Red Dead Redemption

Finally "Red Dead Redemption" delivers all and much more what could have been expected after the prerelease-hype of the last months.

There have been many games which have unsuccessfully aimed at breaking the fine line between video game and movie, but "RDR" accomplishes indeed an interactive experience that could also have been effortlessly a two hours spaghetti western opera at your local theater.

The atmosphere created by state of the art graphics, the ride/interact/shoot-gameplay and the outstanding sound effects is astonishing, not to forget the wide beautiful landscapes, sharp and intelligent dialogues and the diversified, cinematic mission design such as "the great Mexican train robbery", which makes it nearly impossible to lay the controller down for while.

The story of John Marston who is in pursuit of his former gang members in order to save his family, which leads him to team-ups with several mostly dubious characters, forced contracts with men of the law and embroilments within the Mexican civil war, unfolds in three gigantic chapters, that are partitioned in 57 main missions, of which every single one succeeds to convince.

The main point of critic of Rockstars open world predecessor "Grand Theft Auto 4", that most of the time you are engaged with driving, does not affect the riding in "RDR" because of the possibility of warping, either by using stagecoaches or by camping in unpopulated areas. There are some minor flaws, like clipping errors, pop-ups and changing ammunition without collecting any, but they never change the overall feeling of taking part in one of the best games ever created.

It is not by hazard that the game trailer was shown as an ad in theaters; there are some references to the best westerns of all time; the freeze frame effect when pausing the game, the machine gun shootouts and the gloomy portrayal of Mexican people in general reminds of "The Wild Bunch", whereas the superiority during the revolver showdowns, the bounty hunter sub-missions with its "dead or alive"- "wanted"-posters and the music with its melodic whistles successfully quote the "A Fistful of Dollars"-trilogy.

If you ever wanted to participate in a western, with its bacon and beans flavor, its charismatic shootouts and its lone wolf feeling it's time to saddle the horses and go for gold: "Red Dead Redemption" has it all and much more.

9.7 out of 10

Your'e a cowboy, a man that can end a life in a second. But when compared to the wild west you seems to be nobody. You travel many miles every day. But one day you may decide to stay where you are. Maybe you chose to stay in a haunted town to fight your fear or at the top of a cliff where you can see a piece of the world, and then you realize that you almost haven't seen anything. The world is changing and so are you. But you can change the world and the world can change you. Every move you make leads to consequences. Bad or good deeds will change people's opinion about you and that can change your destiny. People will hear about your deeds and with time the whole world will now you.

This is what Read Dead Redemption is about. And I am not alone when I am saying that the whole idea is incredible, and incredible is not even worth to be a describing of Red Dead Redemption. The graphic scenery is amazing. When I am looking down from a cliff the feeling of doing it in the reality is almost there. Wherever I go the scenery is full of life. The sounds of insects, birds flying over your head, wolves haunting deers not so far away and much more.

The touch of typical western gunfights is also included. One of the things I like most with them is when it's night and you can see a flash coming from every of the enemies gun. It makes a cool effect and the before not so powerful revolvers will now be the fear of the night.

The story-missions in this game is remarkable. You meet interesting characters and you are given new weapons, outfits, horses and more. And there is also a lot of side-missions, very entertaining. The voice actors is well picked and the scenes when the characters is talking is so well made that you should cut parts of them together, add some more things and show it on cinema.

There is so much to tell about this game, but I have to put an end of this review now with telling you that I highly recommend this game. This is the biggest reason why I have started to watch western-movies again. In my opinion is this the best game ever made. Not completely perfect, but very close to perfect.

I have been playing Video Games for more than 10 years. I have witnessed the evolution from Dos-Games, to Windows 98 compatible games, Windows 2000, XP, then switch to Xbox 360 and from 2D to 3D, from Mono Sound to 7.1 sound experiences, I have seen the whole evolution.

I have also seen games similar to this one, if we talk about graphics, sound effects, game-play scheme that is. However, never have I ever played a game that captured a targeted style and converted it so well to the video game screen.

I am very indulgent with video games in the aspect of their graphics, sounds, game-play, diversity, because what I am looking for is atmosphere so intense, you could cut if with a knife. Which is why I loved the first Assassins Creed, although I had to admit, it was actually a poorly finished game.

