Red Dead Redemption

To put this review in context, I've been looking forward to Red Dead Redemption for a long time: it's the only game I've ever pre-ordered. And I am glad I did, because not only is this one of the strongest contenders for Game Of The Year, but it may even be one of (that's 'one of', for the Ocarina fans) the greatest games ever made.

Graphics - Incredible, simply incredible. To call this game beautiful is a disgraceful understatement. Besides Final Fantasy XIII, I can't think of many games which better RDR's graphics, and considering the sheer size of the map and the possible number of enemies duelling onscreen at one time that's a huge achievement. From everything to cacti in the desert to the muscles of the horses you ride, everything looks exactly as you'd imagine it to. This is life in the old west brought to life. Besides camera angles, the cut-scenes and gameplay are almost indistinguishable, and the characters look pretty damn realistic (like a great film, you can tell what the characters are thinking just by looking at their facial expressions and body language). In short, this a beautiful, beautiful game.

Sound - Perfect. Graphics may improve, gameplay may improve, but I honestly couldn't see how the soundtrack to this game could be any better. You really become immersed in the game when you have the traditional Spaghetti Western style music playing as you ride after outlaws in the desert. I was worried that having that kind of music in the game would make it seem cheesy or fake, but it really does add a sense of atmosphere. The voice-acting is also superb, as is now standard for Rockstar games. The greatest moment so far was a flash and the sound of thunder during a storm, causing all the horses outside the saloon to whinny and struggle against their hitchings in fright.

Length - This is a long game. Besides the main story mode, which is a good 20 hours by itself, there is a huge number of side activities to engage in. Hunting, breaking in horses, poker, duelling, horseshoes, blackjack, Liar's Dice, bounty hunting, stagecoach-robbing (or saving, if you come across one being attacked), challenges, collecting outfits... The list really does go on, and you'll be entertained by this for a long time.

Gameplay - The meat of any game, and I've saved the best till last. From riding horses to hunting outlaws, there really is a vast number of things to do. This variation ensures the experience never gets repetitive, and it really is just mind-blowing. The controls are great, and although the horse riding takes a little getting used to, you come to realise that there is no better way to ride a horse and shoot outlaws at the same time. And the attention to detail is awesome, in the true sense of the word. It's satisfying to blow someone off horseback with a shotgun, only to find that their foot becomes stuck in the stirrups as their horse rides away in fright, or when you lasso a wanted criminal and drag them to the Sheriff's office at high speed on your horse. There are a few glitches in the game, and occasional slowdown, but this really doesn't detract from the experience and happens so infrequently that it's barely worth mentioning.

Without a doubt MY now favourite game, I'm sure this will be many people's opinion in the coming weeks. I cannot stress enough how much you need to buy it. Happy trails!

Hello people,

Its hard to know where to start when reviewing a game such as Red Dead Redemption, so i will break this down into different points.

Storyline: Firstly this is a sandbox game, much in the same style as GTA 4. I personally find it hard to really connect with story and characters when it comes to sandbox games. This is due to the fact that there is just so much to do that i find myself getting side-tracked with exploring, side missions and generally just seeing what the game has to offer. The problem is you can spend an hour or two progressing the story, then just feel like messing around in the open-world. This doesn't create a very linear storyline like Bioshock or Alan Wake. I understand that both games used as examples of a linear storyline are both totally different to RDR.
I wont say to much about the storyline other than you play as John Marston, a man who travels to America during the industrial revolution on some sort of a revenge mission. John Marston is your typical bad guy turned good. The best thing about the storyline is the very unexpected twist at the end. **NO SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO ARE YET TO FINISH THE GAME PLEASE (IF YOU DO COMMENT)**

Graphics: The graphics are of a very high standard, which many gamers of today will expect. Personally i look past not so good graphics, if the gameplay is fun and makes me want to continue playing i'm fine with that. Anyway, using the same or a very similar game engine to that of GTA4, you can get an idea of what to expect, however the game is much sharper. I haven't experienced any bad frame rates or the ground beneath you disappearing briefly, both problems that occur in GTA4.
The detail in RDR is spot on from the weapons, the horse movement, the way animals in the wild move, weather effects. Basically the game looks wonderful, so if its great graphics and detail you are looking for then RDR is for you.

Multiplayer: Ok so multiplayer is split into two different sections including free roam and competitive game modes (bag grab and death-match etc) Firstly free roam is the whole RDR world, the map holds a maximum of sixteen players, now this is fun when playing with a group of friends or joining other players within the world to form a posse. The posse system is very good, it enables you to have eight players in the same posse at one time, you can all go off your own way and aren't restricted to staying in close proximity of the other posse members. There isn't a huge amount to do in free roam, mainly clearing gang hideouts and being rewarded with EXP for this, there are only seven gang hideouts throughout the world, which isn't many in comparison to the size of the world. EXP can also be gained through completing challenges such as shoot five birds or become most wanted for ten minutes etc etc. you will also gain EXP from shooting other players in the world. Basically free roam is the whole world for you to enjoy with your friends or other players, its just a lot more limited to what you can do compared to single player.
Competitive game modes are enjoyable, it isn't MW2 or BFBC2 but it is still a lot of fun, there is a levelling up system which is linked to free roam, so no matter what game type you play you will be levelling up your player for any multiplayer mode. *there is no levelling system in the single player* As you level up you will unlock new weapons, new titles for you character and new mounts (horses)

Overall RDR is a great game, well worthy of the hype and is a very strong contender for game of the year. Sorry if this review wasn't as informative as it could have been, but i didn't want to include every last detail of the game, leaving no room for little surprises for you. Anyway hope you enjoy the game if you have it or are thinking of getting it.

Thanks for reading my review guys :)

Even though I have only played a few hours sometimes you just know how good a game is going to be from the off, and this is fantastic.

I have seen it described as GTA in the Wild West, and I cant really argue with that. Similar idea of having a main story thread which you can pick up and put down, along with various side missions. There is also the fun to be had from just riding around, with no real purpose, just doing stuff you come across on the way (ie hunting). I dont want to give anything away so will not mention anything about the story, other than you have a few gentle tutorial style missions initially, and then thats it, you are straight into the action.

The game looks great (there are a few glitches here and there but jeez to get a piece of work this large and detailed to be perfect must be nigh on impossible) and the sound is also excellent.

The attention to detail that Rockstar add to their games is what makes them so special, and for anyone who enjoyed GTA style games, this is going to be right up your street.

Multiplayer - I have only had a brief go but it works fine on day 1 - which is good, and seems a lot of fun also with various game modes. Personally I bore of deathmatch style play, so the objective type games are a really welcome addition.

If you are considering buying this then Im sure you pretty much know what to expect. For those who like to sit back when a hyped game comes out and wait and see how it has turned out I just want to say not to worry, they havent messed this up, so get it bought, you will not regret it. Enjoy, I certainly am, and expect to be for months to come.