TECH

Video Game Review: Red Dead Redemption

 

Written by Lee Clifford

 

Imagine a life in 1911’s American West. Brave pioneers settling in a savage land with harsh summers and cruel winter. Native Americans forced from their land by the self-righteous white man, vowing to take back what is theirs. An industrial revolution looms over the current day, threatening what has been the only way of life people have known. South of the border, Mexico is in a bloody revolutionary war. Gangs of outlaws make livings by plundering and striking fear into the hearts of the innocent while understaffed lawmen try to maintain order.

Welcome to the world of Red Dead Redemption.

I’ll start by saying, I’ve never been a fan of Westerns. I’ve seen a few movies and have enjoyed them, but the Western is never a genre I think of going to right away when I think movies. Likewise it’s a genre that’s almost been entirely forgotten in gaming; in a world of futuristic shootouts and glorification of war, it’s easy to overlook a time when a rifle you could fire twice before reloading was considered state of the art.

Premise
Red Dead Redemption puts you in the boots of John Marston, a former outlaw who is in a very tough situation: convince his former gang to turn themselves in (or kill them if they refuse) or lose his family at the hands of government police. With little hope and less faith, Marston is put on a train to head back out to his old stomping grounds and complete his task, or die trying.

Upon meeting with his old gang, it goes about as planned as John is shot in the ribs and left for dead, only to be found and brought to safety by a pair of strangers.

John awakens days later to learn he has been saved and cared for by these strangers, who even paid out a then hefty $15 doctor’s bill to save his life (remember, this is a time when a place to live could be bought for $50). John is awe-struck by the goodness of these strangers, and has a renewed hope in his fellow man, but also a brooding bitterness about his former allies and the government that holds his family’s lives in their hands.

Thus, John is dropped into a huge open world where his decisions will make him a hero of the people, or pubic enemy number one.

Gameplay
This game has a tonne of terrific features to it, but the way the game handles is what shines through. Rockstar’s usual go-to brand of Grand Theft Auto has always had controls that were just a little wonky and at times seemed to have a mind of their own, taking away from the experience. Any of those old bugs are gone in Red Dead Redemption, the game handles like a dream. The terrific controls make for a very short learning curve as I was smoothly galloping my steed through barren wastelands, picking off bandits with my six shooter within minutes.

Like many games, Red Dead Redemption puts the fate of the entire region in the hands of the player. Many times the player will be faced with decisions to make, oftentimes coming down to taking the honest and often tougher and less glamourous approach, or pursuing greed for wealth and power without any concern for the outcome of their actions. The possibility to be a folk hero, or scourge of the west, are at the player’s fingertips, it all comes down to the choices they make.

Another very cool feature in the gameplay is the random events that occur throughout the wild west. Where many games just have a start point, an objective, and a straight route between the two and little else, Red Dead Redemption has beefed up the world considerably. A world as large as the wild west would get very boring to travel across multiple times, so Rockstar have thrown in random events to keep the travel exciting. Imagine travelling along a dirt road you’ve traversed dozens of times before, but this time you encounter a band of outlaws harrying innocent travellers; then you have the choice to help the innocents, assist the outlaws, or just keep on going down the road. This feature really also cements the good or evil theme of the game; a ravaging outlaw will see opportunity in these random events, while someone trying to take the path of the hero will no doubt step in and save the day, or at least try.

Within five minutes of travelling, I heard distant screams for help and gunshots echoing through the prairies. With no high-tech GPS like in most games, I had no idea where exactly the sounds were coming from. Trying to play the gallant hero, I raced up a hill to get a better point of view, trying desperately to find the trouble before it was too late; and as I fruitlessly scoured the horizon for any sign of this struggle, I heard the last few screams fade out and the gunfire cease; the game delivered an extremely powerful emotional moment as I failed to save the strangers out there being attacked and left the bitter reality in my mouth that I can’t save everyone, it’s called the wild west for a reason.

But I felt better when the next day I saw some bandits dragging some poor guy through town behind their horses, shot the bandits, freed the civilian, and was responsible for getting some scum off the streets.

