Redfall review: Spooky new game is a butt-clenching fun ride

The new game Redfall had me on the edge of my seat as I hunted down vampires and cultists in the middle of the night.

Redfall had me on the edge of my seat. Picture: Supplied

It’s probably my own fault for playing a vampire game alone — late at night.

Trying out the new first-person shooter game by Arkane Austin had me on the edge of my seat.

Redfall is a spooky yet fun game set in the eponymous and fictional town of Redfall, Massachusetts.

Playing Redfall alone at night was a butt-clenching experience. Picture: Supplied

You start off on a ship and have to escape. Picture: Supplied

It’s a world under siege by vampires and their dastardly followers the cultists - human who are allied with the undead.

The vampires have blocked out the sun - and the rest of the world - from the town. The hero and his team are under siege and must do everything they can do survive.

You can play the game single player or as a co-op with three other friends — on PC or Xbox. I played it single player on the PC.

The game starts off with the protagonist stuck on a ship after trying to escape the cursed island.

Sadly things have gone biblically wrong - on the scale of the Book of Joshua.

After escaping you make your way to the home base, a fire station, although you have to clear it of baddies first.

There are four characters to choose from, all with their distinctive skills, including Jacob Boyer, Layla Ellison, Devinder Crousley and Remedios De La Rosa. Picture: Supplied

You then start on the missions, which involve heading out of the safety of your base and into a dangerous town full of enemies and traps.

The premise is fun — instead of roaming around a fantasy world you’re picking your way through a post-apocalyptic America. The game has a cartoon feel to it but is also realistic.

It’s quite easy to pick up too. The game controls are reminiscent of the Elder Scrolls series - which means they are simple to master and will be for most gamers.

Redfall has a couple of issues though. For example it’s not clear how the stealth mechanics work and the game froze a few times on start-up.

I did enjoy looting all the everyday items however.

The game has a cartoon feel but is also realistic. Picture: Supplied

A map showing the town of Redfall. Picture: Supplied

I played on easy mode using the character Jacob, which meant I had a helpful ghostly assistant in the form of a raven that scouts out enemies.

Nonetheless, it was still quite difficult. The vampires drain your health quickly and you can easily be overwhelmed by cultists armed with assault rifles, shotguns and sniper rifles.

It’s also easy to run out of ammunition and health supplies.

Playing late at night after the kids were in bed — and with my wife at work — made it a butt-clenching experience. I kept expecting vampires to jump out of every shadow. It’s definitely not one for young kids.

Redfall is definitely for adults. Picture: Supplied

Blasting vampires and evil cultists is a victimless crime however and I enjoyed the array of different weapons including the UV beam and stake launcher (perfect for taking down vampires).

The main mission is complicated enough to keep me interested and there are plenty of side-missions too.

There are four players to choose from — Jacob Boyer, Layla Ellison, Devinder Crousley and Remedios De La Rosa — each with their own distinctive abilities. For example you can send out a raven with Jacob, throw a javelin with Devinder, use an umbrella to block enemies with Layla or distract enemies with Remi’s robot.

That gives the game a lot of playback value.

The Arkane team put a lot of creative energy into the game and overall it’s a solid effort for timeworn category.

It’s definitely worth a look.

Originally published as Redfall review: Spooky new game is a butt-clenching fun ride