Red Dead Redemption

[Avi]

Okay, Red Dead Redemption.  First of all, I must say that my initial thoughts on this sequel to Red Dead Revolver was probably what many people had.  "Great.  Grand Theft Auto in the Wild West.  Whoop dee doo."  However, after about 10 hours worth of playtime, I must say that I am thoroughly impressed at the job which Rockstar has done with the source material.  One caveat:  I never played Red Dead Revolver myself, so I cannot say much about comparing this to the first game.  That being said, most of my experience has been quite good.

John Marston is your typical Western protagonist, really.  A former gang-member, he has been forcibly recruited by the federal government to bring down the men he once considered his friends.  He struggles with his old reputation and the demons of his past while seeking to redeem himself and get his life back.  He has a great deal of personality, and the facial animations for him during dialogue are quite expressive.  He carries the role of "Main Character" quite admirably.  The supporting cast behind John Marston is quite strong as well.  In my first few hours of playing, I met Bonnie MacFarlane, a tough, self-made ranch owner, Nigel W. Dickens, a snake-oil and elixir hustler from the East Coast, and Leigh Johnson, the Federal Marshal from Armadillo.  All of them have very distinct and entertaining personalities, and they all fit very well within the world of Red Dead Redemption.

As with any Rockstar game, combat is a big hallmark of RDR.  Both on foot as well as on horseback/riding shotgun on wagons, gun-play is fast and furious, capturing the spirit of the run-and-gun skirmishes of the time.  Horseback riding is obviously a big part of gameplay as well, with many different varieties of horses available to purchase or to capture in the wild and tame.  After a bit of fiddling at the beginning, riding mechanics are quite easy to pick up and are quite intuitive.  A nice little extra is the ability to maintain your current speed simply by holding down a button, leaving you able to maneuver and aim your weapon with ease.

Now, the world itself.  In a word, incredible.  The towns teem with activity, and at any time you can run into a drunken customer attacking a prostitute, a gang of ruffians shooting up the main street, or a shopkeeper trying to catch a would-be robber.  You can also take up bounties, play any number of mini-games to win money, and purchase rooms throughout the world in which to save your game and restock ammunition.  Outside of town, you can take up hunting various wild game (this will likely be your largest source of cash outside of story missions), treasure hunting, or the previously mentioned taming of wild horses among other jobs and activities.  In any of these places, you may also run into Strangers, who will give you unique side missions to complete.  These can be anything from one-shot deals to multi-stepped journeys taking place over time.  Each has a unique feel and each one will leave you satisfied with your accomplishment once they end. 

Even when you are not taking on side-missions, it is often fun to just explore and sight-see.  There have been several times where I've just stopped and admired the vivid scenery of the American West.  A sunrise over the deserts between Armadillo and MacFarlane Ranch, the mesas of Northern Mexico, and the vast Great Plains west of Blackwater are just a few of the many sights that a player will encounter as they travel through Red Dead Redemption.

There have been a couple roughspots, however.  For one, the aim-assisted shooting mechanic can be a bit iffy at times, though if you don't really use this to begin with, it won't be a problem.  Second, horses have a tendency to get caught up on rocks or trees and bring your ride to a grinding halt if you are not observant.  This has not been a problem for me in any story missions, though I ran into some unexpected roadblocks while chasing down a bounty target or two.  These are, however, minor quibbles, and I would certainly recommend Red Dead Redemption to anyone who enjoys this style of open-world adventure/action title.

[DarklingAlice]

Thank you very much for your impressions, Avi! I had just been wondering whether it would live up to my expectations.

[Avi]

Nigel W. Dickens is probably my favorite supporting character so far, just because he's such a slippery little bastard, and the fact that he keeps dragging John into his scheme against the poor guy's will.

[Sabby]

How's the horse physics? :) I heard it's the same smart ragdoll as the humans have, which interests me, as they'd be applying a system designed for bipedal creatures to a totally different shape of creature.

[Mercurial]

Erm, this is going to sound odd but...

Do Native Americans appear, and if so, how are they portrayed. It'll determine whether this is "Buy Now" or "Buy When Certain Members of the House Are Out of Town"

[Wolfy]

Erm, this is going to sound odd but...

Do Native Americans appear, and if so, how are they portrayed. It'll determine whether this is "Buy Now" or "Buy When Certain Members of the House Are Out of Town"

Well, it's Rockstar, sooooo....I'm sure Stereotypes abound.

[Avi]

How's the horse physics? :) I heard it's the same smart ragdoll as the humans have, which interests me, as they'd be applying a system designed for bipedal creatures to a totally different shape of creature.