Graphics
Instantly the player will be wowed by the impressive graphics. The opening scene of a riverboat pulling in to pier shows that Rockstar has upped their visual prowess significantly since their last title, the cultishly popular GTA IV.

When a player takes their first ride on horseback out into the open prairies, one can not help but be astonished at the expansive beauty of the world; even dry deserts have a beauty to them. Again this is, in my opinion, Rockstar’s best graphical showing yet, they have truly made a world to behold.

Characters
Many games in this generation feature pretentious, whiney gits in the place of classic heroes and villains, thankfully Red Dead Redemption is not one of those games. John Marston’s circumstances are tragic, but he doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself; he stands up and takes action. This is a western, where men are men, and it’s a welcome change to the usual main characters in today’s gaming. 

John Marston is Red Dead’s Clint Eastwood, but by no means is he the only character who matters. As the player develops relationships with sheriff Lee, an old lawman trying to work with what little he has to maintain order, and the MacFarlane family, who take John in and tend to his wounds, and many other characters, the player will feel even more immersed in this spaghetti western world as the characters are all handled realistically and smartly; yes there are some comic relief buffoons, but even they’re done tastefully.

The characters all have that true southern/western charm that you would expect from a spaghetti western. With charming southern accents spouting lines such as “I do declare, suh.” and cool, western drawls of “howdy” and a tip of the hat, it’s easy to sometimes forget what a savage world awaits out there.

Sound
Simply put, the soundtrack is a subtle ambience that is a perfect fit for this western world. Some games are guilty of pumping the soundtrack at you sometimes to the extent that you miss dialogue over the music, but Red Dead keeps the music incredibly stripped down to not only suit the time period, but to also keep the atmosphere believable.

The voice acting is fantastic. As previously stated, the characters are all well done, and that is a result of smart and tasteful voice acting; Rockstar is always guilty of throwing in some racial stereotypes in their games, and in a few cases that still holds true in Red Dead, but it’s toned down so much that it’s less obnoxious and in a way, almost a little charmi
ng.

Online Multiplayer
Though the single player mode is solid, a big draw for many will be the expansive online multiplayer. 16 players at once will able to travel around in posses or alone, adventuring the American West as they see fit. 

The game does contain the standard fare of online shooter modes, with death match, capture the flag variants and an attack/defend game type reminiscent of Unreal Tournament, online gamers will have plenty to do, but those modes aren’t the big show.

Multiplayer free roam is a mode that is exactly that: free. Gather 16 players and do with the world as you see fit; take down outlaw strongholds, rob banks, go hunting, even break into separate factions and do battle with one another, the world is at your fingertips to use as you see fit. With the entire world available at one time, players can be in completely different regions from one another while still playing in the same game. While your friends might be robbing a stage coach in the parched desert, you may be up in the mountains hunting with other friends. 

A downside with online multiplayer is the same as it is in any game: there are going to be gamers that you just don’t get along with. Keeping in mind that Rockstar’s usual fan base is gamers of Grand Theft Auto, many games I enter at first become little more than chaotic gunfights everywhere, sometimes not even giving you time to move before another trigger happy gamer is stampeding at you, emptying his six shooter all the while. 

fortunately this is remedied multiple ways: the gamer can simply find another open free roam, or can just travel to another location on the map. Having been fed up with the anarchistic hail of bullets in the town I began in, I managed to get to a stable, get my horse and just rode as far and as fast as I could. Within moments a trio followed me, but didn’t shoot; cautious of whether or not I could trust them, I slowed and let them approach, but kept my own six shooter trained on the leader of this trio.

This is, after all, the wild west. 

We talked and they said they were tired of the gunfights in town, so the four of us set out for adventure, winding up in civil war-torn Mexico, trying to aid in restoration of the general peace; the gunbunnies up North several miles were oblivious to what we were doing, so everyone was doing what they felt was fun for them at the same time despite the difference in tastes.

Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a fan of Westerns or not, you need to at least rent this game. This is a title that should not go ignored in any gamer’s library; with stunning visuals, a great open world with infinite things to do, a deep multiplayer and a very enjoyable single player, Red Dead Redemption is definitely going to be one of, if not the, stand out games of 2010.

