Red Dead Redemption Review

Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, heck even Emilio Estevez from young guns we’ve all grown up with a western film that we remember, and even though the genre for films may have declined the thirst for the new frontier has been yearned for within videogames. Gun, Call of Juarez, and Red Dead Revolver.

It’s the latter of these that is perhaps the most influential, perhaps due to the on off nature of its original development from Capcom and the subsequent acquisition of the title by Rockstar. The original was very much influenced by Capcom, an arcadey style, boss fights, slow mo pistol duels, and while it wasn’t a long lived game, it did enough to cement the thought that a western game could be great given the right treatment.

Step forward Red Dead Redemption, the sequel to Revolver. The sequel in all but name as this time around this is very much a Rockstar game. This game stands shoulder to shoulder with Rockstar’s heavy weights such as GTA, Manhunt and The Bully, and in nearly every comparable way eclipses them. This is a game above and beyond what you could have hoped for and Rockstar’s finest game to date.

This is not a typical Western game, no longer a simple ‘goody versus baddy’ or ‘Cowboy and Indian’ tale, this is most noticeable in the games introduction. Marston the hero of the tale can be seen being led onto a train; as this happens we also see a car being unloaded. This is the most evident nod towards Rockstar’s other games and initially filled us with dread that there might be the option to drive these vintage beasts (don’t worry you cant) Rockstar boldly looks at the demise of the traditional cowboy and how the ever changing world will effect and change the wild west like no other. It’s a bold introductory statement and marks the tone of the rest of the game.

Graphics:

The game is superbly atmospheric from your first entry onto the ranch your under no illusion that you are in the west. Plains roll as far as the eye can see separating the individual towns and dwellings. Character models are solid and the shadows and overall textures are highly impressive adding a gritty realistic feel to the environments; night time brings even more atmosphere as lanterns flicker dimly illuminating pathways and environments. Dead Eye also adds a different visual sheen to events than the predecessor. With a click of the analogue stick the screen changes to almost sepia tones perfectly suiting the gameplay, making the gamer feel they are in an epic tale.

Horses are also brilliantly animated the hair and skin looks superb, clearly showing the difference between this generations games and those of previous generations. throughout the animation is good and even though Marston has an almost comical run, especially when slowing down it hardly mares the overall experience.

If any criticism can be leveled at the game is that the environments have a ’samey’ quality despite their efforts to differentiate them with differing vegetation and water. It hardly matters when playing, but there are very few visual signposts in the game meaning the gamer continually focuses on the map when traveling.

Gameplay:

Redemption excels in offering a free form game environment. The game feels big, rather than the claustrophobic cityscape’s of GTA you’re instead treated to grand vistas, sloping mountains interspersed by villages and other dwellings. Rockstar cleverly have anticipated for any potential level of boredom that may arise and you will regularly meet random people asking for help; from a man being chased down by a pack of wolves, cannibals, a lynch mob hanging a woman through to a sheriff whose prisoners have escaped. There’s a great level of variety and the fact that these aren’t even the main body of missions or side quests helps to create an immense sense of atmosphere and that your character has an immediate and important role to play within the game.

This leads us nicely on to the morality system or honour system for the game, do good deeds people will like you whereas the bandits will grow increasingly hostile. This is reversed should you choose Red Dead Redemption’s equivalent of the ‘Dark Side’. This plays some importance as weapons and items will become cheaper or available depending which side you choose.

The only downside of this is that they didn’t go far enough. Throughout the town prostitutes will litter the bars and towns. Had this been GTA you would have been able to pick one up, gain the energy, and those gamers who were merciless could then proceed to ‘gain’ their money back. John Marston, however is upstanding and never comes close to liaisons of the flesh. This is explained through the dialogue of being a married man, but it would have been nice for the gamer if you’d chosen to make Marsten a ‘baddy’ that these more immoral options opened up. They could have gone further still by allowing you to create your own gang or law enforcers dependent on what side of the moral compass you fell.

Other more significant gameplay hindrances is that John Masrton cannot swim, which is infuriating should you fall off a ledge and into water. Who would have thought it would prove so deadly and it’s strange; especially when you consider this has been a feature of the GTA games for several iterations.

These will no doubt be inclusions for any expansion pack or sequel that is bound to follow and the omission of these doesn’t mar the experience rather than think what could have been included

Overall:

This is certainly an exceptional game and perhaps the best to come from Rockstar to date. the title shows a love for the genre on par with Call of Duty while the graphical style and overall sheen is one of the best examples within this generations games. Red Dead Redemption may not receive the same plaudits or ‘critical’ acclaim that the GTA series has gained, but for a pure gaming experience it would be hard to say this wasn’t GTA IV’s equal or indeed superior. Rockstar have shown a great level of dedication in the creation of Red Dead Redemption, leaving the gamer with a brilliant western experience.

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