Review: Red Dead Redemption 2

Don’t be deceived by the number at the end of the title, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a...

Don’t be deceived by the number at the end of the title, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a direct prequel to its predecessor. The story takes place years before our last adventure as we follow Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang. If you recognize the latter name, it was the group of outlaws that John Marston rode with back in the day. As you can expect, you’ll see our loveable Marston often, who is perfectly implemented into the story. It’s not too much fan service or focus, but just enough so he’s a solid supporting role, especially in the later half of the campaign. He has his own arc, but it’s all about Arthur and his issues. The first couple of chapters in the story, Arthur is an unlikable individual. It takes him a little while to find his footing as he’s an overly serious character who never breaks a smile and plays the rough cowboy to a T. His relationship with the group, including the gang’s leader, Dutch van der Linde, is what stands out among everything else. It’s the little things around the camp; the songs, the gestures and the interactions that expand our protagonist’s likability, and you begin to better understand him. Even the most insignificant faces seem to bring out the more positive aspects out of Arthur more than the main story ever does, and it’s sad that it’s something players can completely overlook, especially considering entering the camp setting forces the player to move at a snail’s pace.

The name of the film alone should instantly bring to your mind the iconic score from Ennio Morricone, but The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly rightfully deserves its place among the best of the Western genre, and the defining example of the « Spaghetti Westerns » that Red Dead Redemption holds so many visuals and thematic influences from.

It’s safe to say that Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily the most visually-impressive game Rockstar has ever created. While it’s difficult for open world games to compare to more linear, focused experiences due to the amount of content shoved onto screen at once, there were times when I thought I was playing a CG movie. Maybe that’s a little bit of hyperbole as there are still some compromises that are taken, but for the most part this is arguably the best looking game of the year. Character models are remarkably detailed, even with the most insignificant individuals, and the open world Games walkthrough world is absolutely gorgeous. Not only does it have an incredible amount of variety, from industrial cities to snowy mountains, but the way settings are organized bring the world to life in a sensational way. From a pure visual aspect, the only negative notions are minor ones, namely beards can sometimes look like they’re pulled off a character creator, and the rendering and reflections when moving through water has a strange issue on the sides of the screen. Animation is the only other aspect that can be bothersome at times. Don’t get me wrong, everything is animated meticulous, from faces to actions, but when you need to interact with something in the world, it can put you into an animation that takes a lot longer than you’d hope for. Other than that, I was blown away with what Rockstar was able to accomplish, as the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is simply breathtaking.

In order to grab the hat, you’ll need a boat. Head out towards the biggest island around, and you’ll find an even bigger, still mostly destroyed pirate ship. Inside lies your prize; the coolest hat in the Seven S

The marketing for a game starts the second it is announced. The job of marketing is to not only increase awareness of a title, but maintain hype through the game’s release. Shorter marketing cycles are typically more effective because they have a tighter focus. Red Dead Redemption 2 ’s marketing started in late 2016. While it is intermittent, this incredibly long cycle will likely see the game fall off some people’s radar for months before they suddenly remember that it exists. Rockstar is no stranger to long marketing cycles, but that doesn’t change the fact that it could still negatively impact the game’s sales. Red Dead simply isn’t as well known as GTA , so it needs every push it can get to take the gaming world by storm once ag

Surprise, surprise Red Dead Redemption 2 got delayed. Smugness aside that sucks! I was hoping it was going to follow the trend of Fallout 4 by being in development for years without an official peep to then be revealed with a relatively quick date. Again it’s upsetting, but I at least know Rockstar is going to do their best so the wait will be worth it. However, I was really itching for a new game set in the Wild West, which got me thinking. How many are other Western games there? Obviously, there’s the first Red Dead Redemption and then the completely different Red Dead Revolver on PS2. Those feel like the obvious recommendations if you haven’t played them

L.A. Noire was an interesting step in a new direction for Rockstar. Developed by Team Bondai and published by Rockstar, L.A Noire took us back to 1940s Los Angeles in a Noire setting made popular within the film industry. Controlling Detective Cole Phelps, you work your way through the divisions of the LAPD, solving some of the best and most gruesome cases 1940’s L.A has to offer. As well as this, Rockstar introduced a free roam mode, allowing us to explore the era in all its glory. While the game grossed highly and is rated among its fans, it did receive some criticism for being boring. Although it is argued that the slow pace and difficult interrogations help build the atmosphere for the overall experience, many feel they still missed the boat in some circumstances, actually turning the whole story into a bit of a d