Rating: 9/10
Overview:
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a Western-themed action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. It is a prequel to the 2010 game Red Dead Redemption, and the third entry in the Red Dead series. Set in 1899, the story centres on outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, while also following fellow gang member John Marston, the protagonist of the original Red Dead Redemption.
My Views
The game is unbelievably detailed, I have already wrote a blog post on this, and is absolutely brimming with atmosphere. The game is at its best in the quieter personal story moments and to be honest at its worst when the game is screaming and shouting in its action sequences. This is not to say the game is bad by any means it is one of the best games of the year but it is held back slightly by some outdated gameplay design choices.
The opening
The opening to the game is one of the strongest that I have ever played. The idea to start the game in the snow reigns of the map is an inspired choice, it gives the game a real sense of urgency and the environment helps to make the tutorial missions fit into the story in a natural way that doesn't feel contrived.
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The first cut scene opens like a movie, really helping to set up the cinematic nature of the rest of the story with the whole gang conveying through the snow and the first thing that hit me was that the entire gang was not gunslingers and thugs there are many children and women in the group, this helped ground the games and these people became the heart of the game once you move out of the opening to the game.
This section is quiet linear but it allow for controlled interactions between your character and the other gang members, giving time for each of the gangs individual characteristics to shine, and these initial moments really help to set up further interactions as you go through the game and this leads to...
The best part of the game
As mentioned in my view the game is at its best when its not doing anything important, when the game slows down and lets you interact with your gang and just hanging around your camp. One of the early mission sees you going drinking with one of your gang members and then... that's it, you wake up drunk in the wilderness and just have to walk back to camp. it seems simple and to be honest it is but you get a real feeling of friendship and compassion between the characters
It feels real, the writing really honest and true, and the way it portrays drunkenness is unique and its more and more crazy as the night goes on. I realise it is mostly a cut scene with a few short wondering moments of gameplay but it just make you feel good.
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Another more interactive moment is a time when you just wonder into camp and Dutch decides its time to have a party, this isn't even a mission its just happens naturally. you then have complete control over the situations you take part in, you can sit around a camp fire, drink. eat and dance and it go on for as long or as little time as you want it to. Nothing really happens, no missions are unlocked by completing it, nothing is improved by attending the party or interacting with anyone but... it's story telling at its finest, you feel happy, elated even and you can completely control how much of it you experience. I know its not everyone's cup of tea but I attended this party for 30 minuets, drinking and just listening to each characters unique dialogue
My least favourite part
I also already mentioned this in my blog a few weeks ago that the combat in the game is downright Archaic. I recently tried playing GTA3 again and to my shock the gunplay in this game is still quiet similar to that, I mean yes there have been some improvements such as the auto aim but it just has not come far enough after two console generations. With almost every main story mission consisting of gunplay in some way it gets to be a drag by the end of the second chapter and for me really holds me back from holding this game up on a pedestal with all my other personal classics.
The dead eye system still exists in this game and honestly its really the old way you can sort of manually target enemies and more specifically there heads, which is essential because to get gold ranking on most of the missions you have to hit a certain number of headshots and it is almost impossible without deadeye.
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One of the major flaws with deadeye however is that you have to now consume items in order to recharge it, and yes I'm aware that it will do it eventually overtime but as I have stated the reliance you will have on the system, especially if you want those gold rankings means you will be forever going through those consumables . Now I'm sure someone is going to tell me that I'm talking rubbish and the game is totally doable without over using dead eye and that I just need to get good at the game but these reviews are not meant for hardcore gamers, its for casuals and people like myself who enjoy gaming but are not mighty lords of the controller in anyway.
the details of the details
Now this game is beautiful to look at and the sheer level of detail is astounding from snow and mud that actually has physically presence in the world to overly hyped fluctuating private horse parted, and while I do apricate this level of detail and I really admire Rockstar for still trying to push the gaming industry forward none of it really adds anything to the game. It's all just set dressing or the game in fact so is the character interactions t camp and the fishing, poker, domino's, drinking, hunting, foraging, horse care, gun maintenance, personal hygiene, weather effects etc... none of it really matters it doesn't affect the story that Rockstar is trying to tell but then, that's the point the story and the gunplay are not the main focus of this game. You are, not your character but you the player, what do you want to do today? what do you want to see?
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That is the true purpose of this game, real freedom, the real Western experience.
My last thoughts
This game only didn't score a 10/10 because of the gunplay but it honestly deserves your attention and support, now I haven't tried the online component and I only brought the standard edition of the game but it a game that you owe it to yourself to experience because this game really is a work of art.
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Until next time... Toby