Red Dead Redemption

I don't think I'm even anywhere close to finishing this game, but I wanted to give some first impressions since I think it may take me literally forever to get through everything Rockstar has put in front of me.

The first thing to know about RDR is that while it is technically a sequel to Red Dead Revolver, a last gen game that garnered mixed reviews, you don't need to have played the first one to understand what's going on here. The plot is pretty simple from the start. You play as John Marsden, a bounty hunter traveling to New Austin in the early 1900s, hired by the government to go after one of his former outlaw compatriots Bill Williamson. Bill has taken refuge in a fort with a gang and when John comes knocking, giving Bill one last chance for them to work things out non-violently, Bill shoots John and leaves him for dead. Thankfully he's rescued by Bonnie MacFarlane, a woman who owns a nearby ranch, and is nursed back to health. From then on, you're free to roam the rather expansive world and slowly gather allies and enough heavy artillery to take out Bill. At least, that's part one.

There is TONS to do in the desert wilds of New Austin. Whether it be tracking down bandits from wanted posters, completing challenges like killing 5 coyotes with a knife before one injures you, collecting various costumes that grant you special benefits, raiding gang hideouts or even just stopping to escort a lady back to town on your horse, you will never be at a lack for something to do. Of course, coming from the makers of Grand Theft Auto this game is very similar to those titles, but there's just something quite different and satisfying about the way this game plays as compared to the GTA series that makes it stand out above the rest. Rockstar pretty much nailed the feeling of wandering out through the old west, making your own way to survive whether it be through good deeds or being a complete bastard.

Also in the tradition of GTA the characters you encounter are always interesting and fun to listen to. Quite a bit of this game is spent traveling between locations on your horse, often with someone else, and while it can take several minutes to reach a destination, it's never boring because the characters always have something funny or interesting to say. Even if it's a bandit leader that you've hogtied and thrown on the back of your horse. Each and every character is unique and interesting in their own way, which is quite an accomplishment considering just how many you come across.

But what about when you're traveling those long distances alone? Well first off there is the option to spend a little cash to ride stagecoaches between various towns (and there's a quick travel option I haven't tried yet), but most of the time I find myself actually riding those long distances because somehow, despite almost every location just being desert with a few different terrain features, every location has a different feel to it and all are pretty to look at and fun to travel through. There are also often so many random encounters along the way to wherever you're going that I at least don't feel like I want to miss out on.

As for combat, which you will be in for most of the game, it's really well balanced. For players like myself who aren't really good at shooting where I need to, they've included a very forgiving auto-aim feature as well as the signature "dead eye" shooting mechanic where you can slow down time, pick your targets, and then fire. Of course, it's regulated by a meter which refills quite slowly unless you want to spend the money on items that replenish it, so you do have to be careful in your use of it, but it still makes combat much more bearable than it might be otherwise. The other nice thing is that the saving/checkpoint system is forgiving enough that if you do end up dying you usually only have a short ways to go to get back to where you were. Ammo is also fairly plentiful so you needn't worry about wasting bullets (unless you want to improve your score on a particular mission).

The story missions are also filled with fun, though sometimes frustrating, fights that are often really heart-pounding. Oh, and as for never finishing this game, your assault on the fort where Bill Williamson is took me several hours to get to (along with doing side missions and playing poker), and once it was over I realized they were about to take me to the second half of the map (Mexico) and that those hours I just spent were only the first part of what will most likely be a very long epic journey.

RDR is one hell of a game that I look forward to thoroughly enjoying for the next year as I finish the single player and try to check out the also expansive multiplayer. And for all those like myself who thought GTA IV was a step down, or just never really got into GTA and are wondering if this game is worth it, the answer is yes. At the very least rent it, because I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone, but at the same time it's an amazing experience that everyone should at least give a try. The only real complaints I have against it are that some of the side missions you take (like follwing a dog around town until it spots trouble) are a little tedious, and the world is almost too expansive for it's own good. However, those slights aside, it's easily one of the best games I've played recently.

Red Dead Redemption gets a 9.5/10.