Not just for horses, but for all animals and people in-game, when they die, the impacts on their body, whether from bullets or explosions, are generated in real-time and they all fall realistically.  In one particularly memorable gun battle, I shot the horse out from under a rider.  The horse pitched forward, sending his rider flying into a nearby rock and careening off a cliffside.  Riding physics are realistic and quite responsive.  In fact, I wish there were more horse-centric activities like ranching or racing to do outside of the main storyline.

Erm, this is going to sound odd but...

Do Native Americans appear, and if so, how are they portrayed. It'll determine whether this is "Buy Now" or "Buy When Certain Members of the House Are Out of Town"

None of the satires I have encountered were terribly offensive, and I know Native Americans exist in the game, but I have not yet encountered them.

[Sabby]

What about Irish? I heard that Ireland is upset for the game having a town drunk named Irish xD

[Mercurial]

Well, it's Rockstar, sooooo....I'm sure Stereotypes abound.

Yeah, but it would be possible, especially in the "Dying West" genre, to simply have them not appear at all.

[Tharic]

Thanks for your impressions Avi. I've been mulling it over for a while now on the PS3.

[Ridcully]

This game is beyond fantastic. I could write a hell lot, but Avi already said so much.

I'll just add this.

If you're a fan of the Dark Tower series and want to feel like Roland for awhile - buy it. There's maybe no Eddie or Jake, but hell, most of the time you just want to shout "To me, gunslingers", and speak of ka-tet in multiplayer mode.

If you're a fan of Deadwood, get it. There's maybe no Bullock or Swarengen, but hell - the towns feel as alive, as real as Deadwood did in the show.

Finally, if you love Clint Eastwood to death like I do, if he's your all-time hero - this is _your_ game.

"When the shooting starts, we kill what moves."

Roland, gunslinger

[Crovonovin]

What about Irish? I heard that Ireland is upset for the game having a town drunk named Irish xD

He's clearly meant to be a joke character.  His accent is the stereotypical lyrical manner of speech that you'd find in a Lucky Charms commercial.

Also, one word of caution:

BEWARE OF COUGARS

That is all.

[Wolfy]

He's clearly meant to be a joke character.  His accent is the stereotypical lyrical manner of speech that you'd find in a Lucky Charms commercial.

Also, one word of caution:

BEWARE OF COUGARS

That is all.

I know..Older Women are dangerous. D:

[Crovonovin]

Hah! 

But really.  If you grow attached to your horse, beware the tall grass!

[Ridcully]

Did anyone get the limited edition as well, with this "special horse" you get since the beginning? If so - is this now really the fastest horse in the game right away or do I have to buy the others too?

[Crovonovin]

I think it may be in the same league as all the other "Fast" horses, speed-wise.  Unless I'm mistaken, I think the perk isn't that it's faster, but that it's more durable.

[Ridcully]

Thanks. I'll stick to it then. Though, this donkey in multiplayer-mode...

[Crovonovin]

As hilarious as the donkey is, the Max Rank mounts are on an entirely different level.

You can ride a Bull and a BUFFALO.

[Avi]

Cougars are nasty... but wolves are more insidious in my opinion.  They can get in underneath your horse and nip away at his health while you can't shoot back at them.

[Ridcully]

How exactly do you capture people instead of killing them as bounty hunters? Like, I shoot the guy in the legs, and he'll fall down; eventually though, he gets up again and starts shooting; i try to shoot him in the hand, and he's dead.

Is there anything you have to do when the guy is on the ground after shooting him in the leg?

[Crovonovin]

If you keep doing quests for Bonnie you should get (or have gotten) the lasso.  Lasso them and hold onto the button, get close to them, then hogtie 'em.  You can then put them on the back of your horse (or onto the railroad tracks while curling your mustache and laughing maniacally).

[MercyfulFate]

I so wish I had this game, but I've got too many bills to pay at the moment.

[ReijiTabibito]

Question, for anyone who's got or played this game, as well as Halo ODST.

I just found out that the money I spent on original Xbox games (hoping to play by backwards compatibility, which they discontinued) was wasted, so I'm gonna return them and get the cash back.  With that, I can afford either RDR or ODST (ODST's $40 price tag will leave me with change).  Any opinions?

[Avi]

Red Dead Redemption, hands down.  ODST was way too short and didn't break the mold in any strong sense for me.

[Crovonovin]

I would also recommend Redemption.  I've never been too much of a fan of the Halo series, but Reach does seem like it's trying for something a bit new while ODST kind of retreads old ground.