I’m not one for Westerns, nor did I have any interest in playing Red Dead Revolver the original title in the series. This one did kind of catch my interest knowing that it was basically GTA in the Wild West but I still wasn’t so sure. I knew I was interested, but not to the degree that I was about to drop $60 on it on day 1 – No I would probably have waited until I could get it used in a few months. Then the game hit shelves and a huge majority of my buddies online were playing it and telling me that I was a fool to not get the game so I checked into it more. Now I had to get this game. Fast forward more than 30hrs and here I am reviewing the game.
The game puts you in the shoes of retired Outlaw John Marston who is trying to track down some of his old gang mates in an effort to save his wife and child who are being held by corrupt government officials (who knew right? Gov employees…Corrupt? That’s impossible). As far as the story goes, that’s as much as I’ll tell you to avoid spoilers.
The gameplay mechanics are almost identical to those found in the Grand Theft Auto Series. As the protagonist, you have certain goals and rely on the help of others to get you the information required to meet said goals. They in turn use the main character as a very efficient errand boy who gets things done. Much like GTA, if you do something wrong the police come after you but now they place bounties on your head which can be paid off by a simple visit to the telegraph office or with a pardon letter or just completely avoiding the town for a prolonged period of time.
During the course of the game, it’s easy to get distracted by the myriad of mini missions and side quests that jump out at you as you and your trusted steed trail blaze across the Wild West. Some of the missions include proving your prowess with firearms in an old fashioned duel, saving the damsel in distress or returning hijacked horses and carriages.
The world in RDR is massive and I wonder if it’s possibly bigger than the wastelands of Fallout 3 and GTA because it sure seems to take a long time to get from point A to B at times…There’s even an achievement that requires you to get from Blackwater, USA to Escalera, Mexico before sundown. Racing across the countryside can wear on one’s nerves though, if all you want to do is see what’s coming next in the story (you’ll find that the story is rather engrossing) then the sheer size can seem daunting and rather annoying at times – Luckily there is fast travel available via stagecoaches but even then sometimes it can mean travelling in the opposite direction before getting to one.
The online aspect of the game is quite entertaining and though I only had minimal time playing it due to internet issues as of late, I can see myself playing this for months to come. Free roaming gives you the ability to just randomly traverse the world on your own in MMOG fashion having to fend for yourself against other players or join up with friends and create a posse and take on the world together. Free Roam could use more missions but the real meat and potatoes of the game come from the gang or free for all matches where you engage in team or free for all matches.
Rockstar has just turned this series into a triple A title and with more DLC coming in the future, this game is potentially a contender for Game of the Year on many lists. Now git on lil doggy – I have a damsel to rescue.
Pros:
- Great story – as good as the best Western movies (so I’ve been told…I don’t like Westerns)
- Incredible voice acting – Memorable characters
- Replayability – There’s so much to do and see
- Online – Online game modes are insanely fun
Cons:
- Size – The world may be a little too big sometimes with too little going on during the long travels
Feed Your Console give Red Dead Redemption 10 out of 10
Recent Comments