Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption is one of the best games to come out during 2010. The game comes to us from Rockstar games, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, as well as the Midnight Club games. Red Dead Redemption combines solid gameplay, gorgeous graphics, an authentic soundtrack, interesting, engaging, diverse and extremely well written characters, and a story that keeps players hooked until the very end.
The story of Red Dead Redemption follows a rough and tough cow boy named John Marston, who has been hired by the government to remove some undesirables from the state of New Austin. These undesirables used to be members of a gang that John Marston ran with. Throughout the game we learn more about the mysterious past of the main character, his motivations, his up brining, his hopes and dreams.
The gameplay of Red Dead Redemption is that of a cover-based shooter game. However, Rockstar keeps things diverse with a host of different side missions, and random instances that take place along side the road.
The core of the game is based around shooting and killing, this is a Rockstar game after all. The game has snap-to aiming, which means that when players aim, if they’re looking in the general direction of an enemy it will lock on. This keeps the game moving at a steady and fast pace when in a shoot out. Red Dead Redemption also has a “Dead Eye” mode, which players can go into while aiming their gun. Dead Eye throws the world into a sepia-toned Matrix by slowing everything down. The Dead Eye runs on a meter which drains as players use it. Players can increase their Dead Eye skills by completing challenges throughout the game.
Players will spend a large amount of time traveling from one point to another through the surprisingly beautiful landscape. The only drawback of this is the somewhat awkward controls when on horseback, but after a while it becomes easier to manage as you progress and get better horses. Along the way the game will throw random instances at players. These can be anything from helping a guy out who is being chased by wolves to catching fugitives who escaped from a local sheriff. Some random encounters can happen right in town, with locals coming up to John Marston and asking to help because someone gone and rustled their horse. Sometimes it’s to challenge him to a duel.
Every time John Marston gets in a duel it immerses the player in that classic moment of the showdown. Showdowns start off with the nail biting stare, then the screen flashes “DRAW”, the game goes into Dead Eye while the player marks places on their opponent. The ability to shoot the enemy in specific points can allow the player to end the duel in a single shot, or emptying their gun into their enemy, who signed their death warrant by challenging John Marston.
These different primary missions, side missions, and random instances earn players money, honor, and fame. Fame increases no matter what, as tales of John Marston’s actions spread throughout the land. Honor always seems to increase with every mission. Very few missions give players the choice to something dishonorable. However, doing something dishonorable doesn’t particularly suit the character of John Marston.
John Marston may be one tough bounty hunter who ruthlessly hunts for his former brothers in arms, but he is a gentleman at his core. He speaks with dignity, is polite to people he meets in town, and he honors the bonds of marriage. This is just John Marston, every single character, even the side characters, are this diverse. Having characters this deep and engaging creates a wonderful experience in and of itself. Everything in the game has an element of character, even the world in which Red Dead Redemption takes place.
Surprisingly the old west is gorgeous, and not just a bunch of sand and dead plants. Every different county of New Austin is recognizable by it’s vegetation, which may be vivid or sparse depending on the whereabouts you venture. From the crags and valleys of Gaptooth Ridge, to the great wide open plains of Hannigan’s Stead, to snaking ridges of Ojo Del Diablo. Every bit of Red Dead Redemption has character, and it is accompanied by an equally diverse, beautiful, and unique score that further enhances and immerses the player into a genuine cowboy experience.
The music of Red Dead Redemption is about as diverse as its characters. Each area has it’s own theme, which is piped in the background as you ride about the state of New Austin. This goes for the action sequences as well. every time there is someone shooting at you there is a piece that is particular to wherever you’re at in the game. There are only three licensed tracks in the game, and are used at the most opportune moment in the game, to truly enhance the sequence. Like when John Marston lands on foreign soil and travels along it’s lonesome roads in pursuit of his former gang members.

Also there is multiplayer.
Red Dead Redemption multiplayer puts players in free roam of New Austin. There are three different modes of multiplayer: Friendly, where players can’t kill other players, Normal, where players can kill other players, and Hardcore, where players can not only kill other players, but not see their tags over their heads. Multiplayer has so much to do in it, there’s hardly a single place that doesn’t have something to do in it. In free roam, there are a few games that players can get in on as a whole, while others can be brought into a private room with you, your friends, and whoever else wants to join in. Also, scattered throughout free roam are bandit hide outs, which player can run through by themselves or posses that they’ve created. In general, most everything gets you experience, which allows players to level up and unlock more things to use and equip your character with. But multiplayer isn’t all about killing folk, there’s also gambling. With the downloadable content that is available for purchase players can round up a few people and play poker, liars dice, or black jack.
All in all Red Dead Redemption is an amazing game with solid gameplay, incredible characters, gorgeous graphics, an authentic and beautiful soundtrack, and a whole host to do after the game is done. With multiplayer, challenges, and more weapons to unlock Red Dead Redemption will keep you coming back again and again. So, mammas be ready to let your babies grow up to be cowboys, because this game is a genuine western experience. A