers everywhere, designed primarily as a Co-op experience - but then those that Played 'Solo' recently allayed those. I was concerned that it would be 'more' generic - less an 'Arkane' game (apart from its 'visual' style of course) but it seems like an 'Arkane' game taken to a 'new' level
As such, I am beginning to think its more a Single Player that's designed to be playable with friends and 'end-game' content to keep playing after the Story - reasons to keep playing - like Borderlands which can also be played Solo and like Borderlands, different characters to play through as well as able to play Socially too with Friends/Family.
I feel 'reassured' that it is an Arkane game - just an 'evolution' in many ways of them as Developers and their craft. I can't say I am a fan of their artstyle but the systems, the game-play mechanics, the general 'traits' we have come to expect from Arkane seem here - which is why I am not so concerned anymore when the first 'reveal' came across as a 'generic' Co-op game with Vampires instead of Zombies, a 'live service' game to sell MTX etc, maybe not even a Story - just an 'Open' world to spend time playing in with friends - but over time, especially the 'experiences' of those that played Solo recently, I have been 'reassured' this is an Arkane game through and through, and playing Solo really does give that 'Horror Survival' feeling you can't get when you have friends to help you out...
When it was first revealed, I thought it was OK - not something I'd likely buy until either friends were playing it a LOT or I saw it cheap in a Sale - Fun, but maybe not something I'd play a LOT. As I have heard and read more since then, the more I see/hear, the more interested in the game I have become. I am 'quite' excited to play Solo, an Open World, Horror Survival game with Random events/encounters which will be more 'atmospheric' and scary playing Solo, time of day mattering too, and looks like it could be Fun to play co-operatively at some point too. I wouldn't pay more than £/$50 for ANY game (they'll drop to way below that point eventually) so I can't say that I would 'now' buy it at launch because my concerns have been allayed - but if it was under £50 at launch, I'd be willing to buy now - but that's where Game Pass comes in clutch...
i rather have dead island 2 on gp.
It looks ok, not on the same level as Playstation exclusives but not bad. Altho it’s not specifically an exclusive, it’s a third party game that Microsoft bought an kept to themselves.
The last set of previews were all really positive, so I dunno… this video made the game look a little concerning again, but whatever. It’s on Gamepass and it releases the same month as Zelda, so I mean… I’m not going to worry about it. Definitely trying it, but I won’t cry much if it whiffs it, you know?
I'm looking forward to this game can't wait they need to ditch the live service bit though
Hope it's good to play solo...cause have no interest in playing online co op....pretty sure it's not couch either
@BAMozzy I will eat my socks if this game is a contender for GoTY.
So far I’ve seen nothing to suggest it’s anywhere near that quality. The boss gameplay that was released looked incredibly tedious. Shoot some bullets run far away, repeat. When the IGN podcast talked about their experience they all said it felt like solo play was tacked on just to be there.
On the other hand, I 100% agree that it’s risk free to try it if you have GP, which I will be doing and hope I’m wrong about the game.
Unless things have changed, I wouldn’t be too worried about the ability to play this single player.
This is a single snapshot of one encounter - an encounter I have done solo but…different context. Based on how I played, there does appear to be player count scaling.
Everything leading up to it was Arkane quality.
I personally loved the game; but not everyone is me.
It all had a very Deathloop feel without the timeloop mechanic and all the maps were connected seamlessly.
I never got that Ubisoft open-world vibe either - but I only ever played the original Assassin’s Creed, a little of the original Far Cray, and a little bit of Watch Dogs.
In some ways it had more of a Breath of the Wild aspect of exploration where you are like “ooh what’s that!? What’s over here?!”
Sometimes there are “oh [expletive]” moments you weren’t expecting like a ‘Souls game (only without the Souls difficulty).
This is going to be damn spectacular 💚
Really looking forward to this one. Hopefully there is still some brilliant Arkane level design tucked away in there.
This game has never grabbed me. I hated the first trailer with the hip, we’re so cool, college heroes that looks like they’re from the recent saints row game and nothing since has convinced me I want to play this. The first gameplay trailer had the playable character waffling on none stop as you’re playing, just like any other game.
Gaming in 2023, maybe some people can relate to characters like these in games but I can’t, I find them annoying af.
‘More authentic’ …it had a countless cuts. It was so badly edited.
There’s no denying that the gameplay ign showed the player contributed to the game not looking great. As did the editing.
But there’s also no denying that the AI has looked pretty dodgy in all footage shown of this so far (replacing intelligence with bullet sponginess). As has the animation …which this footage definitely demonstrates.
At the end of the day they’re charging £70 for games now…the quality has to be at a certain standard. We shall see how this turns out
No matter the "public opinion", I'm really looking forward to playing this game. If terrible, will just delete from Xbox, and move on.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Basically it will be The Division with vampires and little bit of Borderlands thrown in? I'm completely ok with that and will play heck out of it for good while.
@DoctorJohnDisco Arkane have really gone out their way (during interviews) to stress it is not a left 4 dead clone. If so, I'm happy about that. As shared in above comment, I'm getting The Division mixed with Borderlands vibe. And am completely down for playing game like that.
The IGN first footage is horrible! I would recommend looking up Colt Eastwood's video on Redfall for a better look.
IGN don't have anyone on staff who has ever played an FPS apparently. Look to YouTube and better content creators. This just isn't a fair shake for the game.
I do really want to try this with friends as soon as it releases, but I'm afraid it won't grab me or friends instantly with the new footage shown, and a second play session may be challenging...
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...