Red Dead Redemption Review

Red Dead Redemption

We are all familiar with Rockstar’s GTA series of games, their sandbox style play leading to people having the feeling they were creating their own game by playing it the way that they want, in the order that they want.

Some of us are also familiar with another game made by Rockstar’s San Diego branch called Red Dead Revolver. This was a first person shooter that was set in the wild west, where you played Red Harlow, a guy who witnessed the brutal murder of his parents and was on the path of revenge. Red Dead Revolver received mixed reviews but they were mostly favourable, and it went on to sell 1.5 million copies globally. It introduced us to dead eye mode too, where time slows down as you quick draw your gun enabling you to pick your targets. This was a cool new feature that really added to the game-play, and Red Dead Revolver quickly became one of my strong favourites on the original Xbox.

Here we are 8 years later and Rockstar have finally decided to grace us with a sequel. This game however is no longer a first person shooter, but is now a sandbox third person adventure. No longer do you play Red, his story is apparently told, so Red Dead Redemption is more a spiritual successor rather than a true sequel. Instead you follow the story of one John Marston, an ex gang member trying to make a decent honest living for himself and his new family.

This game is set later than the previous incarnation, and is at the cusp of the end of the wild west period, where economic growth and technological advancement are securing the end of one of the most dangerous times in American history. John Marston is a relic of that history. Events conspire to see that our protagonist is forced to take up arms again and hunt down his old comrades in arms and present them to the government cronies.

As you would expect, you get to choose the way you play this game, you can either play the game as the reformed gang member and do right by all you meet, or alternativly you can play as the bad ass ex gang banger and be out only for yourself. Either way is rewarding. You still have dead eye mode in Redemption, which is great fun in quick draw scenarios, where you can blast your nemesis in the head and kill him out right, or with a little more skill you can shoot the gun from his hand and the hat from his head, leaving him no alternative but to run away.

The characters in this game are mostly the standard stereo types from any number of spaghetti westerns, but rather than detract from the game play it enhances it, reminding those of us old enough of all the old Clint Eastwood movies which have clearly heavily influenced this game.

While the game follows a linear plot, there is plenty of variety in the missions as well as side quests to keep you interested, while there are some missions that have to be completed before you progress to the next stage, you can do them in different orders, depending on what takes your fancy and also what time of the day it is. Also there is plenty of life in the game which is a good length and doesn’t leave you feeling disappointed with how little time you have had, unlike some of the most recent titles.

My only real gripes with Redemption is that the multi player is a very short lived affair that does feel a little disappointing, and also on the odd occasion dead eye mode locks on where you least expect it, and then wont cancel. (I can’t tell you how many times I would ride off to stop a hanging only to shoot the hapless victim in the face.)  but really these little things cant tarnish this game

As you would expect the visuals are top notch, and watching the sun set in the Utah-esque environment is a scene to behold, and the sound again is on top form, with the gun fire sounding just right (or at least just how it sounded in The Good the Bad and the Ugly) and for the most part the voice acting is very good, let down by only the odd character. All in all this game is a must have. Do yourself a favour and go buy this now.

Kam S