Red Dead Redemption Review

August 13, 2022

It's interesting to see how so many Western-themed games started coming out after such a long period of inactivity from the industry in that genre. Not that we're complaining though – if Red Dead: Redemption is to be of any indication, the revival of the genre is going to be a total blast. The game will have you glued to your chair from start to finish, and that's even before you've found out about its multiplayer.

Gameplay

The story of Red Dead: Redemption is set in the Wild West and follows John Marston, an ex-gang member, whose family has been taken by the government in an attempt to force him into doing their bidding. Left with no other choice, Marston sets off to hunt down his three former gang members. The game is played in an open world and features many locations for you to explore.

One of the interesting things about it are the side quests which you can take along the way, allowing you to engage in a variety of activities – for example, if you see a bunch of merchants pinned down by a gang in a shootout, you can join in and help them, which will award you positive honor points as well as attribute to your fame, which is an actual attribute for your character in this game.

Having more fame and honor makes people see you in a more positive light, and unlocks some possibilities for you, as some people would be more willing to listen to you instead of judging you for your criminal history. It's interesting how the game handles criminal activity from the player – unlike GTA, where you're instantly awarded a “wanted” status after committing several crimes, in Red Dead someone must witness you do it, after which they'll try to warn the nearest police officers about your deeds. You can choose to run, or dispose of the witness (which includes offering them money instead of just killing them). Overall, the game is full of possibilities for exploration and improvisation.

Graphics and System Requirements

The game uses the Euphoria engine, the same one which powers the latest GTA 4. This allows it to display some very impressive-looking worlds with wide open areas full of interesting spots, without having to sacrifice the quality of any of the game's assets – so expect only high-resolution textures and models. The game looks especially well due to the fact that it plays mostly in open spaces, as opposed to the tightly packed cities in GTA, so it gives you even more eye candy to enjoy.

It runs smoothly on both consoles and we can't really complain about any framerate issues. The engine is known for its high level of optimization with console hardware, so it's not that surprising.

Other

Try out the multiplayer! You'll laugh at the original style of its free for all deathmatch the first time you play it – everybody is spawned in a “Mexican standoff” position, where everyone has their guns aimed at someone else, and after the initial shootout the game proceeds as a regular deathmatch game.

Conclusion

One of the best titles in recent years, Red Dead: Redemption is a fantastic Western game.