Redfall could solve one of the biggest issues with co-op shooters

Redfall seems like it won’t be leaving solo players out to dry. The cooperative shooter is set to be as accommodating to lone wolves as it will be for groups of up to four players, developer Arkane confirms.

Arkane chatted more about Redfall in a blog post on Bethesda’s official site (opens in new tab). The game, launching on PC, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass in 2023, will have a “huge emphasis” on the solo experience.

Redfall “can be soloed with any of the heroes,” the blog post reads. “The pace becomes more exploratory; you can use recon and stealth to gather info on encounters and avoid enemies or get the drop on them.”

The post stresses that solo players won’t be joined by AI teammates, either. Hopefully, this could make Redfall a more immersive game when played solo, granting players the option to take it slow and really comb the environment for secrets and vantage points.

Has Arkane solved a co-op shooter problem?

Similar co-op games like Back 4 Blood offer solo play as an option, but usually emphasize multiplayer as the preferred way to play. Plus, co-op shooters tend to feature AI stand-ins when the roster isn’t filled out by real players.

Arkane looks to be taking the opposite approach by sticking to its strengths as a developer. Games like Prey and Deathloop show off the developer’s prowess for single player-driven experiences. It’s understandable, then, that Arkane would want to keep that DNA embedded in Redfall.

Having co-op play be the focus of a game isn’t a bad thing. But that focus does make it a lot harder to stop and smell the roses. By comparison, Redfall’s open-world design seems like it would be a perfect fit for a solo adventure. As such, we’re happy to see that Arkane is aiming to make the single player experience just as compelling as the multiplayer component.

Co-op and multiplayer games also live and die by their community. If Redfall didn’t have a strong single player component to back it up, then it could just as easily be forgotten after launch when players move on to different games. Arkane looks to be sidestepping this issue entirely simply by not pouring cold water on solo players.

We were pretty impressed by the Redfall gameplay shown off during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase. What was revealed was far more compelling than the CGI trailer that closed last year’s show. As a result, we’re feeling more optimistic about the game now than we did a year ago.