*possible spoilers through context* For those who don't consider video games a work of art, Rockstar may finally prove them wrong with Red Dead Redemption.
Rockstar has truly crafted an amazing title in near every aspect. It truly is being able to play an interactive movie. The characters, voice acting, visuals, and sounds are all top notch for a game. The level of depth the characters have really brings them to life. You have compassion for John Marston on his quest to rescue his family and find his way in the world.
I play a lot of games but by the end of Red Dead I have never felt the way I did upon finishing it. It's a truly tragic tale of a man who is placed in a situation with only one option to save his family from the government that took them; to find and bring to justice the remaining members of his former gang.
The story may be pretty straight forward and somewhat dry but the way it plays out and the characters John Marston meets along the way make it comparable to an epic Old West tale. Rockstar has created an incredibly complex character with Marston also. He isn't necessarily a good man because of his past but the level of depth brought by the voice acting and script give him many sides and make him seem real. This goes for most all the characters as well.
Rockstar may have not let go of their humor as most the game is certainly cast in a dark sense of comedy. This doesn't make light of the over-arcing plot though. I have never finished a game's story and been so in awe of what I had just experienced. As tragic as the tale is, it couldn't have ended any other way. I have never grown so fond of a video game character as Marston to the point I cared so much about the ending.
Visually, the level of detail in the game is astounding. The art direction is perfect, all the land is covered in lush grass and bushes, tumbleweeds roll by, cacti are numerous. Everything has a realistic shadow as sun basks the landscape. There is an entire ecosystem complete with various birds, foxes, wolves, armadillos, rabbits, deer, elk, grizzly bears, beavers, cougars, and many more. Horse's muscles flex as they walk, buildings look realistic. There's so much to look at even after over 30 hours of play I still would walk through towns to admire the visuals.
The sound work is just as incredible, with the hum of insects nearby, gunshots sound heavy and loud, horse galloping still isn't old. The voice acting for just about all characters is top notch aside from repeated lines of random NPCs. And the song played during the credits brings a rightly somber feeling to the end game.
Surprisingly in a game world so barren of activity there is an almost endless amount to do. Poker, Blackjack, Liar's Dice, horseshoes, all of these are activities you can participate in. On treks across the desert landscape Rockstar smartly put in random encounters of someones horse being stolen so you can retrieve it, or a Marshal needing you to round up his escaped prisoners. These numerous and usually varied encounters make traveling much less boring for there is always something to do.
Let alone the fantastic single player game Rockstar has constructed they add on a well constructed multiplayer mode. Though the first few weeks suffer some glitches as most games do, all together the multiplayer is pretty solid. Also I give them credit for creating the free roam option. You can band together with friends and form posses of up to 8 players and roam the land doing what you please. Anything. The entire map is at your disposal. Go hunting, shoot each other, kill each others horses, do various Gang Hideouts through the map, or just wander the plains aimlessly. The ability to have a non objective focused option for you and your friends makes it very accessible and fun. A game has finally come out with what is basically a "pure fun mode". Along with a ranking system that doesn't really on competitive play at all you can simply trot along completing a ton of challenges the game gives you to earn experience.
To just wrap it up, I'm not sure I've played a game, ever, with such a heavy on emotion story. I really hadn't realized how much of an impact it had on me until I completed the entire storyline. If a game can't be called an art after delivering the same impact as any top movie out there with quality acting and a great script people aren't paying enough attention. Sure Rockstar may make lighthearted takes on horrible things that happen in the world and it is full of social observations, but altogether it truly has a very profound and moving conclusion.
Rockstar has really stepped up their capabilities since the original GTAs. GTA IV had a complex character like Niko but Red Dead Redemption makes John Marston one of my all time favorite gaming icons. Really a fantastic overall game.
Rockstar has truly crafted an amazing title in near every aspect. It truly is being able to play an interactive movie. The characters, voice acting, visuals, and sounds are all top notch for a game. The level of depth the characters have really brings them to life. You have compassion for John Marston on his quest to rescue his family and find his way in the world.
I play a lot of games but by the end of Red Dead I have never felt the way I did upon finishing it. It's a truly tragic tale of a man who is placed in a situation with only one option to save his family from the government that took them; to find and bring to justice the remaining members of his former gang.
The story may be pretty straight forward and somewhat dry but the way it plays out and the characters John Marston meets along the way make it comparable to an epic Old West tale. Rockstar has created an incredibly complex character with Marston also. He isn't necessarily a good man because of his past but the level of depth brought by the voice acting and script give him many sides and make him seem real. This goes for most all the characters as well.
Rockstar may have not let go of their humor as most the game is certainly cast in a dark sense of comedy. This doesn't make light of the over-arcing plot though. I have never finished a game's story and been so in awe of what I had just experienced. As tragic as the tale is, it couldn't have ended any other way. I have never grown so fond of a video game character as Marston to the point I cared so much about the ending.
Visually, the level of detail in the game is astounding. The art direction is perfect, all the land is covered in lush grass and bushes, tumbleweeds roll by, cacti are numerous. Everything has a realistic shadow as sun basks the landscape. There is an entire ecosystem complete with various birds, foxes, wolves, armadillos, rabbits, deer, elk, grizzly bears, beavers, cougars, and many more. Horse's muscles flex as they walk, buildings look realistic. There's so much to look at even after over 30 hours of play I still would walk through towns to admire the visuals.
The sound work is just as incredible, with the hum of insects nearby, gunshots sound heavy and loud, horse galloping still isn't old. The voice acting for just about all characters is top notch aside from repeated lines of random NPCs. And the song played during the credits brings a rightly somber feeling to the end game.
Surprisingly in a game world so barren of activity there is an almost endless amount to do. Poker, Blackjack, Liar's Dice, horseshoes, all of these are activities you can participate in. On treks across the desert landscape Rockstar smartly put in random encounters of someones horse being stolen so you can retrieve it, or a Marshal needing you to round up his escaped prisoners. These numerous and usually varied encounters make traveling much less boring for there is always something to do.
Let alone the fantastic single player game Rockstar has constructed they add on a well constructed multiplayer mode. Though the first few weeks suffer some glitches as most games do, all together the multiplayer is pretty solid. Also I give them credit for creating the free roam option. You can band together with friends and form posses of up to 8 players and roam the land doing what you please. Anything. The entire map is at your disposal. Go hunting, shoot each other, kill each others horses, do various Gang Hideouts through the map, or just wander the plains aimlessly. The ability to have a non objective focused option for you and your friends makes it very accessible and fun. A game has finally come out with what is basically a "pure fun mode". Along with a ranking system that doesn't really on competitive play at all you can simply trot along completing a ton of challenges the game gives you to earn experience.
To just wrap it up, I'm not sure I've played a game, ever, with such a heavy on emotion story. I really hadn't realized how much of an impact it had on me until I completed the entire storyline. If a game can't be called an art after delivering the same impact as any top movie out there with quality acting and a great script people aren't paying enough attention. Sure Rockstar may make lighthearted takes on horrible things that happen in the world and it is full of social observations, but altogether it truly has a very profound and moving conclusion.
Rockstar has really stepped up their capabilities since the original GTAs. GTA IV had a complex character like Niko but Red Dead Redemption makes John Marston one of my all time favorite gaming icons. Really a fantastic overall game.