I’m out

 

Written by Lee Clifford

 

Imagine a life in 1911’s American West. Brave pioneers settling in a savage land with harsh summers and cruel winter. Native Americans forced from their land by the self-righteous white man, vowing to take back what is theirs. An industrial revolution looms over the current day, threatening what has been the only way of life people have known. South of the border, Mexico is in a bloody revolutionary war. Gangs of outlaws make livings by plundering and striking fear into the hearts of the innocent while understaffed lawmen try to maintain order.

Welcome to the world of Red Dead Redemption.

I’ll start by saying, I’ve never been a fan of Westerns. I’ve seen a few movies and have enjoyed them, but the Western is never a genre I think of going to right away when I think movies. Likewise it’s a genre that’s almost been entirely forgotten in gaming; in a world of futuristic shootouts and glorification of war, it’s easy to overlook a time when a rifle you could fire twice before reloading was considered state of the art.

Premise
Red Dead Redemption puts you in the boots of John Marston, a former outlaw who is in a very tough situation: convince his former gang to turn themselves in (or kill them if they refuse) or lose his family at the hands of government police. With little hope and less faith, Marston is put on a train to head back out to his old stomping grounds and complete his task, or die trying.

Upon meeting with his old gang, it goes about as planned as John is shot in the ribs and left for dead, only to be found and brought to safety by a pair of strangers.

John awakens days later to learn he has been saved and cared for by these strangers, who even paid out a then hefty $15 doctor’s bill to save his life (remember, this is a time when a place to live could be bought for $50). John is awe-struck by the goodness of these strangers, and has a renewed hope in his fellow man, but also a brooding bitterness about his former allies and the government that holds his family’s lives in their hands.

Thus, John is dropped into a huge open world where his decisions will make him a hero of the people, or pubic enemy number one.

Gameplay
This game has a tonne of terrific features to it, but the way the game handles is what shines through. Rockstar’s usual go-to brand of Grand Theft Auto has always had controls that were just a little wonky and at times seemed to have a mind of their own, taking away from the experience. Any of those old bugs are gone in Red Dead Redemption, the game handles like a dream. The terrific controls make for a very short learning curve as I was smoothly galloping my steed through barren wastelands, picking off bandits with my six shooter within minutes.

Like many games, Red Dead Redemption puts the fate of the entire region in the hands of the player. Many times the player will be faced with decisions to make, oftentimes coming down to taking the honest and often tougher and less glamourous approach, or pursuing greed for wealth and power without any concern for the outcome of their actions. The possibility to be a folk hero, or scourge of the west, are at the player’s fingertips, it all comes down to the choices they make.

Another very cool feature in the gameplay is the random events that occur throughout the wild west. Where many games just have a start point, an objective, and a straight route between the two and little else, Red Dead Redemption has beefed up the world considerably. A world as large as the wild west would get very boring to travel across multiple times, so Rockstar have thrown in random events to keep the travel exciting. Imagine travelling along a dirt road you’ve traversed dozens of times before, but this time you encounter a band of outlaws harrying innocent travellers; then you have the choice to help the innocents, assist the outlaws, or just keep on going down the road. This feature really also cements the good or evil theme of the game; a ravaging outlaw will see opportunity in these random events, while someone trying to take the path of the hero will no doubt step in and save the day, or at least try.

Within five minutes of travelling, I heard distant screams for help and gunshots echoing through the prairies. With no high-tech GPS like in most games, I had no idea where exactly the sounds were coming from. Trying to play the gallant hero, I raced up a hill to get a better point of view, trying desperately to find the trouble before it was too late; and as I fruitlessly scoured the horizon for any sign of this struggle, I heard the last few screams fade out and the gunfire cease; the game delivered an extremely powerful emotional moment as I failed to save the strangers out there being attacked and left the bitter reality in my mouth that I can’t save everyone, it’s called the wild west for a reason.

But I felt better when the next day I saw some bandits dragging some poor guy through town behind their horses, shot the bandits, freed the civilian, and was responsible for getting some scum off the streets.

