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Want the hard facts about Redfall max level? Then you've come to the right place! It's hardly a secret that Arkane Studios games sit in a category almost all of their own. It feels like it was yesterday that we got around to discussing what Deathloop was and what it wasn't, for example, and now, it's time for us to get around to explaining Redfall once and for all, including the maximum level you can reach!
Indeed, Arkane Studios' video game output is what one would describe as 'erratic' at a glance. Thing is, though, that the studio has just one core philosophy behind all of its work, and that's that its games are immersive sims. The topic - as tired as it may be in some respects - gets brought up whenever Arkane is about to launch a new game.
The simple truth, then, is that the term 'immersive sim' isn't a game genre, but a core development philosophy that informs everything about the experience itself. Its design, its progression, its gameplay systems - all of it. Is Redfall, then, an immersive sim? Was Deathloop? This article is going to help you answer some of those questions and, perhaps, get you as intrigued by this game as we've been all along!
READ MORE: 2Game's Top 100 Must-Play PC Games of All Time
Explaining Redfall Max Level Using Gameplay Footage & Revealed Info
Described primarily as a "true Arkane experience," Redfall is an open-world first-person shooter where players take on the creatures of the night - vampires. Given Arkane Studios' previous output - Prey, Dishonored, etc. - everything points to these monsters being a mix between the classic Nosferatu and Peter Watts' staggeringly horrific super-predators. A force to be reckoned with, and one that's turned the island city of Redfall up on its head.
Arkane has, of course, flirted with genuine open-world setups for some time now. Prey arguably featured the single best space station ever created for a video game and, if you know how to do it, you could traverse all of it from the start of the game. And no - that is not a joke! Deathloop, in comparison, was more level-based. Its time-travel shenanigans meant that each of its four baseline levels needed to be a mini-sandbox all of its own, which puts it roughly into the same ballpark.
Redfall, though, is a full-on open-world FPS. With four playable characters (Devinder, Layla, Remi, and Jacob) each a combatant class all of their own, this looks like a Borderlands game with Arkane Studios DNA from our point of view.
As would be expected with a shooter of its kind, there is a Redfall level cap / maximum level that serves as the highest prowess your character can reach. You can level up by destroying Vampire Gods, completing missions, including side missions, ticking off Safehouse missions, collecting Redfall Underboss Skulls, clearing the Redfall Red Mist, and generally kicking vampire ass as you go about trying not to die! With each new level that you reach in the game, you will work your way towards earning enough points to unlock a skill point that you can then use exploring each of the character's skill trees. These Skill trees are pretty substantial, by the way, and they lean into the characters' unique powers.
The maximum level is 40, meaning you won't get any additional skill points or levels above that. That shouldn't stop you from completing more levels and side missions even after you've reached the maximum level though. I mean, vanquishing vampires comes with its own thrills, regardless of whether or not you get any additional skill points. Being a vampire-killer is worth more than a skill point!
First-Person Shooting Vs. Immersive Exploration
We know that not everyone will be thrilled with the fact that Redfall is, much like Deathloop, more of a straightforward FPS than a true immersive sim, like Prey. Yet, the lessons Arkane learned in its previous productions will apply. In fact, the township of Redfall, Massachusetts has been designed from the ground up by the very same people who were responsible for Prey's Talos I and Dishonored's Dunwall. The fact that Deathloop's own Blackreef island has been omitted from this list tells us that the highlights are very deliberate indeed.
Given the studio's pedigree, Redfall cannot be a simple, straightforward FPS. Drawing back upon our Borderlands comparison, there are certainly key elements that feel similar:
- optional 4-player co-op multiplayer
- dedicated character classes
- open-world combat and exploration
- (seemingly) randomized weaponry
However, where a true looter-shooter could rely on its loot and gunplay alone to drive players forward, this is not why people splurge on Arkane Studios titles at all. To that end, expect far more interactivity with the game world. From traversal - which looks like a logical, if subdued evolution of Deathloop's movement - all the way to exploration, there are bits and pieces shown in gameplay that imply there's more to Redfall than might seem at a glance.
The extent of these, of course, won't be known until we get to play the game at our own pace. We have a sneaking suspicion, though, that we're in for a heck of a time.
How Far Do The Open-World Systems Go?
And, really, that's the key question then: how far will Arkane Studios take Redfall into immersive sim territory? Because the studio's never put out a game that doesn't at least heavily lean towards this concept, when you think about it. Developers have already confirmed that Redfall isn't going to be the new standard moving forward.
"We will eventually probably go back," said Redfall's Director, Harvey Smith to GamesRadar+, when discussing the future of the studio. Specifically, Smith was referring to Arkane's heavy use of relatively small, localized sandbox levels that are filled to the brim with content and complexity. "I mean, like, why couldn't we do what we do open world? You know, why couldn't we? And then you get into it, and you're, 'you know, oh, well, there's a reason why everybody doesn't do this," explained Smith.
The obvious implication, then, is that Redfall will be its own thing, but that the game will invariably lean toward classic Arkane gunplay, progression, and system-driven gameplay. Yet, it will not be a true immersive sim from the looks of it.
Are You Excited for Redfall? We Are!
Considering everything we've pointed out above, Redfall stands out as its own thing, really. Whereas Deathloop ended up being tied with Dishonored in some deep, meaningful ways, this will not end up being the case with Redfall, allowing Arkane to deliver something different from what the players are used to.
At the same time, do expect elements of the immersive sim "genre" to pop up. The game is currently slated for a tentative 2023 launch window, with more specifics supposedly pending very soon. We should be getting more info within the next couple of weeks, specifically! Microsoft and Bethesda are gearing up for a January 25 showcase - it's virtually impossible that Redfall doesn't make the rounds there.
Expect ample coverage here at 2Game - January showcase included! And do stay tuned, because we think Redfall is going to kick some serious hiney in due time.
Get in the Game ! 
