A Fistful of Awesome
The list of western themed games is very short. The list of good ones is even smaller. Leave it to Rockstar to not only make the best western game but to make one of the best games I have played in recent memory. Rockstar knows how to design worlds. Looking at the game from a distance would show large desert like environments. But the world of Redemption is just as alive as any part of Liberty City.
Red Dead is built with Rockstar's RAGE engine used in GTA IV. This shows through a lot with character animations and UI elements. Different from GTA IV, the tone of this game is serious and doesn't have too many wacky characters. Voiced by a top notch cast you arrive in a new town on the trail of your former gang members. You play John Marston, one the the most badass characters in any Rockstar game. The missions are very much in Rockstar's wheelhouse. A lot of killing waves of enemies getting from point A to B. All of this is still fun though, each mission giving you great motivation to get the job done.
As with the GTA series there are plenty of fun side missions. There are night watch and horse breaking missions along with some table games like poker. Beyond those are random world events like a stage coach being attacked by bandits or a citizen who wandered too far from home and is getting chased by angry wild life. Just as I thought I had seen all the random events another would pop up even 70 hours or so into the game. The wild life plays a huge part in the game. Rabbits, deer and other critters will scurry away as you cross the expansive world. Other creatures such as wolves, cougars, coyotes and bears will run you down looking for a quick meal. All the creatures can be hunted, skinned and their other parts added to the new inventory system to be sold in town.
The RAGE engine has a few more 'quirks' than I remember GTA IV having with some peculiar sightings around the terrain. Not much can get in the way of the great experience though. Rockstar created a rich world with tons of story and action to sink your teeth into. They put together what felt like a trilogy of westerns all in one game, each one flowing into the other seamlessly. Plan on sinking upwards of 80 hours living out your Sergio Leone fantasies. This one is a must buy.