Graphics
Instantly the player will be wowed by the impressive graphics. The opening scene of a riverboat pulling in to pier shows that Rockstar has upped their visual prowess significantly since their last title, the cultishly popular GTA IV.

When a player takes their first ride on horseback out into the open prairies, one can not help but be astonished at the expansive beauty of the world; even dry deserts have a beauty to them. Again this is, in my opinion, Rockstar’s best graphical showing yet, they have truly made a world to behold.

Characters
Many games in this generation feature pretentious, whiney gits in the place of classic heroes and villains, thankfully Red Dead Redemption is not one of those games. John Marston’s circumstances are tragic, but he doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself; he stands up and takes action. This is a western, where men are men, and it’s a welcome change to the usual main characters in today’s gaming. 

John Marston is Red Dead’s Clint Eastwood, but by no means is he the only character who matters. As the player develops relationships with sheriff Lee, an old lawman trying to work with what little he has to maintain order, and the MacFarlane family, who take John in and tend to his wounds, and many other characters, the player will feel even more immersed in this spaghetti western world as the characters are all handled realistically and smartly; yes there are some comic relief buffoons, but even they’re done tastefully.

The characters all have that true southern/western charm that you would expect from a spaghetti western. With charming southern accents spouting lines such as “I do declare, suh.” and cool, western drawls of “howdy” and a tip of the hat, it’s easy to sometimes forget what a savage world awaits out there.

Sound
Simply put, the soundtrack is a subtle ambience that is a perfect fit for this western world. Some games are guilty of pumping the soundtrack at you sometimes to the extent that you miss dialogue over the music, but Red Dead keeps the music incredibly stripped down to not only suit the time period, but to also keep the atmosphere believable.

The voice acting is fantastic. As previously stated, the characters are all well done, and that is a result of smart and tasteful voice acting; Rockstar is always guilty of throwing in some racial stereotypes in their games, and in a few cases that still holds true in Red Dead, but it’s toned down so much that it’s less obnoxious and in a way, almost a little charmi
ng.

Online Multiplayer
Though the single player mode is solid, a big draw for many will be the expansive online multiplayer. 16 players at once will able to travel around in posses or alone, adventuring the American West as they see fit. 

The game does contain the standard fare of online shooter modes, with death match, capture the flag variants and an attack/defend game type reminiscent of Unreal Tournament, online gamers will have plenty to do, but those modes aren’t the big show.

Multiplayer free roam is a mode that is exactly that: free. Gather 16 players and do with the world as you see fit; take down outlaw strongholds, rob banks, go hunting, even break into separate factions and do battle with one another, the world is at your fingertips to use as you see fit. With the entire world available at one time, players can be in completely different regions from one another while still playing in the same game. While your friends might be robbing a stage coach in the parched desert, you may be up in the mountains hunting with other friends. 

A downside with online multiplayer is the same as it is in any game: there are going to be gamers that you just don’t get along with. Keeping in mind that Rockstar’s usual fan base is gamers of Grand Theft Auto, many games I enter at first become little more than chaotic gunfights everywhere, sometimes not even giving you time to move before another trigger happy gamer is stampeding at you, emptying his six shooter all the while. 

fortunately this is remedied multiple ways: the gamer can simply find another open free roam, or can just travel to another location on the map. Having been fed up with the anarchistic hail of bullets in the town I began in, I managed to get to a stable, get my horse and just rode as far and as fast as I could. Within moments a trio followed me, but didn’t shoot; cautious of whether or not I could trust them, I slowed and let them approach, but kept my own six shooter trained on the leader of this trio.

This is, after all, the wild west. 

We talked and they said they were tired of the gunfights in town, so the four of us set out for adventure, winding up in civil war-torn Mexico, trying to aid in restoration of the general peace; the gunbunnies up North several miles were oblivious to what we were doing, so everyone was doing what they felt was fun for them at the same time despite the difference in tastes.

Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a fan of Westerns or not, you need to at least rent this game. This is a title that should not go ignored in any gamer’s library; with stunning visuals, a great open world with infinite things to do, a deep multiplayer and a very enjoyable single player, Red Dead Redemption is definitely going to be one of, if not the, stand out games of 2010.

