Red Dead Redemption Review

Good games about the Wild West are traditionally few. First, developers find it difficult to make them historically verified. After all, it is not enough to fill the world with saloons and cowboys, so that the user believes in it. We'll have to recreate the millions of the smallest details that can revive the picture. This means that more than one hour will be spent in libraries and repositories of valuable historical documents. So why so many difficulties when you can create another shooter based on, say, World War II.

Secondly, for everyone who wants to create his own Wild West, at some point the question will arise: do the world open or not? The first option is too expensive to perform. Not all studios have enough money for this. The second is obviously losing, because the history of those times is so eventful that it is not an easy task to choose the right ones. Therefore, faceless studios are riveting rather strange crafts, called the “true” story of the Wild West, which, as a rule, have nothing to do with the latter.

But it turns out quite differently when developers like Rockstar San Diego take on the matter. They have plenty of money, time and human resources too. As a result, a stunning Western Red Dead Redemption is being shipped to the store shelves, which many, by mistake, are trying to compare with another legendary Grand Theft Auto series. However, despite the fact that both projects have many similarities, they differ dramatically. If Grand Theft Auto is still a set of well-known clichés, even if honed to diamond shine, then Red Dead Redemption is a revelation of this game year. A project that is absolutely impossible to miss.
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The protagonist of the game, John Marston (John Marston), in the past violator of the law and, to put it mildly, not the most pleasant person. His face is riddled with scars left by the blades of the enemies. The voice is smoked and drunk - the result of dashing youth. And now he faces a choice: to take the right path or return to the gloomy affairs for which he has already been punished many times. But he has to make this choice later, but for now ...

He rides the train, which slowly takes him to the small town of New Austin (New Austin), in which he will have to start a new life. Passengers talk about daily life: ladies exchange barbs, and noble gentlemen meditate on lofty matters. And it seems that John doesn’t keep his way in a godforsaken town in the south of the country, but at least to the capital. But the platform, he leaves the car, and the rest continue on their way to their families and friends. John finds himself alone on a dusty platform. True, he knows where to go and with whom you need to talk. And already in the know that he was sent to New Austin for one reason only: who would not like him to entrust the capture of the same daredevils, like himself.

Here we meet the first heroes, who for a long time will give us a variety of tasks and, in fact, move the plot engine along the tracks of the dialogues. In general, the writers did not regret the colors on the creation of images of characters in Red Dead Redemption. Here, every NPC is a person, with his own ideas of good and bad, of honor and dishonor. All this is complemented by bright strokes of excellent dialogue, dynamic and intelligent. In this world, the heroes do not throw words to the wind, because in response you can get a bullet in the forehead. Everything is simpler and more confusing here than in most Westerns that we watched in cinemas. Because the developers had at least 20 hours to uncover the images of the characters. Screenwriters, alas, have much less time.


But one scenario is not going to be full. In addition to the excellent story, Red Dead Redemption boasts an interesting and diverse gameplay. Let's start with the horses. The hero and the world around him have a special relationship with these animals. A horse is also a means of transportation between settlements, and a friend, and comrade, and brother. Many missions are tied to the pursuit of enemies, and the fastest way to get to the enemy is precisely on the right horse.

The behavior of the mount is modeled realistically. If you gallop for a minute, you will most likely exhaust the unfortunate animal, and it will trivially overthrow you. Yes, and move from a gallop to a quiet step will not turn right away - for some time the horse will move by inertia with high speed. The author of these lines even somehow managed to crush a woman begging for help. So, her problems remained a mystery.

And what a "pleasure" to aim at enemies at a gallop. The sight strives all the time to stray, always shakes and behaves inadequately. Although, just the same adequately, which, however, requires getting used to. True, it is worth getting used to the difficulties of being, as in our arsenal there is the possibility of "fast aiming." Yeah, on time!


Here we are accustomed to moving around the world and destroying enemies, how we are offered to choose which path to follow. No, there is no need to suffer between the two answers. In this world, everything is somewhat thinner. For helping the good guys, we get moral points, for helping all bloodsuckers and ghouls - we lose them. As a result, you can turn into either an angel or a bloodthirsty monster. And you can get stuck somewhere in the middle.

Of course, the path of the "bad" guy is more dangerous and thorny. People on the streets will shy away from you, gossip old women on the benches, and dream of tearing off the scalp from the authorities. On the other hand, such a life is much more fun than the one that the righteous lead. But here Rockstar is true to itself: you will always have a choice, which path to follow.

In principle, the entire Red Dead Redemption is built on freedom of choice. Of course, there is a storyline broken into three acts. It will have to complete in any case. But besides this, in the game world you can find hundreds of side quests, on the implementation of which depends not only your well-being, but also morality. Not enough bucks for a new gun - so go, John, work. You can, for example, get a patrol and protect strategic facilities. You look, and on new ammunition you collect money.
Fortunately, the last in the game enough. In addition to more than two dozen "trunks", you will find here dynamite and other explosives, knives of various sizes and purposes, and extreme lovers will be able to take a lasso and try their luck with it. For example, an annoying aborigine can always be tied up and, saddling a horse, drag him along a rocky road. True, there is little left from the poor fellow, but who cares?

And it will become quite boring (although this did not happen to the author in this world), so here and various mini-games will come in time. Say, why not spend a couple of hours playing poker or blackjack? Or, for example, compete with some kind of kachkom in arm wrestling? In general, you will find something to occupy yourself!


When the storyline comes to an end, and all side quests are completed, it will be time to go into multiplayer mode. In Red Dead Redemption, it's like a whole new universe. We will not describe all the charms of team battles - it’s really better to see once. Especially I want to mention except that the regime of "free travel" (Free Roam). It is practically a game in the game.

It looks like this: in the world of Red Dead Redemption, up to 16 players are launched who can compete with each other, work together, complete missions together or ... it’s commonplace to kill each other. In general, there is plenty of room for creativity. Especially if you take into account the fact that you never know who your friend is and who your enemy is. You see that someone got into trouble. Helping him, and in return you get a knife in the back. Or you start to run after the “opponent” with a revolver, and then while away the hours together, completing various missions. Such are the lifebags!


Red Dead Redemption is like a breath of fresh air. For a long time we have not seen so balanced, exciting and, importantly, beautiful games. It is something remotely reminiscent of the Grand Theft Auto series: a big world, freedom of choice, different ways to perform the same tasks. But at the same time, the game is completely different from anything released before.

This is a new, exciting and interesting world, living by its own rules and laws. And do not even hope to find out all his secrets - it will take, as it seems to us, not one month. And then there will be DLC, which will gradually expand the boundaries of this universe. And there and to the new part at hand. Although, you know, it is difficult to understand where the staff of Rockstar San Diego move on - it seems they have already reached the ceiling. Apparently, it is necessary to wait for the next generation consoles. Because projects such as Red Dead Redemption squeeze out all the juices from the Xbox 360 and PS3. And this, damn it, pleases!

Verdict: 10/10 (Phenomenal!)