Red Dead Redemption: A Review

Platform: Xbox 360 / Playstation 3

Release Date: Out Now

Background: ‘Red Dead Redemption’(RDR) is the latest title from Rockstar San Diego. With a development house that has such a fine history of open world games (Such as Grand Theft Auto & Bully), fans shared a unanimous anticipation for ‘Red Dead Redemption’ when it was announced. Information gradually trickled out over it’s time of development and with every new unveiling the game sounded more promising. We were promised a fully realised western sandbox, refined combat mechanics and a groundbreaking multiplayer mode. The game has just hit shelves, did Rockstar hit the mark??

‘Red Dead Redemption’ is set in the fictional region of New Austin. Taking place at the turn of the century in western USA, the game puts you in the shoes of John Marston, a former outlaw trying to get on the straight and narrow. He arrives in New Austin on business to find that while it is still the same lawless land he once knew so well; there is undeniable change happening in the west. We see the introduction of new technologies, discussions of political corruption and moral indecency as well as the heartbreaking perspective of an old fashioned outlaw that doesn’t quite fit in with this new world.

Marston is a very likeable, if occasionally detached leading man and in many ways he is the perfect looking glass through which to view this land of progress and mayhem.

As could only be expected with a Rockstar title, the story oozes with production quality. John will interact with a whole host of colourful characters who guide the player through the experience. At times it’s hard not to feel that our leading man feels slightly hollow in comparison to the secondary characters and in the earlier parts of the game I found myself occasionally frustrated with the pace of the story but it would be unfair to penalize the game too heavily for this however and by the end of our adventure, we will find ourselves cheering in the players seat for Marston.

Players familiar with the game structure of ‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ will feel right at home here. As Marston, you are given a gigantic world in which to run around. You progress through the story by completing missions for a number of individuals who will be marked with icons on your map. The missions are quite varied and do a great job of opening the huge world up the player.

You will routinely storm enemy strongholds, engage in gunfights as well as escort cargo and carry out assassination missions. Most of the missions feel sufficiently challenging and encourage the player to use all weapons and tools at their disposal.

But outside of the main story missions, there is a lot to see and do in ‘Red Dead Redemption’. The game features a very impressive assortment of side tasks to keep you occupied such as fully fleshed out sub-quests which task you with resolving problems for random people you meet in the world, bounty hunter missions, and a number of very addictive mini-games such as ‘Liars Dice’, ‘Texas Hold-em’ and ‘Five Finger Fillet’.

The game also includes a very robust online component that allows the player to participate in both competitive and co-operative modes. It sports standard deathmatch and objective based modes and also features a very cool ‘Free-Roam’ mode. This mode allows players to explore the full world of ‘Red Dead Redemption’ either solo or as part of a posse. As a group you can hunt wildlife, fight with local gangs or even just ride majestically around this gorgeous world living the true cowboy lifestyle.

Gameplay: As an open world game, ‘Red Dead Redemption’ controls very well. You move John with the left stick, look with the right, the shoulder buttons control aiming and shooting and the face buttons control interactions.

The gunplay is tight and gives the weapons a satisfying feel. There is also a refined cover mechanic that works very well in some of the long and arduous battles of the game. There is also a “Dead Eye” aim mechanic very similar to the bullet time employed in many action games that slows the action down and allows the player to pick off enemies with great accuracy. The system feels very balanced and ultimately serves to deliver some very thrilling moments.

You will spend a great deal of time on horseback too. The horses control very well for the most part and before you know it, you will be galloping at full speed whilst taking out enemies on the fly.

Not all of the controls work so well though. Weapon selection is assigned to a very frustrating selection wheel that can be difficult to operate and I wish that the game had allowed hot key selection for particular weapons.

Presentation: An exciting story mode and some great set-piece missions really put the player in the world of a western outlaw. The main campaign clocks in at about 15 - 20 hours and the online component will keep some players coming back for months.

Graphics: At times, this is one of the most visually pleasing games you will ever see. The draw distance is astounding, the frame rate remarkably solid and the character models are among the best I have seen this year. There are occasional visual hiccups such as screen tearing and pop-in and the game does suffer with some occasional but very noticeable bugs. But these are merely minor problems in what is otherwise a gorgeous game.

Audio: Stellar voice acting and very fitting music. Sound effects feel very real and loud and the game features a few original songs that add a great sense of originality to the package.

Extras: Dozens of hours worth of side missions and some very challenging and creative achievements/trophies will keep even the most seasoned player busy for weeks. Online could very well keep players busy for months if you get into it.

Overall: ‘Red Dead Redemption’ is a great action game. It delivers a vast and well developed world that is so easy to lose yourself in and offers enough content to keep a player busy for weeks at least. It tells a memorable story, delivers some fun and engaging gameplay and offers a western experience that’s second to none. It has its occasional flaws but the sheer amount of content in this package makes ‘Red Dead Redemption’ an action game that is easy to recommend.

8.5 / 10 Great Adventure Game/ Excellent Value