I’m out

 

Written by Lee Clifford

 

Imagine a life in 1911’s American West. Brave pioneers settling in a savage land with harsh summers and cruel winter. Native Americans forced from their land by the self-righteous white man, vowing to take back what is theirs. An industrial revolution looms over the current day, threatening what has been the only way of life people have known. South of the border, Mexico is in a bloody revolutionary war. Gangs of outlaws make livings by plundering and striking fear into the hearts of the innocent while understaffed lawmen try to maintain order.

Welcome to the world of Red Dead Redemption.

I’ll start by saying, I’ve never been a fan of Westerns. I’ve seen a few movies and have enjoyed them, but the Western is never a genre I think of going to right away when I think movies. Likewise it’s a genre that’s almost been entirely forgotten in gaming; in a world of futuristic shootouts and glorification of war, it’s easy to overlook a time when a rifle you could fire twice before reloading was considered state of the art.

Premise
Red Dead Redemption puts you in the boots of John Marston, a former outlaw who is in a very tough situation: convince his former gang to turn themselves in (or kill them if they refuse) or lose his family at the hands of government police. With little hope and less faith, Marston is put on a train to head back out to his old stomping grounds and complete his task, or die trying.

Upon meeting with his old gang, it goes about as planned as John is shot in the ribs and left for dead, only to be found and brought to safety by a pair of strangers.

John awakens days later to learn he has been saved and cared for by these strangers, who even paid out a then hefty $15 doctor’s bill to save his life (remember, this is a time when a place to live could be bought for $50). John is awe-struck by the goodness of these strangers, and has a renewed hope in his fellow man, but also a brooding bitterness about his former allies and the government that holds his family’s lives in their hands.

Thus, John is dropped into a huge open world where his decisions will make him a hero of the people, or pubic enemy number one.

Gameplay
This game has a tonne of terrific features to it, but the way the game handles is what shines through. Rockstar’s usual go-to brand of Grand Theft Auto has always had controls that were just a little wonky and at times seemed to have a mind of their own, taking away from the experience. Any of those old bugs are gone in Red Dead Redemption, the game handles like a dream. The terrific controls make for a very short learning curve as I was smoothly galloping my steed through barren wastelands, picking off bandits with my six shooter within minutes.

Like many games, Red Dead Redemption puts the fate of the entire region in the hands of the player. Many times the player will be faced with decisions to make, oftentimes coming down to taking the honest and often tougher and less glamourous approach, or pursuing greed for wealth and power without any concern for the outcome of their actions. The possibility to be a folk hero, or scourge of the west, are at the player’s fingertips, it all comes down to the choices they make.

Another very cool feature in the gameplay is the random events that occur throughout the wild west. Where many games just have a start point, an objective, and a straight route between the two and little else, Red Dead Redemption has beefed up the world considerably. A world as large as the wild west would get very boring to travel across multiple times, so Rockstar have thrown in random events to keep the travel exciting. Imagine travelling along a dirt road you’ve traversed dozens of times before, but this time you encounter a band of outlaws harrying innocent travellers; then you have the choice to help the innocents, assist the outlaws, or just keep on going down the road. This feature really also cements the good or evil theme of the game; a ravaging outlaw will see opportunity in these random events, while someone trying to take the path of the hero will no doubt step in and save the day, or at least try.

Within five minutes of travelling, I heard distant screams for help and gunshots echoing through the prairies. With no high-tech GPS like in most games, I had no idea where exactly the sounds were coming from. Trying to play the gallant hero, I raced up a hill to get a better point of view, trying desperately to find the trouble before it was too late; and as I fruitlessly scoured the horizon for any sign of this struggle, I heard the last few screams fade out and the gunfire cease; the game delivered an extremely powerful emotional moment as I failed to save the strangers out there being attacked and left the bitter reality in my mouth that I can’t save everyone, it’s called the wild west for a reason.

But I felt better when the next day I saw some bandits dragging some poor guy through town behind their horses, shot the bandits, freed the civilian, and was responsible for getting some scum off the streets.

