Red Dead Redemption Review

Red Dead Redemption (RDR) is a 3rd person free-roaming western game based developed by Rockstar Studios and was released in October 2011.

In this epic story you play the role of John Marston, a past outlaw who is now straight, however somebody who has a past will know it doesn't leave them and Marston is now realising that it is catching up on him, friends have become enemies and old enemies still exist as he explores through the lawless land between the U.S and Mexico.

As with any Rockstar title, they are often fresh with up to date issues and with RDR, they not only show modern day issues such as Racism, Government Power and Freedom but show that it isn't new, in RDR they have done their research and have integrated it into the history, giving the game a play of authenticity. Through all this RDR engrosses you into the game and you almost feel as though you are there, it is extremely fun game to play.

Red Dead Redemption boasts impressive immersive gameplay, you develop Marston based on a fame system, you can make yourself good to all, or bad to all, it is your prerogative to develop however you wish to. Everything seems alive, you can walk by anywhere an something different will be happening, you may hear thunder in the background, then birds could fly past you while someone who has heard of your fame will request you to a duel randomly, the world of RDR will develop to your morality and on the decisions you make. It is a fantastically executed Sandbox game you can do whatever you want.

Personally I think Red Dead Redemption in the 3rd person works incredibly well, you can get the most of the graphics and landscapes while also being well aware of your surroundings, it is easier to control Marston and makes for an easier time riding around on his horse. We have a standard menu for selecting weapons which makes playing through very streamlined and nothing is too clunky or in your way, you pretty much will always know where you need to go next without getting lost, or if you don't know where to go, it is usually pretty easy to find out.

Graphically RDR is phenomenal, the landscapes are beautiful, and is ever changing and have a fantastic colour palette. It's so difficult to be able to make such a basic standard landscape work, and still look interesting at every turn, characters are well polished and custscenes look awesome. However not all games are perfect and some graphical errors do stick out, such as in a cutscene with a herd of cows it is very noticeable that they are all the doing the exact same animation while walking and it does look slightly awkward because of the high quality of the animation around it. Red Dead Redemption is ahead of its time graphically, if you compare it to titles released around this time (late 2013) it will still hold its own even though it was released two whole years ago, however this does bring its downsides, the graphics engine sometimes just cannot keep up with the processing of the game, and it can sometimes crash during loading screens, this is probably why some animations are re-used also, though you still cannot retract anything from this game due to how beautiful it actually is, throughout the whole gameplay and cut scenes.

All the music in RDR is extremely polished and authentic to the time the game has been set in. Like the graphics the music immerses you, you almost feel as though you are there. It is crisp and traditional. There is so much attention to detail such as the sound of galloping from the horse and Marston calling out to the horse as you ride along. Even the sound of birds can be heard as they fly past. The theme to RDR completely delivers and is repeated through the game you can hear certain notes such as the emerging snare drum or the church bell that just make it so memorable and respectable to the western theme.

 Red Dead Redemption is extremely single-player based and the multiplayer is almost non-existent, I personally for this reason alone don't believe there is very much replay factor to the game, there is so much to do on your first playthrough to complete it 100% I don't think you'd want to play through all of that again, the beauty of RDR is the story, and learning about the story while you progress is what keeps you immersed and playing. However it is still an incredibly well made game and is a game that once you play through you will recommend to eveyone, it has something for everyone casual and hardcore gamers. As a whole it is outstanding, and another success by Rockstar. I give Red Dead Redemption a solid 9/10!