Red Dead Redemption is another critically acclaimed game from Rockstar, yet I didn't find the gameplay to be something extraordinary and the mission variety isn't exactly the best. I hate to sound cliche but it does feel like GTA set in the West. You race on horses (and sometimes with a wagon attached) and you have gun fights, it's nothing new. However, it has been done well and the game play is refined enough for it to be fun. The controls take some getting used to, especially if you have been playing some other third person shooter. The controls also aren't as fluid as they can be, you can sometimes be struggling to pull off something you thought you could do. Red Dead Redemption is an open world game set in the West and the in-game world is HUGE. Just due to the inspiration, there are a lot of empty plains filled with cacti and other sorts of plant life. This adds to the desolated feel when it's only you, your horse and the wildlife. I loved the fact that you can hunt for wildlife too as it adds a nice distraction. True to your expectations, there are a heap of side activities to explore and waste time on. You can hunt bounties (i.e. capture or kill outlaws), gamble or performing fetch quests.
In playing this game, you really feel as if you're living and acting in that world, that you have the freedom to perform any action you want. What helps with the immersion is also the fact that things can happen to you and your horse when you're out there. Strangers may approach guns blazing, or a cougar can take down and kill your trusty companion horse. While on the way to the next mission, you are easily sidetracked thanks to random events that happens and you can choose to either accept the side mission or just keep going. The graphics aren't amazing, easily surpassed by games released after it (which is to be expected). The environment and colour palette is a bit too dark and gritty. There is a day and night cycle and weather effects, the voice acting is amazing and really brings the characters out. What I found most compelling about the game was the story. You follow John Marston, he is an unfriendly fellow from the start, a cold-hearted killer but as you get to know him, and the backstory is fleshed out, you start to admire him. That isn't to say that he's an angel because every character kill without a second thought.
While the story stalled for a bit during the middle, it picked back up soon after, especially once Marston went to Mexico. It stalls again near the end before the grand finale. Some might say that the story sidetracks a lot and you do see that (there are 57 story missions in total), Marston just seems to be the errand boy that everyone calls out to. He seems to be the person that's so awesome and everyone rely upon him to kill people. Without going into spoiler territory, the general consensus was that the ending was good and worthwhile. I didn't find that... I thought it would be more emotional. There's also a sense of injustice to the point where the final revenge wasn't that satisfying, you want more pain called to the guy... As mentioned, the game is mission based, you arrive at the marker, cutscenes happen and another portion of the story is told. You do the task and then go to the next mission. It's tried and tested and while I was never a fan of this game structure, it works here and does its job. I felt that each mission is perfectly balanced in terms of difficulty.
You won't get frustrated like you do when you have to try a particularly section again and again (the checkpoints are generous) like of the GTA games. Some might say the game is too easy but at least this way, it doesn't break the flow of the story. Maybe the developers could have added a few more difficulties. I have to admit that I liked the game more during the second half, for some reason, I found myself enjoying it more. Most missions involve shooting, which can get tiring. There are an abundance of enemies in some of the later missions which feels dragging. Another common gameplay element is riding your horse. You will constantly be riding your horse with a NPC and there will be some dialogue between the two. It's pretty interesting in the earlier missions but because you do this on practically every single mission, it becomes boring and you're just itching for the next bit to start. Overall, this is a solid game but often I would feel that I am forcing myself to finish off the game to satisfy myself that I have finished it and know what people are talking about when they praise the game.
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