It has been a number of years since Red Dead Revolver came out, and chances are that many players of Red Dead Redemption have likely not played the original title. Regardless of whether individuals have familiarized themselves with the 2004 original, there has been countless work put into this 2010 title. The plot sets players up as the controllers of John Marston, a 1911 ex-con that is looking to take revenge on those gangsters that ey formerly ran with. The title itself gives players the freedom to fully interact with their surroundings (unless they are major bodies of water), coming into towns and other homesteads where Marston can take up various chores and duties, becoming more (in)famous amongst those ey associates with.
For those that wish for their titles to be imbued with a proper amount of realism, the presence of the “Dead-Eye” targeting system allows shots to be taken with surgical precision. While the time frame of the title is nearly 100 years before the present, the sheer amount of weapons that players can use rivals that of more current and contemporary-set titles. This means that beyond the normal arsenal of guns, players can waste enemies with knives, cannons, lassos, and even period explosives. While the storyline and quest-givers present in the single-player mode will give players a decent enough time, I feel that the multi-player is what will keep them coming back for more.
This means that up to sixteen players can join in, beginning in an opening shootout that quickly coalesces into a more strategic type of struggle. The “Hold Your Own” option is Red Dead Redemption’s version of a capture the flag mode, while “Gold Rush” has players attempt to grab the titular object while trying to stay alive. Rockstar has ensured that the title will remain in Xbox 360s well beyond defeating of the single player mode and exhaustion of the different multiplayer mode in that there will be a number of additional pieces of DLC (downloadable content) to be had in the weeks and months to come. With solid graphics, tremendous voice acting, and enough options to shake a stick at, Red Dead Redemption is as if John Ford decided to throw eir hat in the creation of a game.
Rating: 8.6/10
Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360) / 2010 Rockstar Games / http://www.rockstargames.com / http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption
