It’s 1911. Your name is John Marston. You’re a one-time outlaw – a former member of the notorious Dutch van der Linde gang.
You left that life behind after your gang left you for dead.
But the past has a way of catching up with people. The government wants your former gang eliminated, and they want you to do their dirty work for them. They’ve taken your wife and son hostage to make sure you cooperate.
And so begins Red Dead Redemption, a stunning and compelling adventure in the twilight days of the Wild West.
The first thing you’ll notice about RDR is the absolute beauty of the world you’re immersed in. From the vast plains of southern Texas to the sprawling deserts of Mexico, the environment feels entirely authentic.
The controls are going to feel familiar to anyone who has played any of the recent installments of the Grand Theft Auto series.
The same can be said for the mission system. GTA fans are going to feel right at home in RDR.
But in spite of the similarities, Red Dead Redemption stands on its own.
One of the more interesting aspects RDR introduces is the concept of your choices and actions affecting how the game’s population responds to you.
Save a damsel in distress from a posse of bandits? You earn honor points. Rob a nun at gunpoint? You lose honor points.
Players with a high honor level earn discounts at most shops and townsfolk overlook minor crimes. Those with low honor are offered discounts in the crime-ridden town of Thieves’ Landing and can bribe witnesses to keep their mouths shut about crimes for less.
You also gain fame points for many of your actions, such as completing a mission or winning a duel.
Another standout feature of Red Dead Redemption is called “dead-eye,” which allows players to slow down time and take out targets with absolute precision during gunplay.
But perhaps the most impressive aspect of Red Dead Redemption is that there’s never a shortage of things to do.
There are plenty of wild animals to hunt, plants to collect, challenges to complete, strangers to help, treasure to find, and mini-games to play, including the ever-popular Texas hold’em.
Simply put, Red Dead Redemption is a big game that gets all the little things right. The voice acting is superb, the world is expansive and immersive, the combat is smooth, especially with the “dead-eye” system, and you always have plenty to keep you entertained.
Recommendation: BUY.
When I first signed up for Twitter in March 2007, the social networking site was just beginning to find an audience. But most of the people joining then were habitual early-adopters, not average social network users.
