There’s a lot to learn about Arkane Austin’s upcoming cooperative shooter, red fall. To most, it’s always seemed like Left 4 Dead but with vampires, albeit with a twist of its own, of course. However, as Redfall’s 2023 release approaches, more specific information is being shared.
A new revelation is especially intriguing. It has been confirmed that the progress of the characters in red fall is restricted, meaning that players cannot switch characters mid-campaign, nor can they reconfigure them.
An interview with Arkane Austin’s studio head and co-creative director of red fall, Harvey Smith, provided insight into the unique approach to solo progression that co-op play will employ. Left 4 Dead players will be familiar with the ability to swap between characters on a match-by-match basis while playing the campaign.
However, Redfall has a much more complete progression system for its characters. For this reason, the players of red fall they will be stuck with the character they play.
Smith explains that if players choose Layla as their character, they are “bound to Layla through the campaign mission, the side missions, the entire flow of the game, all the way through.” If players want to play another character, they can, but they will have to start a new save for that character and progress from the beginning of the game with that character.
In this sense, red fall it feels less like Left 4 Dead and more like Borderlands. Players will choose a character and play as them, acquiring loot and customizing their abilities as they go. However, that is not entirely correct either. Smith also confirms that there will be no setting changes in Redfall.
In other words, if a Layla player doesn’t like her powers and wants to change them, they’ll have to start over with a new Layla. The same player can have multiple Laylas at different levels of progression, each with different powers.
A balance between Left 4 Dead characters, each with their own personality and look, and Borderlands, where each character has their own extensive progression paths, seems to be Arkane’s goal. He wants that long-term progression, but he also wants players to switch characters instead of sticking with a single option.