In the world of major AAA game productions, information is difficult to keep from completely getting out. In some cases, such information can paint a different picture than what was advertised. This is the case when crucial information of the Xbox exclusive action-horror game Redfall leaked, revealing that the game might not be what players are expecting.
The leak came courtesy of an anonymous developer of the game on Reddit. Several posts showed very early gameplay footage as well as the user answering several questions about the game itself. Sadly, those posts, as well as an Imgur album containing the screenshots have been deleted. Thankfully Twitter user J Singh was able to archive some of the answers and posted them.
When Redfall was first announced by Microsoft, some players assumed that they would be getting a dense immersive sim experience. This is because the developers of the game are Arkane Studios, known for making immersive sim experiences like the Dishonored series and Prey 2017. Based on the way the action was staged, some thought it would be more like action setpieces where players would have to fight off a hoard of vampire ghouls in the vein of Left 4 Dead, either of which would be far distant from what the registration of the name had previously thought, as early speculation tied it to The Elder Scrolls, leaving the Redfall subreddit in a state of shock when it was announced.
However, it appears that due to these Redfall leaked screenshots, the game will be a hero-based looter shooter in a semi-open world. To quote the leaker directly, " The heros each have unique abilities which are reminiscent of those found in games like Dishonored. Beyond that its closer to Borderlands-style looter shooter." They go on to say that the game world would allow for co-op and solo play and feature various missions as well as fast travel and safehouses.
We have been able to grab a few of these leaked screenshots ourselves. Overall, it appears that the leaker's claims seem to be legitimate. Above you see a character screen with weapon loadouts, complete with color-coded rarity, damage numbers, and perks. There also appear to be consumable items on the side like lockpicks, bolt cutters, and medkits, probably to use in the open-world environment or in various situations.
Another one of Redfall's leaked images appears to corroborate the Borderlands comparisons as well. Note the placeholder textboxes talking about a character not wanting their auntie to "get dragged down into this." It reads exactly like the kind of mission where players attempt to rescue or save someone from an attack. Another thing of note is the screen real estate that the early version of the HUD is taking up. It's a dead ringer for the kind of set-up most looter shooters use: ammo count, ability cooldowns, support items, wayfinding aids, etc.
Generally speaking with a game in early development like Redfall, it is important to take such leaks with a grain of salt. Productions can change over time, after all. But it can't be denied that a co-op looter shooter where you and your friends team up to fight vampires holds a lot of appeal, and for those who are less than enthused with either Borderlands visual or humor style could be an option to play.
While the original imgur image gallery was taken down, you can see the images on a newly uploaded one here currently, though it is probably only a matter of time before it goes down.