Graphics
Instantly the player will be wowed by the impressive graphics. The opening scene of a riverboat pulling in to pier shows that Rockstar has upped their visual prowess significantly since their last title, the cultishly popular GTA IV.

When a player takes their first ride on horseback out into the open prairies, one can not help but be astonished at the expansive beauty of the world; even dry deserts have a beauty to them. Again this is, in my opinion, Rockstar’s best graphical showing yet, they have truly made a world to behold.

Characters
Many games in this generation feature pretentious, whiney gits in the place of classic heroes and villains, thankfully Red Dead Redemption is not one of those games. John Marston’s circumstances are tragic, but he doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself; he stands up and takes action. This is a western, where men are men, and it’s a welcome change to the usual main characters in today’s gaming.

John Marston is Red Dead’s Clint Eastwood, but by no means is he the only character who matters. As the player develops relationships with sheriff Lee, an old lawman trying to work with what little he has to maintain order, and the MacFarlane family, who take John in and tend to his wounds, and many other characters, the player will feel even more immersed in this spaghetti western world as the characters are all handled realistically and smartly; yes there are some comic relief buffoons, but even they’re done tastefully.

The characters all have that true southern/western charm that you would expect from a spaghetti western. With charming southern accents spouting lines such as “I do declare, suh.” and cool, western drawls of “howdy” and a tip of the hat, it’s easy to sometimes forget what a savage world awaits out there.

Sound
Simply put, the soundtrack is a subtle ambience that is a perfect fit for this western world. Some games are guilty of pumping the soundtrack at you sometimes to the extent that you miss dialogue over the music, but Red Dead keeps the music incredibly stripped down to not only suit the time period, but to also keep the atmosphere believable.

The voice acting is fantastic. As previously stated, the characters are all well done, and that is a result of smart and tasteful voice acting; Rockstar is always guilty of throwing in some racial stereotypes in their games, and in a few cases that still holds true in Red Dead, but it’s toned down so much that it’s less obnoxious and in a way, almost a little charmin
g.

Online Multiplayer
Though the single player mode is solid, a big draw for many will be the expansive online multiplayer. 16 players at once will able to travel around in posses or alone, adventuring the American West as they see fit.

The game does contain the standard fare of online shooter modes, with death match, capture the flag variants and an attack/defend game type reminiscent of Unreal Tournament, online gamers will have plenty to do, but those modes aren’t the big show.

Multiplayer free roam is a mode that is exactly that: free. Gather 16 players and do with the world as you see fit; take down outlaw strongholds, rob banks, go hunting, even break into separate factions and do battle with one another, the world is at your fingertips to use as you see fit. With the entire world available at one time, players can be in completely different regions from one another while still playing in the same game. While your friends might be robbing a stage coach in the parched desert, you may be up in the mountains hunting with other friends.

A downside with online multiplayer is the same as it is in any game: there are going to be gamers that you just don’t get along with. Keeping in mind that Rockstar’s usual fan base is gamers of Grand Theft Auto, many games I enter at first become little more than chaotic gunfights everywhere, sometimes not even giving you time to move before another trigger happy gamer is stampeding at you, emptying his six shooter all the while.

fortunately this is remedied multiple ways: the gamer can simply find another open free roam, or can just travel to another location on the map. Having been fed up with the anarchistic hail of bullets in the town I began in, I managed to get to a stable, get my horse and just rode as far and as fast as I could. Within moments a trio followed me, but didn’t shoot; cautious of whether or not I could trust them, I slowed and let them approach, but kept my own six shooter trained on the leader of this trio.

This is, after all, the wild west.

We talked and they said they were tired of the gunfights in town, so the four of us set out for adventure, winding up in civil war-torn Mexico, trying to aid in restoration of the general peace; the gunbunnies up North several miles were oblivious to what we were doing, so everyone was doing what they felt was fun for them at the same time despite the difference in tastes.

Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a fan of Westerns or not, you need to at least rent this game. This is a title that should not go ignored in any gamer’s library; with stunning visuals, a great open world with infinite things to do, a deep multiplayer and a very enjoyable single player, Red Dead Redemption is definitely going to be one of, if not the, stand out games of 2010.