This game however cuts the atmosphere quite near to perfectly: never before has there been a game with that brilliant capture of wild western style and atmosphere! It helps the game that I am a fan of the classic Clint Eastwood westerns and John Marstons looks must've been inspired on the ones of outlaw Josey Wales, played by Clint Eastwood.

The music sometimes reveals tunes close to the good old Ennio Morricone tracks.

The guns, the dramatic imprecise shootings, the huge lands to discover, the outfits, the baddies and the goodies (and the uglies) and all of the above make for a knife sharp atmosphere.

I love it.

For me video games should be about being someone you can't be in real life (be that a soldier, a special secret agent, or, as in this case, a wild west outlaw), packed with brilliant atmosphere and this game delivers.

So much that I easily forgive it for the minor bugs and flaws it does contain. I guess no one and nothing is perfect, but this is damn close.

10/10

This is a tale about Redemption in a period set during the decline of the American Frontier. John Marston a former outlaw, is instructed by the Bureau of Investigation who have abducted his wife and son, to bring the members of his former gang to justice, ie. "Capture or Kill" them. Along the way he's found nearly dead and rescued by Bonnie McFarlane, a nearby ranch owner, when he goes against Bill Williamson and his newly found gang situated in Fort Mercer. Then he takes the slower way to get to him. He makes new connections, among those is the nearby town's Sheriff. Trail eventually leads him to Mexico which is on the brink of war, between revolutionaries and conservatives. You will have to make moral choices throughout, in your progress to find Dutch Van der Linde, the leader of your former gang. The story may sound as a western cliche, but it's actually a trap. It grips you and keeps you wanting more. The end is also one of a kind and you will remember it for ever. In time you may realize why the ending was inevitable. This is a very mature and realistic depiction of a southern wild west state bordering Mexico and the events taking place when a man does what needs to be done to protect his family. Story, Plot: 5/5

John meets an intriguing cast of characters along the way. Inspiration from the best American movies is clear, from John Huston's movies, to Leone's and other contemporary directors. Each character is unique, an individual, with his own problems and attitude. There's not many overly dramaticized characters. All characters are struck by the problems of the Wild West and act authentically. You can feel their burdens, or their happiness and you genuinely care. Friendly characters feel warm, enemies are hateful. Direction is top notch, rivaling the best Hollywood movies. Player dialogue is presented with multiple shots, over the shoulder, panning, close-ups, mid-shots etc depending on the occassion and player's disposition towards the other member. It never feels confusing though. The game spans three vastly different regions, 2 inspired from places in California, Arizona, Texas etc. namely "New Austin" and "West Elizabeth" and another "Nuevo Paraiso" set in a Mexican-like environment. New Austin and West Elizabeth are adjacent to each other and share a southern border with Nuevo Paraiso. The atmosphere is totally western. From wide shots of the beautiful red rising sun to bugs, insects concentrated around the night lamps. Above all, the game world is a spectacle of unparallaled beauty. Up to this day 2018 i don't think any other game has managed to achieve such a feat. From a long time western movie fan (from a family of western lovers), Rockstar has captured perfectly the atmosphere of the era. You will find yourself completely immersed into the game's story. Direction, Characters, style: 5/5

Singleplayer: You can mistake this game as a reality simulation. You control the players through a third-person perspective. Everything is smooth, transitions from combat to non-combat circumstances, from dialogue to sight-seeing. All, affluent as they are, are handled gracefully. Gameplay definitely feels close to Grand Theft Auto, which is understandable, why not adopt and expand on an already great formula. There are so many things to do in this game that i'm afraid to list them all, in fear of leaving something behind, so here goes: bounty hunting, hunting animals, skinning, economy system, trading, law-enforcement, dead-eye/slow motion system, brawling - salloon fights, treasure hunting, random strangers, steal people or stores, gambling, cinema-plays, unique challenges, a ghost town (or you can "make" a ghost town yourself by annihilating everyone in it), so many interesting side quests, multiple unscripted, randomly generated scenarios such as "help the guy's brother", rescue his wife and many more. All of them (and i'm not exaggerating) have been ideally implemented and integrated into the game as a whole extending it, never taking away. Each adds so many opportunities to an already huge sandbox. Player's deeds are measured with a karma system, that will count towards either your fame, or your notoriety. Folk will treat you differently depending on how you treat them! There are numerous weapons and some special items providing gameplay-changing options to mission approach. Multiplayer: Multiplayer portion of the game can be considered as another game entirely. It could be thought of as Red Dead Redemption Online. You create a new character out of hundreds, you choose a mount and you progress levels of experience. The entire world is your game lobby. From there you can join, or host matches, eg. Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Hold Your Own, Team Deathmatch and more. Or you can form a posse and raid gang hideouts, go hunting, partake in various interesting challenges and activities such as assault the train (unfortunately you can't perform the Great Train Robbery :D)! Extensive leaderboards allow you to compete with friends and rival enemies from all over the world. Unfortunately most of the multiplayer components of the PS3 platform have been terminated since 2015. I believe, you can still play in a private session with your friends though (as of today 9 January 2018, but i'm not sure). Almost everything that can be done in single player can also be done in the 16-player (max) multiplayer. Gameplay: 5/5

