In 2010, Rockstar, the group made famous for its Grand Theft Auto series, released Red Dead Redemption, an open-world western-style game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.
Red Dead Redemption follows the story of John Marston, an ex-gang member and outlaw who must hunt down his previous friends and fellow gang members in order to appease government officials, so that his wife and son will be returned to him. Marston's story is elaborated throughout the game and although the character appears prickly, defensive and none too friendly at the beginning of the game, the way in which the story progresses allows you, as a player, to understand his motivations at a deeper level.
The true triumph of this game lies in the way in which the story is told and its open-world element. Did the game not provide the ability to explore relatively freely then this might be a rather different review. However, the main draw of this game is its emphasis on discovery and diverse activity. The player can take part in a variety of different activities, whether it is aiding a stranger in need find their missing loved one or saving a stagecoach from being robbed - there are several side missions, quests and challenges to do. This variety allows gameplay to be mixed, rather than just progressing through the main story line and its accompanying gameplay, players can choose to 'take a break' and explore many of the alternative activities on offer.
Indeed, the gameplay is also diversified by allowing players the option of choosing from several different types of weapons. Throughout the game and main storyline players will be able to pick up more durable and powerful weapons (the rifle you start the game with will be far inferior to the rifle you receive near the end of the game) but there are also a variety of different types of weapons. Players can utilise perhaps more common-place weapons such as rifles, shotguns, pistols and revolvers. However, players can also use explosive rifles (which literally cause enemies to explode), knives, dynamite, fire bottles and tomahawks to dispense of enemies; gameplay even allows players to lasso horses and enemies, with the option of hogtying the latter.
The game provides players with various choices throughout the game (although not as overt as choices in games such as the walking dead). Players can choose to aid other bandits or fight against them; when approached by pleading members of the public, players can choose to aid victims or ignore them (however all choices have consequences on 'honor' and 'fame' levels in the game.
The gameplay is so diverse and complex (spread over 4 different chapters, based in 4 different parts of the world) that players are unlikely to get bored. The game follows Marston as he explores various areas of America and Mexico and each new area offers new challenges, new strangers, new missions and new animals available for hunting. However, to unlock the new areas (such as Mexico) the player must progress through the main story line. Players can ride on horses, stagecoaches and trains throughout the game but they can also hunt a diverse range of animals including birds, deer, elk, bears, rabbits, wolves, cougars, coyotes, beavers and more.
The game is truly excellent - and that's without even mentioning the graphics. The graphics really make the game almost perfect; one only needs to look out across the desert at sunset to see how much thought has gone into the game in terms of quality.
Perhaps ahead of its time, Red Dead Redemption achieves greatness visually and its characterisation coupled with diverse gameplay provides a winning combination. 4 years on and it is still the best western-based game ever made for a console and is guaranteed to provide hours of entertainment to players.
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