I’m out

 

Written by Lee Clifford

 

Imagine a life in 1911’s American West. Brave pioneers settling in a savage land with harsh summers and cruel winter. Native Americans forced from their land by the self-righteous white man, vowing to take back what is theirs. An industrial revolution looms over the current day, threatening what has been the only way of life people have known. South of the border, Mexico is in a bloody revolutionary war. Gangs of outlaws make livings by plundering and striking fear into the hearts of the innocent while understaffed lawmen try to maintain order.

Welcome to the world of Red Dead Redemption.

I’ll start by saying, I’ve never been a fan of Westerns. I’ve seen a few movies and have enjoyed them, but the Western is never a genre I think of going to right away when I think movies. Likewise it’s a genre that’s almost been entirely forgotten in gaming; in a world of futuristic shootouts and glorification of war, it’s easy to overlook a time when a rifle you could fire twice before reloading was considered state of the art.

Premise
Red Dead Redemption puts you in the boots of John Marston, a former outlaw who is in a very tough situation: convince his former gang to turn themselves in (or kill them if they refuse) or lose his family at the hands of government police. With little hope and less faith, Marston is put on a train to head back out to his old stomping grounds and complete his task, or die trying.

Upon meeting with his old gang, it goes about as planned as John is shot in the ribs and left for dead, only to be found and brought to safety by a pair of strangers.

John awakens days later to learn he has been saved and cared for by these strangers, who even paid out a then hefty $15 doctor’s bill to save his life (remember, this is a time when a place to live could be bought for $50). John is awe-struck by the goodness of these strangers, and has a renewed hope in his fellow man, but also a brooding bitterness about his former allies and the government that holds his family’s lives in their hands.

Thus, John is dropped into a huge open world where his decisions will make him a hero of the people, or pubic enemy number one.

Gameplay
This game has a tonne of terrific features to it, but the way the game handles is what shines through. Rockstar’s usual go-to brand of Grand Theft Auto has always had controls that were just a little wonky and at times seemed to have a mind of their own, taking away from the experience. Any of those old bugs are gone in Red Dead Redemption, the game handles like a dream. The terrific controls make for a very short learning curve as I was smoothly galloping my steed through barren wastelands, picking off bandits with my six shooter within minutes.

Like many games, Red Dead Redemption puts the fate of the entire region in the hands of the player. Many times the player will be faced with decisions to make, oftentimes coming down to taking the honest and often tougher and less glamourous approach, or pursuing greed for wealth and power without any concern for the outcome of their actions. The possibility to be a folk hero, or scourge of the west, are at the player’s fingertips, it all comes down to the choices they make.

Another very cool feature in the gameplay is the random events that occur throughout the wild west. Where many games just have a start point, an objective, and a straight route between the two and little else, Red Dead Redemption has beefed up the world considerably. A world as large as the wild west would get very boring to travel across multiple times, so Rockstar have thrown in random events to keep the travel exciting. Imagine travelling along a dirt road you’ve traversed dozens of times before, but this time you encounter a band of outlaws harrying innocent travellers; then you have the choice to help the innocents, assist the outlaws, or just keep on going down the road. This feature really also cements the good or evil theme of the game; a ravaging outlaw will see opportunity in these random events, while someone trying to take the path of the hero will no doubt step in and save the day, or at least try.

Within five minutes of travelling, I heard distant screams for help and gunshots echoing through the prairies. With no high-tech GPS like in most games, I had no idea where exactly the sounds were coming from. Trying to play the gallant hero, I raced up a hill to get a better point of view, trying desperately to find the trouble before it was too late; and as I fruitlessly scoured the horizon for any sign of this struggle, I heard the last few screams fade out and the gunfire cease; the game delivered an extremely powerful emotional moment as I failed to save the strangers out there being attacked and left the bitter reality in my mouth that I can’t save everyone, it’s called the wild west for a reason.

But I felt better when the next day I saw some bandits dragging some poor guy through town behind their horses, shot the bandits, freed the civilian, and was responsible for getting some scum off the streets.

