Outlaws are a dying breed on the American frontier
Red Dead Redemption was one of the most impactful games available on the Playstation 3. It was Rockstars official venture into the Wild West.
The ending left a lasting impression on the minds of every player. It is by far one of the most incredible endings in video game history.
Eight years later, Rockstar releases Red Dead Redemption 2 to critical acclaim. It vastly improves every aspect of the previous installment.
Let’s delve into why RDR2 is a great game to add to your library of triple-A titles.
Concept
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place when society is reforming. It is the brink of modernism with electricity, modern medicine, and trolley cars.
The story begins as a band of outlaws escapes into a blizzard. Their last heist turned sour and they’ve lost a few good people.
You play as Arthur Morgan, the second-hand man of the Dutch van der Linde Gang. The group of people you travel with consists of around 20 characters.
Every character has their own backstory. Taking time to listen to what they have to say helps understand their own unique personalities, motives, and aspirations. During the course of the game, you will get to know each of them.
It’s a somber tale of loyalty and betrayal, everyone’s trying to get ahead in life but it’s hard staying alive.
Design
Rockstar Games’ signature cinematic level design is present with every video game they develop. Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception. We’ve come a long way since the polygons of Vice City.
Levels begin with a cutscene of characters engaging in conversation. Their dialogue focuses on the player’s next objectives (so pay attention). In each level, the game introduces to the player mechanics that can be exercised when out exploring the open world.
Most levels have you learning a certain mechanic only to end in intense shootouts. This is by far the most accessible third-person cover system Rockstar has created to date.
The shooting feels impeccable and authentic. Each gun blazes and takes time to reload while the sounds of bullets ricochet across the room. Rockstar went even further by adding an incredible amount of decal designs to each gun. You can also maintain guns by cleaning them, improving their overall statistics in the process.
The Red Eye system makes a return. Players can slow down time to mark & shoot enemies with precision.
Unlike most open worlds where environments are desolate. RDR2 is populated with things to see and do.
You can fish or go hunting for wild animals to create clothes and improve your carrying capacity. Search for plants to cook meals at campfires and make remedies to increase your health.
Arthur can further improve his over health, stamina, and Red Eye gauge during the course of the game by engaging in different activities.
Rob a bank, a train, a doctor’s office, play poker, cut your hair, visit a picture show or milk some cows. There is a lot to engage with and secrets to discover in the old west. Red Dead Redemption 2 has done a superb job in recreating old American life.
Aesthetics
Red Dead Redemption 2 is filled with an extraordinary amount of detail. It’s almost absurd how the insane display of products are portrayed in a general store.
Players can view illustrated catalogs of each product placed throughout entire shops. Everything has been painstakingly put together to make the most impressive representation of the wild west in any game.
This is a game that provides an amount of information so meticulously well done.
RDR2 is teeming with life.
The world feels vibrant and alive. An assortment of animals and plantlife populate each land. You can hear birds chirping, deers roaming, alligators gnawing and even horses pooping.
The music is also amazing. Thrilling orchestrated tunes of spaghetti western films fit perfectly into each scene. At times I felt vibes of The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.
Value
The entire campaign is around 40 hours depending on your skill. Players will be kept busy for a long time as you can replay missions to get the best outcome.
Watching the cinematics over again is a joy because the acting is so good. It’s like rewatching your favorite series again whenever you want.
Spend hours being a hunter-gatherer finding legendary albino animals or complete extra side missions by helping out strangers.
Multiplayer is also an entire story on its own right. Players can interact with other users and complete missions together.
Verdict
Red Dead Redemption 2 lives up to its predecessor succeeding in every way, with only some minor inconveniences.
RDR2 is a perfect example of how far storytelling and open-world video game design has come. It is a compelling and trawling world filled with both the beauty and the beast of the wild west.
Rockstar is famous for creating controversial forms of gameplay and portrayal of society.
But for all the negative feedback from the media, Rockstar Games always innovates and makes quality games. They are always fun but targeted to adults.
The stories they tell are amazing, enlisting A-list celebrities to bring their characters to life. It truly is a cinematic experience and a marvel to behold.
I cannot stress enough that the amount of detail and effort put into assembling the countless hours of dialogue is a feat not done just by any company.
It takes a Rockstar Game to pull off such high quality.
Red Dead Redemption is Rockstar’s most recent game and is one of the greatest on the PS4’s library.
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