The graphics are impeccable. In the 3000 hours of gameplay (you read correctly three thousand hours) i have noticed only a tiny amount of visual glitches. However, i have to say that i didn't play the game until 6 months after release. I remember hearing that there were some issues at release time. Animations are out of this world. Horses galloping, their animations are UNBELIEVABLE. Without a doubt, the best ever seen on screen. The entire game breaks new ground in every technical field of the industry. Graphics: 5/5 - Technical masterpiece

The soundtrack is mostly inspired from early hits by Ennio Morricone's work and classic western themes. Coudln't be more fitting and story enhancing. The game has won an award for best game music. There are also some tunes similar to harmonica hisses and short western guitar riffs making an appearance every now and then. The soundtrack by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson is truly a blast. Soundtrack, Score: 5/5 - Equivalent to "Ennio Morriconne" for video games!

There's an attention to detail here that you don't normally see on video game design. The scope of this game is enormous. It was Rockstar's most ambitious attempt. Rockstar is truly able to captivate the audience. The company has been around a long time and possesses a relatively greater amount of resources than most game-dev companies, stil they have truly mastered the art of (open world) video game creation. This game killed the industry. People say that nothing is perfect. Well, believe it or not, but this game feels perfect to me. There are only a few hiccups and bugs, which are sometimes funny! There are no crashes, or game-breaking bugs (if you exclude the first couple of weeks of release). I was starstruck when i first played this game. I thought i was free-roaming the old west. The single best aspect of this game is the sheer beauty of the world. Such a big variety of animals, with working predator - prey systems enabled. Every animal is different, vastly different looks and behavior AI, from the rabbits to the cougars. All characters feel alive and every area of the game is unique, with backstories you can read on papers. The game itself is updating, responding to game events particularly the completion of critical story missions. Everything transitions so smoothly and is so enjoyable. You can start a bar fight just to have fun, ride across the beautiful countryside (something that alone is enough to keep you entertained; such is the immense beauty of this game), explore almost all interior locations, freely greet people and more. Each region and town has its own character. Inhabitants can have (slightly) different jobs and react differently to certain events. A gunslinger may choose to draw his firearm and shoot you when provoked, a woman will start screaming and a coward will start to run for his life. You will find plenty of value in the numerous dlc packs and of course the game-of-the-year-awarded dlc Undead Nightmare, which features John Marston trying to find a cure for the zombie illness that has spread throughout the American frontier. Almost anything you can and can't imagine doing in the wild west, as an outlaw or a man of the law is in this game. Entertainment, Replayability: 5/5 - Near-infinite replay value

Rating: 10+/10 - Legendary Masterpiece - My noumero 3 favorite video game of all time. Do not miss this game.

I have spent hundreds of hours immersed in video games. I have played everything from puzzle games to mass-multiplayer online games. I have received crappy grades in school because of video games. I have regretted entire summers spent in front of a TV screen, but now, as I sit at my computer, I reflect on those summers. I picture them now not as summers down the toilet but as summers that are a dark tunnel. A dark tunnel with a light at the end. A light that is the greatest game I have ever played, the climax of my gaming career, Red Dead Redemption. Through unfathomable detail, immense algorithms, and an uncanny amount of testing Rockstar successfully created a masterpiece which raises the bar to a point which I believe can not be reached with the same technology used to create Red Dead Redemption. New technology is needed to create a game that even competes with Red Dead Redemption. After playing Red Dead Redemption I may never feel another game is worth my time.