Graphics
Instantly the player will be wowed by the impressive graphics. The opening scene of a riverboat pulling in to pier shows that Rockstar has upped their visual prowess significantly since their last title, the cultishly popular GTA IV.

When a player takes their first ride on horseback out into the open prairies, one can not help but be astonished at the expansive beauty of the world; even dry deserts have a beauty to them. Again this is, in my opinion, Rockstar’s best graphical showing yet, they have truly made a world to behold.

Characters
Many games in this generation feature pretentious, whiney gits in the place of classic heroes and villains, thankfully Red Dead Redemption is not one of those games. John Marston’s circumstances are tragic, but he doesn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself; he stands up and takes action. This is a western, where men are men, and it’s a welcome change to the usual main characters in today’s gaming. 

John Marston is Red Dead’s Clint Eastwood, but by no means is he the only character who matters. As the player develops relationships with sheriff Lee, an old lawman trying to work with what little he has to maintain order, and the MacFarlane family, who take John in and tend to his wounds, and many other characters, the player will feel even more immersed in this spaghetti western world as the characters are all handled realistically and smartly; yes there are some comic relief buffoons, but even they’re done tastefully.

The characters all have that true southern/western charm that you would expect from a spaghetti western. With charming southern accents spouting lines such as “I do declare, suh.” and cool, western drawls of “howdy” and a tip of the hat, it’s easy to sometimes forget what a savage world awaits out there.

Sound
Simply put, the soundtrack is a subtle ambience that is a perfect fit for this western world. Some games are guilty of pumping the soundtrack at you sometimes to the extent that you miss dialogue over the music, but Red Dead keeps the music incredibly stripped down to not only suit the time period, but to also keep the atmosphere believable.

The voice acting is fantastic. As previously stated, the characters are all well done, and that is a result of smart and tasteful voice acting; Rockstar is always guilty of throwing in some racial stereotypes in their games, and in a few cases that still holds true in Red Dead, but it’s toned down so much that it’s less obnoxious and in a way, almost a little charmi
ng.

Online Multiplayer
Though the single player mode is solid, a big draw for many will be the expansive online multiplayer. 16 players at once will able to travel around in posses or alone, adventuring the American West as they see fit. 

The game does contain the standard fare of online shooter modes, with death match, capture the flag variants and an attack/defend game type reminiscent of Unreal Tournament, online gamers will have plenty to do, but those modes aren’t the big show.

Multiplayer free roam is a mode that is exactly that: free. Gather 16 players and do with the world as you see fit; take down outlaw strongholds, rob banks, go hunting, even break into separate factions and do battle with one another, the world is at your fingertips to use as you see fit. With the entire world available at one time, players can be in completely different regions from one another while still playing in the same game. While your friends might be robbing a stage coach in the parched desert, you may be up in the mountains hunting with other friends. 

A downside with online multiplayer is the same as it is in any game: there are going to be gamers that you just don’t get along with. Keeping in mind that Rockstar’s usual fan base is gamers of Grand Theft Auto, many games I enter at first become little more than chaotic gunfights everywhere, sometimes not even giving you time to move before another trigger happy gamer is stampeding at you, emptying his six shooter all the while. 

fortunately this is remedied multiple ways: the gamer can simply find another open free roam, or can just travel to another location on the map. Having been fed up with the anarchistic hail of bullets in the town I began in, I managed to get to a stable, get my horse and just rode as far and as fast as I could. Within moments a trio followed me, but didn’t shoot; cautious of whether or not I could trust them, I slowed and let them approach, but kept my own six shooter trained on the leader of this trio.

This is, after all, the wild west. 

We talked and they said they were tired of the gunfights in town, so the four of us set out for adventure, winding up in civil war-torn Mexico, trying to aid in restoration of the general peace; the gunbunnies up North several miles were oblivious to what we were doing, so everyone was doing what they felt was fun for them at the same time despite the difference in tastes.

Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a fan of Westerns or not, you need to at least rent this game. This is a title that should not go ignored in any gamer’s library; with stunning visuals, a great open world with infinite things to do, a deep multiplayer and a very enjoyable single player, Red Dead Redemption is definitely going to be one of, if not the, stand out games of 2010.

I’m out