Arkane game designer refers to Redfall's world being 'too open'

Redfall, an upcoming multiplayer title from Arkane, recently had a game developer open up about the game itself. Harvey Smith, Game Designer for Arkane, discussed the game with IGN and focused particularly on the open-world aspect of the upcoming co-op title. According to the developer, the game was actually “too open”, offering almost nothing to bar the player from progressing through the world itself.

According to the developers of the upcoming game, the exploration will feel similar to that of previous games from Arkane. The main difference is that there will be a much larger area to explore as players work against a vampire invasion.

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Redfall’s open-world did not have enough to stop players from exploring

In the upcoming Redfall, the game will be primarily open-world, as with previous Arkane titles, but the area players will be able to explore will be much larger than titles like Deathloop and Dishonored. According to Harvey Smith, the world was actually “too open”, with little to no obstacles stopping players from exploring the world itself.

Players had almost nothing to stop them from going wherever they wanted as they explored the fishing village of Redfall, Massachusetts. However, there is now some measure of 'gating' within the game's world by creating a pair of districts in the town.

Set in downtown, District One is the first half of the in-game missions. The second district is where the farms, lighthouses, churches, and other quaint areas are located, separating the parts of the game. District Two is essentially various rural areas that surround the town. Players can still wander as they please, but it could lead to some dangerous situations.

Heading into areas the players aren’t ready for could lead to being ill-prepared for the encounters that they get into in Redfall. It may not always be wise to explore too deep into the game's world. The Arkane game developer also spoke about playing the game alone versus playing it multiplayer. The game is spookier when played alone, creating a more engaging and authentic gaming experience.

However, the characters work fantastically in group play, thanks to various synergies and combos the players can achieve together when it comes to gameplay. There’s less fear when playing in a group since the player doesn’t have to work and sneak around alone.

The title will likely feel quite similar to Vermintide or Left 4 Dead, with the characters engaging in some entertaining banter amidst all the action. However, there is certainly some value in playing alone. When playing in multiplayer, only the host of the game actually progresses within the storyline. So, even when playing with friends, it will still be a typical single-player Arkane experience.

Originally scheduled for a 2022 release, the game was later pushed back to 2023, on the PC and Xbox Series X|S, featuring the titular town overrun by Vampires. It’s up to the player to deal with the problem, and while it does feature some stealth mechanics, it is not primarily a stealth game.