Red Dead Redemption

Written by Nicole Kline  on June 11, 2010

Review: Take a trip to the Wild Wild West without Will Smith.

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There are also dozens of other ways to keep yourself occupied and make money. Nighwatch jobs put you on the hunt for ne'er-do-wells, which can amount in a hefty reward. Horsebreaking jobs also fetch a pretty penny for Ц you guessed it Ц breaking horses. Bounty posters will also pop up in certain towns, allowing you to get money for bringing down an outlaw Ц typically worth more alive than dead, so be sure to use your lasso and hogtie those boys to bring them in. Don't feel like earning money honestly? You've come to the right game. There are wagering games everywhere, including Texas Hold СEm, Five Finger Fillet, Liar's Dice (which I was terrible at), and later, you can even partake in a little arm wrestling, if you're so inclined. All told, if you want to complete every aspect of the game, you're looking at upwards of 50 hours. I finished the main story and did some of the side missions and finished the game in half that. That doesn't include the multiplayer aspect.

Red Dead Redemption has multiplayer that is both fun and addictive. Free roam mode allows players to join up and create УpossesФ who can then attack gang hideouts or other posses. It also has traditional deathmatch and team deathmatch, as well as several versions of capture the flag, including one called УHold Your Own,Ф in which each team tries to get the other team's bag of gold while defending their own. Bags of gold are popular in multiplayer Ц Grab the Bag has just one bag that both teams fight over, while Gold Rush has players vying for many bags across the map. Rockstar is very involved in the multiplayer, setting up times you can jump in and play with them, which is convenient if you're looking to get the trophy/achievement for killing a Rockstar employee. All in all, if multiplayer is something you crave, there's bound to be something here for you.



Graphically, Red Dead Redemption is stunning. The seemingly endless terrain creates an oftentimes oppressive loneliness, especially as the days drag on and reuniting Marston with his wife and son seems like an impossible goal. As I grew to like John Marston more and more with each passing mission, so too did I appreciate him more and more in each cut scene Ц his rugged features, his prominent facial scars, the tip of his hat, the confidence in his step. It was clear he was thoughtfully rendered, and that a lot of hard work was put into his character. The voice actor delivered his lines flawlessly, though I can't say the same for some of the other actors in both delivery and content. Some scenes with Bonnie MacFarlane were a bit over the top, as when she shouts at him that he's Уbeing purposefully enigmatic,Ф each syllable clearly and slowly enunciated over the galloping of their horses.

But the real gem visually is the climate. When a storm is brewing, you can almost smell the rain on the air, the mounting anticipation finally giving way to a brilliant thunderstorm. The ground fills with puddles, and the sound of galloping horses changes with the addition of the water to the road. Likewise, nighttime is also a stunning event, the dark sky filling with stars, creating breathtaking scenery. I loved to travel at night for just that reason, truly appreciative of both the hard work done by the creators as well as the wonder of having an HD television.

Equally amazing is the soundtrack, filled with haunting melodies that do nothing to minimize the feeling of loneliness. It also seems to capture the wild west, creating for the player a situation in which they feel like they are playing in a western movie. It encourages a sense of freedom, and enhances the childlike wonder of those old movies you watched as a little kid Ц the ones that inspired you to play cowboys and Indians, pretending to use lassos, quick-drawing your gun for a duel, tipping your hat forward and paying respect.

There is one major complaint that I have about the game, and it's tied into both the graphics and the soundtrack. I experienced many glitches while playing this game. I didn't see any of the typical ones currently storming the Internet Ц the donkey lady, the bird people, the flying horse, or the rocket horse, just to name a few. I did see many that were harmless Ц such as a stagecoach that was jumping up and down about a foot off the ground, over and over, horses and all, as though it had bumpin' hydraulics. Some, however, were not so harmless. Once, when trying to capture a bounty, I was standing on a steep mountain. I hogtied him and, when I stepped away to call my horse, he went sliding off a cliff and fell to his death. Frustrated, I went to the edge of the cliff to see where he'd gone, and fell myself, getting hurt but not dying. I had to loot him in order to get proof for the bounty reward, but he'd glitched into the side of the mountain and I couldn't reach him. I tried again, this time being sure to hogtie him in a less steep area, but had the same results Ц though this time, I was able to loot his body. There was also another moment Ц a cutscene at a campsite Ц in which I'd gotten off my horse and left him near a tree. He kept trying to walk into the tree but got stuck, and his plodding footsteps drowned out the dialogue for the entire scene.

Ok, so I lied Ц there is one other thing I didn't like about the game, but I can't go into it, as it's the ending itself that had me Ц dare I say it? Ц up in arms. I have a feeling that it's one of those Уlove it or hate itФ endings, where people are split down the middle. I've heard every argument Ц including Уit couldn't end any other wayФ Ц but I felt cheated by the ending, disappointed in the idea that Rockstar took the easy way out instead of avoiding stereotypes.