I know for a fact that there are plenty of people like me who, whilst recognising GTA IV as the technical and satirical masterpiece that it is, struggled to actually find the game a great deal of fun. Let's face it; it was like a great painting when looked at as a whole, but upon sitting down and casually playing bits and pieces of it, it wasn't all that enthralling. This was my main reservation about Red Dead Redemption preceding its release - would it balance great storytelling with genuine enjoyability, and perhaps even a strong multiplayer component? Despite my initial doubt, Rockstar San Diego have blown me away exceeding all my suspicions.
You may have noticed that a Wild West game world is rarely touched upon in modern games, and while some forays have been successful (see: GUN), many have fallen flat on their faces and instead created Hollywood-esque, over-the-top basic shooters fitted into a Western frame. It's clear that in contrast to this, Rockstar have truly done their research on the context, both on historical fact and on the Spaghetti Western films that have inspired the world's archetypal view of the West. The silence of the vast, hazy plains is broken by the chugging of a passing steam train. Drunks stagger blindly out of the swing doors of saloons. The whines of bullet ricochets signal a faraway dispute that has ended in needless bloodshed. This is the world you are pushed straight into from the outset, and even by the end of the single player story, it will still astound you how real this world feels.
Speaking of which, Rockstar have certainly not slacked out on making a lengthy and involving single player experience. In keeping with former standards, it will take the average player roughly 20 hours to complete, and involve traversing the giant map for all it's worth. The storyline is not particularly original - the morally ambiguous tough guy reluctantly has to re-live his messy past to save his family - but what makes it so believable is not the plot but the characters. It's said that the script for GTA IV was ten times the length of the average movie, and this follows suit, in depth and in execution. You'll meet retired gunslingers of old, settlers from the East, bandits and lawmen, tyrants and rebels, in a tale that epitomizes the death of the Old West and the enroachment of trans-continental government rule.
Red Dead also manages to pull away from its modern-day counterparts in terms of gameplay in just about every area. There are small-scale improvements such as the weapon selection wheel and a more flexible cover system, but there have been several RPG elements added to make every action you make in the dog-eat-dog world significant. For example, there is an Honor system (which anyone familiar with Fallout's Karma system will pick up quickly) that rewards or penalises you for how you treat others, and a large inventory of items you can carry around to either use or sell. What I was most impressed with during the single player game was that there was always something I could be doing, whether in a mission or not. Rockstar have seriously upped the ante in terms of extra activities, as on offer are highly detailed and polished games of Poker, Blackjack, Liar's Dice, Horseshoes, Five Finger Fillet and arm wrestling dotted around the map. There are also bounties to be captured, animals to be hunted and skinned, treasure chests to be found - the list goes on. The game has been in development for a long time and it is in this huge range of possibilities that it really shows.
I know there are enough persnickety people out there for the game to be decried for its technical faults, and to an extent they cannot be blamed. I can't deny that I have had plenty of instances of glitches with NPCs and textures, a couple of saving errors and more than a few animation errors, but this really should be overlooked for all the obstacles that have been overcome in making what is indisputably the best non-city environment ever. The horse animations are near-perfect, and the way animals act towards you both passively and aggressively is incredibly realistic. Visuals are another definite stand-out point and galloping over the rocky prairies as the sun sets on the red horizon is a breathtaking sight.
This huge range of 'plus' points combined to make an unforgettable campaign, but I held my doubts about the multiplayer. Much to my surprise, however, the multiplayer component wasn't just good, it was amazing. It is split between two modes; Free Roam and Competitive. Free Roam is just that - you are given the whole map to explore with friends or other players online, and you are at liberty to do what you please. Apart from having fun in your own ways (a personal favourite of mine was to have fisticuffs on a cliffside) you are given a long list of challenges to complete which easily keep you busy. In Competitive, there is the expected host of game types and map variation, and yet another list of challenges to complete for bonus Exp. It's hard to put a finger on what exactly makes the multiplayer so addictive, but provided you have some friends with the game as well, it will have you coming back time and again, even if it is just to unlock that bull at Rank 50.
To be honest, I could go on and on describing everything that Red Dead has and explaining why it all just works so seamlessly, but I'll cut it short - this is simply a must-have. Rockstar have outdone themselves in their own form, giving everything the player needs, and doubling it. If you haven't enjoyed a sandbox game before, then this will be the game that will change your mind completely. It effortlessly surpasses every other game of its genre. 10/10.
