Red Dead Redemption

By Matt Calamia 
  
I’ve always been a bit hesitant about review an open-world sandbox game. There is just so much to cover in so little space, that it can be a little overwhelming. A massive story, side-quests and just all around time-wasters really adds up.

I’m still going to try and review this massive game we like to call Red Dead Redemption. Saddle up.

Set in 1911, Red Dead stars John Marston, a rugged, ornery lookin’ feller who is an outlaw. What sets Marston apart from other protagonists developed by Rockstar is that although he is technically a ‘bad guy,’ he is actually a decent human being. When offered ‘favors’ by prostitutes and what have you, Marston kindly rejects them, stating that he’s happily married. That isn’t a quality often found in Rockstar Games, and one that I hope stays.

Marston is separated from his family by the government, and is told that they will be reunited after he kills the remaining members of his former gang. The main target is Bill Williamson. When he confront him, Marston is greet with a gunshot to the stomach. He’s saved by Bonnie MacFarlen. After his recovery, it’s payback time.

  With all sandbox type games, many different storylines are introduced throughout the course of the game. You’ll fight alongside many different types of groups, including marshalls, revolutionaries and just plain weirdos over the course of the journey towards redemption.

If you’re familiar with the Grand Theft Auto series, then RDR should not feel foreign. It has the same style gameplay as previous games, making the transition fairly simple. It is third-person, and has the same cover mechanic as GTA 4. Everything works well, and plays smooth.

The game offers many diverse missions in the main story. The early missions are very tedious and boring, but once Bonnie is out of the way, and more missions become available from other characters, the game really picks up and doesn’t slow down. You’ll find yourself invading gang bases, protecting trains that have valuable equipment on them, and hosing enemies down using a gataling gun. The missions never seem boring or redundant, which is a problem I’ve faced in numerous sandbox games.

Like other open-world games, there is a plethora of side-quests for everyone to enjoy and kills hours in. There are rescue missions, treasure hunting, cattle herding, plant collecting and even poker tables. The amount of content packed into the game will have players losing hours of their lives to it.

  Red Dead also has a fame and honor system, similar to InFamous. It isn’t exactly choosing between good and evil, but it does come into play. If you’re very famous, the NPCs around you will react different. If you’re honor decreases by shooting someone for their horse, the NPCs will react accordingly. It all gives the player the option of what type of character they want Marston to be. I don’t think it plays a large enough role in the grand scheme of things, but I definitely think there is something there to build on. 

The game also offers Dead-Eye mode, in which Marston can slowdown time to pinpoint his shots when faced with multiple enemies. This is a great feature when the odds are against you in a firefight. Without this, many areas and missions are very difficult to get past.  

Red Dead looks fantastic. Some may say it looks better because there isn’t really anything in terms of cities and structures, but they’re wrong. The landscapes of the mountains and rivers is jaw dropping. The horses look almost life-like as well.

Rockstar didn’t get lazy in the audio department either. The game offers top-notch voice acting, which we have come to expect from anything the studio puts out. Whether it is the English or Mexican dialogue, it sounds like a movie. Also, the guns sound legit also. The pop of the revolver and the reload of the double-barrel shotgun sound like they were taken right out of a John Wayne western.

The main problem I have with the game is a strange one. The map is just too big, and often times you find yourself traveling from one end to the other. To make the problem worse, often times there is nothing going on in the world during those trips. It can make the game feel longer than it actually is, but it certainly adds to the realism. I know there are certain ways to avoid these, such as taking the stage-coach, but that eliminates the random side-quest everyone loves to do.

I’ve been telling everyone I know that plays video games to give Red Dead Redemption a try. If you don’t like GTA style games, I still think there is something here people will like. The new setting is a breath of fresh air compared to the cramped confines of Liberty City. With a deep and engaging storyline and a seemingly endless amount of side-quests, there is really something there for everyone. Rockstar definitely has a potential Game of the Year on their hands.

Final Score- A

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