[Review] – Red Dead Redemption

The graphics in Red Dead Redemption are very crisp, even standing up to the age old sniper scope texture examination (you know you do it too). Everything is very detailed, from the foliage, to the wildlife, to the rolling landscape visible for dozens of miles in every direction. The sound is great, with all of the sound effects sounding realistic and highly immersive in surround sound. The music is very fitting and ambient, with piano and guitar music that are staples of the Western theme, and changes dynamically based on what's happening. One minute you could be riding across a barren landscape with a slow, mysterious piano song playing, the next you could encounter some bandits and the music will increase in intensity.

There are many sidequests and activities that can be done in Red Dead Redemption, including, but not limited to, poker, blackjack, five finger fillet, arm wrestling, horseshoes, nightwatchman, and performing random tasks for strangers you meet. One of the most lucrative activities you can partake in is hunting and skinning animals. The materials you get, such as skins, antlers, and meat, can be sold in bulk for a good profit, and the price you can get depends on the region where you sell them. There are also dynamic events that can happen around you at any time, such as finding people being chased by wolves, or people having their horses stolen. You can help these people and you will be rewarded with a small sum of money and gain or lose honor and fame based on how you deal with the situation. With the fame and honor systems, you can play Red Dead Redemption as an outlaw if you so choose, but you will have to deal with law enforcement fairly often if you choose that path. There's almost too much to do in Red Dead Redemption, to the point where it's almost staggering how much you can do. Many of the sidequests can become tedious as well, such as following a slow dog around on night patrol, or herding cattle. But, to be fair, all of the side-quests are optional, and most of them can be very fun, such as bounty hunting.

Red Dead Redemption is a fairly easy game, and most certainly not one of the harder third person shooters, but it doesn't need to be. The game focuses more on the freedom to do what you want in the Wild West, not the challenge of trying to survive frequent firefights like other shooters. Most, if not all firefights can be survived by taking cover and popping out to place a few auto-aimed shots at a time. There are several types of weapons at your disposal, including pistols, rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and thrown weapons including dynamite and throwing knives. There is also a lasso that can be used to subdue your opponents, opening up more honorable ways of dealing with criminals. Sadly, however, the lasso is not available in multiplayer.

While the single player in the game is excellent, the game really shines in multiplayer, where you and 15 other people can roam the entire game world and work together, forming posses and taking down gang hideouts for experience points to level up and get new characters, titles, and mounts. Conversely (and unfortunately much more common in public games) you can be completely xenophobic and kill anyone you come into contact with, or anyone that isn't in your posse. There are several objective based competitive game types that can be played, including the usual game types like deathmatch and capture the flag, but, personally, I had more fun just roaming the landscape with a group of friends in Free Roam.

If there's one thing I don't like about the game, it's the save system. You are only given three slots to save to, and if you die, you lose all progress since your last save. While it makes sense that you can't be brought back to health at a hospital every time you are mortally wounded like in GTA IV, since medical knowledge was far less advanced in the early 1900s, it would have been nice if there wasn't such a heavy penalty for dying. I found myself avoiding duels if they were suggested at any point other than right after I had saved, for fear of losing progress. By the time I save and come back out to accept the challenge, several hours have passed and the would be duelist has long since lost his desire to do battle. There is an autosave and checkpoint system, but only in missions, so it won't help you when you are doing dangerous activities such as hunting. There are some very irritating things about this system in the final act of the game, but none of which can be mentioned without massive spoilers.

Tips and Tricks

- If you have trouble aiming, try changing the aiming mode to casual or normal. There's really no reason to use expert targeting (no auto-aim) if you don't have to. In Free Roam you'll almost certainly be killed if you don't use auto-aiming, because others surely will.

- Save often! If you die, which can happen very easily in the wilderness, you lose all of your progress since the last save. So set up camp or visit a safe house often and save your game to avoid losing progress.

-Cowboys have glass legs. Do not attempt to fall from any height greater than 10 feet unless there is a slope you can slide down, or you will most likely die a horrible, shattering death.

Reaction

I was blown away by the level of detail in Red Dead Redemption. Every little thing in the game, from the tinctures on store shelves, to the foliage littering the landscape, and to NPCs' interactions with each other in towns, was done with painstaking detail. It really feels like you are in the Wild West. Unfortunately, with all the excitement of the western setting also comes the tedium of long horse rides and miscellaneous side jobs like herding cattle. That's not to say that Red Dead isn't a fun game, but it has it's share of filler.

Overall, Red Dead Redemption is an amazing game with plenty to keep you busy, including a hefty multiplayer mode. For the amount of content you get, the game is worth every penny. Do not miss Rockstar's latest masterpiece.

AudaciousKevin gives this game an outstanding 9.5 out of 10!