Bethesda and developer Arkane Studios have confirmed that Redfall will have a controversial feature ahead of its launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC in May. As you may know, Redfall can be played by yourself or online with friends. That said, while you can play the game by yourself, you will need a constant online connection to play it. Don’t have an online connection because the power went out or your Internet is terrible or because you don’t have Internet at all? Well, you’re out of luck.
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Why the game requires a persistent online connection, we don’t know. Bethesda and Arkane Studios haven’t explained why, just confirmed it does. It’s not the first game that can be played as a single-player game to require an online connection, but it’s not common because why it would be? That said, Bethesda has been one of the companies doing this lately. As you may know, it did the same thing with DOOM Eternal.
Another negative aspect of this is game preservation. When the game’s servers are inevitably taken down, the game will be unplayable unless Arkane tweaks this post-launch. Normally when you buy a single-player game you expect to be able to play it as long as you have the proper hardware, but unless this game is a massive hit, it’s going to be unplayable in a few years and even if it is a massive hit, this will simply delay the inevitable, which is that one day no one will be able to play it.
Redfall is set to release worldwide on May 1, 2023 via Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PC. When it releases, it will be available for normal, standalone purchase of $69.99 or be playable via Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Below, you can read an official story synopsis for the game:
“The island town of Redfall, Massachusetts, is under siege by a legion of vampires who have blocked out the sun and cut the citizens off from the outside world. Explore the open world and immerse yourself in a deep story campaign as you unravel the mystery behind the vampires’ appearance. Ally with a handful of survivors against the creatures threatening to bleed the town dry.”
