TITLE: Red Dead Redemption
PLATFORM: PS3, 360
DEVELOPER: Rockstar San Diego
PUBLISHER: Rockstar Games
ESRB: M
RELEASED: May 18

By Scott Siebert
Contributor, Mastermind

Several video games in the past five years have attempted to take on the old west, each having varying degrees of success. Read Dead Redemption succeeds where many other games fails, and in the process creates what will likely be remembered as one of the best open world games of 2010.

Read Dead Redemption follows the story John Marston, an outlaw turned rancher who is forced to hunt his old gang to save his family. While this story may seem fairly routine, the game’s creators do a fantastic job telling it, and in the process create some truly great moments and turn John Marston into one of the deepest and most complex characters in recent memory. There are a few moments where the story seems to drag, but these moments are made up for by the sheer number of exciting and emotional moments that make up the rest of the game.

Image from rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption

Those who enjoyed both Red Dead Revolver (the spiritual predecessor to this game) and Grand Theft Auto 4 are sure to love this game. By keeping the visuals and themes of Revolver and combing them with the controls and open world excitement of GTA, Rockstar creates a game that not only makes the old west feel alive, but also allows the player to dive into the world extremely quickly. The controls are very smooth, and once the player adjusts to the somewhat more complicated controls f the horse, the player will find that Red Dead Redemption is as easy a game to play as any. Perhaps the greatest triumph of Read Dead Redemption is making the old west feel like a living breathing place. It is hard to imagine the barren plains of the old west as exciting, but even the simple act of riding from town to town can be exciting. It’s not uncommon to see animals to hunt, outlaws to shoot, or strangers to help all in the course of one trip. The towns, while small, offer the same excitement of the plains. A visit to the saloon allows the player to in one moment have a drink, in the next moment play poker, and then in the next duel a man in the streets. Red Dead Redemption truly feels like the world is moving around John Marston, and not just that John is moving through it.

The game offers an impressive array of weapons, from the classic revolver, to the more powerful Gatling guns and dynamite. Each of these weapons have their own unique feel, and switching from one to another is a fairly smooth process. Marston also has a number of outfits to earn throughout the game; some have a purpose, while others are there for purely aesthetic reasons. For fans of old western movies, there is sure to be novel joy at dueling outlaws in the classic western duster. The game also includes a moral system of sorts, which is made up of two parts: honor and fame. John receives fame for any noble act he performs, while honor is only obtained by performing good deeds. This system is one of the few underdeveloped features of Redemption, as the implications of this system are mostly superficial and are hardly noticeable.

Image from rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption

Visually, the game is true to its theme. The game truly feels like a miniature recreation of the old west. Expansive plains and dusty ghost towns put are expertly crafted and are impressive to look at. The variety of terrain is especially impressive considering the western theme. Rather than stick to the stereotypical theme of dusty old ghost towns, Redemption’s setting span from open plains, to rolling hills, sun scorched rocks, snowy mountains, and lush forests. Each of these setting have their own feel and their own flora and fauna. The characters look as realistic as any game in recent memory. One needs only look at John’s dirty, scar covered face to see the care that went into crafting each character. The only visual knock one may have is the occasional glitch, but these are few and far between, and are more an annoyance than a serious problem.

Red Dead Redemption is one of the better open world games of all time, and possibly the best western game ever. Beyond a few visual glitches and some boring points in the story, Red Dead Redemption is a game that has it all: great visuals, a compelling story, and most importantly, smooth and exciting gameplay. Anyone who enjoys open world games, and isn’t bothered by a bit of blood and foul language is sure to enjoy the game, and is sure to be playing it long after the end credits roll.

RATING: 9/10

Front page image from rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption.