A Game of Redeeming Quality
There are few games that I enjoyed so much, I wish I could enjoy them all over again for the first time. Red Dead Redemption is one of those games.
The game tells the story of John Marston, a former outlaw who's turned the corner and attempting to live an honest life. Unfortunately for John, he can't erase the fact he once ran with a notorious gang who's leader is on a rampage in the state of New Austin. In order to persuade John into aiding their search for Bill Williamson, the Government has taken John's family hostage. The humble rancher now has no choice but to embark on a search all over New Austin and Mexico.
Now being a Rockstar developed, open-world game, Red Dead Redemption has drawn comparisons to Grand Theft Auto 4. And as well it should. The story telling and memorable characters in each game are top notch. I can't remember the last time I liked a character as much as I like John Marston. I feel sympathetic for him that he's been pulled into this situation. I respect that he's just doing what he's gotta do to get back to his family. I don't know what it is about him that drew me in so much, but he's worked his way into my heart.
The story telling works very similarly to the past decade of GTA games. You meet folks, and they give you missions. I'm not gonna lie and say the missions are innovative. They can be boiled down to the typical open-world missions. But the setting is what makes them unique and fun. The game is set in 1911 in an evolving Western United States. This means no cars, no planes and no machine guns/ rocket launchers. This may seem like a big downer to some people, but I love it. I environments that are different than my own. I love being thrown back to time where I can't drive or fly to anywhere. This makes the missions almost simplified. You have a horse and a gun in most missions. John meets many memorable characters from all walks of life in the Old West. It's interesting to see how everyone is dealing with the WIld West being tamed. Simply put, RDR's story is one of the most engaging I've experienced in a long time. A large reason for that is the last 2 hours of the game. I have never experienced anything like it. Whenever I think about it now, it still get worked up as if I had just experienced it.
The following paragraph about the ending of the game. I strongly suggest that if you have any intentions of playing the game, experience it first for yourself. Don't spoil it.
