Red Dead Redemption 2 Review “The good, the bad, and the brilliant”
Red Dead Redemption 2 from Rockstar Games has been one of the most anticipated titles of this decade, serving as a prequel to 2010’s critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption.
Eight years in the making, Rockstar welcomes back one of the most impressive franchises in gaming history and has delivered the most refined and polished video game to hit the market this year and quite possible this decade.
The Story (Spoiler FREE)
Red Dead Redemption 2 has you playing as Arthur Morgan, a member of the Vanderlin gang who has served as a right hand man to Dutch Vanderlin since he was a boy. The cast of the gang contains many of the memorable characters from the first Red Dead Redemption alongside an ensemble of interesting and fresh new faces. All of the characters remain loyal and united under Dutch and support his vision of rejecting civilized society and living in a lawless paradise.
Immediately thrown into the deep end after a failed robbery, the game puts you into the role of being on the run and ultimately looking for one last big score for the gang to run off with. A western story that almost comes across as cliché but is handled in such a diligent and grounded way that you have no choice but to embrace it.
Each member of the gang comes across as genuine and with their own motives and history. All of them have unique and developed interpersonal relationships with each other, allowing Arthur to take sides in disputes and make real connections with the other members of the gang. It all serves as part of the excellent story building that Rockstar is renowned for. The emotional investment with the characters is gradual and without a sense of being forced. Even the minor characters you’ll encounter are fleshed out and feel like they’ve been in this world long before you have, and feel like they will be there long after.
Overall the story is one of Rockstar’s best and shows that video games are capable of detailed and immersive storytelling. Red Dead Redemption 2 excels with character development and provides a gripping adventure through a fictional 1890’s America. Coupled alongside the many side stories that you will naturally encounter, it helps build an incredibly satisfying narrative that not many other games can claim to even approach.
Presentation
From a development standpoint, no stone is left unturned. In regards to visuals, animation quality, sound and music, Rockstar has set what will be a precedent for games over the next decade in regards to the sheer quality of the overall package.
The visual fidelity of this game is simply stunning, from close and afar. Up close you can see every hair, every scar and every divot of the characters face and expressions. Little aspects like stepping in mud leaves a temporary mess on clothing and equipment. The microscopic details really add to a photorealistic close up experience. The world itself is very scenic, from the rolling thunder storms over wide valleys to the glistening shine of the sun on beautifully crafted wooden buildings. It is near impossible to find an ugly piece of its environment.
Red Dead constantly has you put into a perpetual trance with stunning visual detail. The way characters smoothly interact with the environment surrounding them, from stumbling down stairs to falling off of your horse. It’s done fluidly thanks to the continued use of the Euphoria physics engine which supports a large portion of the in-game animation. There are no visual aspects that hold this game back and it is arguably the best looking game available on consoles.
The music and sound in the world of Red Dead is another major success. Many of the general themes and instrumentals that accompany you throughout the game are inspired by the classic western music we have become so accustomed to, like that from famous western composer Ennio Morricone. Woody Jackson is to be praised for what is an incredibly memorable soundtrack, from the atmospheric swells to the pounding drum beats that accompany gunfights. It all fits so perfectly and truly helps to complement the other aspects of the game.
Gameplay
Red Dead Redemption 2 at its core is a well-built Action-Adventure game. From poker, train robbing, bounty hunting to fishing, there is an overwhelming amount of activities to do in between the main story. Surprisingly, none of the side activities feel forced or out of place, with most of them being fun activities that help to immerse you in the world. Though often times slower paced, many of the side activities look to take you away from the constant fast paced action that many other action adventure games feel the need to constantly bombard you with. It’s a refreshing and at times cathartic way to be immersed into the world of Red Dead.
Though most aspects of the gameplay are incredibly well designed, there are some systems that just feel clunky and outdated in their design. The cover system that is used during gunfights often leaves you incredibly frustrated as certain parts of the terrain are not recognized. This is a problem that was never an issue in previous games. The witness/wanted system also has some fatal flaws that completely take you out of the experience, often leaving you with an inevitable shootout with the law.
These may seem like minor issues, but as the games story is over 60 hours long they really do standout and break the immersion of what otherwise is a flawless game. For a game that put so many hours into developing the details of the world, it seems like a massive oversight to have some of the fundamental gameplay mechanics flat out broken.
When the gunplay and cover works, it’s fantastic. The unique aspects like having to cock your revolver before firing are nice touches and are part of the minor details that makes Red Dead so good, but it is equally as frustrating when core aspects like the game’s cover system feel under developed. Red Dead Redemption 2 also contains a fully fleshed out multiplayer that allows you to journey around with friends in the stunning world, carrying out activities like heists or bounty hunting. All adding to complete the overall package.
Final Verdict
It is unlikely that we will see another game of this caliber before the end of the decade. The minor problems that do plague the game are from a technical aspect and certainly can be overlooked with how good the rest of the experience is. The game’s brilliant storytelling continues to shine and even makes its predecessor Red Dead Redemption 1 all the better for it, due to the constant world building and deeper context given to the events of the first game. Having put nearly 100 hours into this game, it is well worth the full price of admission with so much to do and see, being one of the few games that actually well worth its Price tag. Not only is this a game of resounding success in terms of physical units sold and critical acclaim but it really does serve as one of the defining titles of this generation of console games. Not only as a good game, but a riveting narrative that goes to show the power of storytelling through video games. Red Dead Redemption 2 is not without flaws, however the sheer overall quality leaves it in a reserved echelon of games that not many can claim to be a part of. This game is an overall masterpiece and quite possibly, the game of the decade.
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