Redfall may be an Immersive Sim, but it certainly leans more into its combat than most of its genre-brethren. This means you better get accustomed to the various weapons and abilities at your fingertips because you are going to be using them often. Thankfully Redfall isn’t just about shooting.
No, Redfall has a fair amount going into it, although not too much to dissuade newcomers. Heck, maybe not enough to entice genre vets. Regardless of where you stand, this guide is here to help. We are going to cover everything to do with combat in Redfall, and once we are done, you should be ready to kick some vampire butt.
More Redfall content:
Redfall Previews | Redfall PC Requirements | Remi De La Rosa Character Trailer | Beginners Guide
Stick To Cover
Redfall may advertise itself as a vampire-slaying romp through a picturesque town, but it’s got more to it than just that. It has cultists, and these cultists have guns. Guns are bad news for anyone who has one pointed at them, which naturally, is you. So how do you deal with a fanatical vampire-worshipping cult? You stick to cover.
Your character isn’t that resilient, and bullets hurt. Dipping behind cover breaks line of sight, confuses the AI, and gives you a brief moment to gather yourself before popping out and taking a few shots. Healing is scarce, so keeping something between you is always a good idea.
Keep Moving
Unfortunately, the above advice will do nothing when it comes to most vampires. Vampires are preternaturally strong (and fast), and they are happy to show you that first-hand. A vampire can kill you in about 3 hits if you are unlucky, and hiding behind a box won’t do much to help you.
Instead, when facing these foes, you want to be moving at all times. Kite them like your life depends on it, and keep firing the entire time. Basic vampires can teleport, so be sure to track them however you can. Jacob can mark them with his raven, and anyone can set them on fire.
Combat Is Often Optional
Sometimes you just don’t want to pick up what Redfall is throwing down. Maybe you are light on ammo or low on health. Heck, you might just want to avoid a particularly nasty-looking horde or enemy. Thankfully, Redfall has you covered.
In many cases, combat can be avoided by using stealth and looking around the environment. Anyone can crouch, but some characters have built-in stealth mechanics and navigational tools. Jacob and Layla spring to mind. Do whatever you have to do to get around the obstacle and move on. Oh, and that flare gun you picked up earlier? Handy for distracting enemies.
Stealth Kills Are Quick And Efficient
A lot of hubbubs were circulating before Redfall’s release when leaks of its stealth takedowns hit the web. Basically, Redfall doesn’t have any. Instead, you elbow someone in the butt and they go down. This might sound archaic, and that’s because it is. Does that make it bad? Absolutely not.
In fact, the speed at which you can dispatch an enemy plays into Redfall’s speedy gameplay perfectly, and it allows you to quickly eliminate threats and move on. This will keep you alive, thin the horde, and preserve your resources. When the opportunity arises, whip out the elbow smack.
Have A Vampire Killer On Hand
Like Simon Belmont, you want to keep your vampire killer on hand at all times. Vampires are nasty enemies, and being able to kill one quickly can save you a lot of hassle. There are plenty of weapons in Redfall that fit this bill, and having one ready to go will go a long way.
Shotguns are the most obvious in the early game. They deal a lot of damage, and they even come with an attachable stake. Great. Sometimes you need to kill a vampire from a distance without alerting their culty friends. In these instances, consider a Stake Thrower. These things can down a basic vampire from a distance in a single shot. It’s our go-to when exploring Redfall.
Abuse The AI
Redfall is a fun game to blast through, but there is one aspect that holds it back (well, there’s more than one…) and that’s the AI. The AI is competent at best, but it is very rarely at its best. Because they are so braindead, you are free to abuse them to your heart’s content.
They barely recognise the sound of your gun, they rarely notice dead bodies, and they nearly always forget you exist if a shrub stands between you and them. Use this to your advantage to wrangle the horde, and you should be fine. Most of this also applies to Vampires – heck, they might even be worse.
Environmental Damage
Shooting guns and elbowing bums is not the only way you can deal with enemies. The former will leave you a bit short on ammo later on. Thankfully Redfall is littered with opportunities to deal environmental damage. We would go as far as saying there are too many opportunities.
Everything from oil slicks, to explosive barrels, and electrical devices can be shot to deal a hefty chunk of AOE damage. Anything fire-based can also be used to prevent a vampire from regenerating. It’s nearly always worth taking a shot at these objects, just stand back when you pull the trigger.
Fear Of The Dark
During the day, your biggest threat is a dude with a gun. The gun in question determines just how dangerous that dude is. Snipers are probably the most threatening, but even they go down quickly once you spot them. Vampires are nowhere to be found to boot, making these cultists quite the breezy foe. If you want vampires, you are going to have to go indoors.
This changes when the sun goes down. At night, vampires are free to roam the streets, and they will do just that. Not only that, they will do it in large numbers. If you are used to fighting just one vampire in a dimly lit house, you are going to be in for a shock when multiple teleport in and fight you across the suburbs.
Aim For The Head
Everyone likes their head to not have bullets lodged into it. Since you don’t like anyone in Redfall, feel free to send headshots their way as often as you can. Basic enemies will go down with a single shot from most enemies. This becomes even better once you find a rifle with a scope.
Vampires are just as vulnerable to this too, so whilst you will have to change your strategy in many ways, popping buckshot into their dome remains the same. It will even stagger them, which is always nice. Weirder enemies appear later on, but the same strategy applies – shoot them in the weak point.
Don’t Forget Your Abilities
Redfall is a very basic shooter at heart. There is nothing special going on here, and you will find yourself wavering if you treat it as such. The first thing Redfall asks you to do is pick your character, and each of them has wildly different abilities and ways to interact with the combat soup.
As a result, you want to be using these abilities as often as you can. They are game changers and drastically alter how you engage in the sandbox. No two characters are the same, so feel free to experiment and find one that fits your style. We enjoyed Jacob, but you might dig Layla or Remi.
That’s all we have for Redfall for now. Be sure to check out our other guides, lists, and walkthroughs for more Redfall content.
