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Red Dead Redemption, developed by Rockstar San Diego, is an upcoming, sandbox, third-person action-adventure western video game. The game is due for release in the UK on the 30th April 2010 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. One question on many gamer’s minds is: could this game be as good, if not better than Rockstar’s GTA IV masterpiece? Imagine GTA, but in a Western template, with better visuals; there is no doubt this game has the potential to be another Rockstar mega hit.

Unlike Revolver, Redemption’s story is of a former outlaw, John Marston. Marston’s involvement with a disreputable gang turned nasty after a failed heist that saw his former gang members leave him for dead. Marston decides to change his future: he starts a family. Although his life has gone from bad to good, this soon changes. The Bureau, an early incarnation of the FBI, hunts down Marston; they want him to round up members of his old gang. His dreams of a changed and better future are shattered when the so-called law-abiding agency holds his family at gun point. The story expands from here, leaving you in charge to decide the fate of civilians and missions.

One thing you will notice straight away, when entering the western world of Red Dead Redemption, is that the game uses the RAGE engine at a higher level than before, producing a stunning visual display. The distant horizon looks amazing combined with the light reflecting off the mountains looks amazing and will captivate you as soon as you lay eyes on it. You won’t be disappointed with the character visuals either: John Marston’s face is impressively textured. The map, split across the Mexican border, is full of breath-taking scenery and is bigger than GTA IV.

Animations are presented by Euphoria’s real-time animation system, producing some shockingly realistic animations, as you travel through the environment with the volatile wildlife. Marston can choose to steal horses. Every horse has different traits, ranging from speed to agility, all of which feel different to handle.

Of course, breath-taking environments and an engaging plot wouldn't mean much unless combined with decent gameplay. Don’t worry, Rockstar are offering the full package!

The core mechanics of the game are decent, better than GTA IV’s, but not quite as good as Uncharted 2’s. The Dead Eye system used in Rockstar’s previous Red Dead Revolver game is included in Red Dead Redemption. The system allows you to pause time and pick your shots with a touch of class. Use the meter attached to your HUD to power, as you progress further into the game this will be upgraded somewhat. Using the d-pad left and right allows you to switch through the various weapons on offer, which include pistols, rifles, shot guns and bottle grenades. Press your d-pad to whistle for your horse, and press X on PS3 to giddy up: however, kick too much and your horse will buck sending you flying. Running up to other characters horses, followed by holding down the X button on PS3, will allow you to coast, enabling you to totally focus on aiming without the worry of controlling the direction of your horse. Skin an animal by pressing the Triangle button on PS3 over the corpse; you can then sell it for cash.

The game is vast, in fact, it is Rockstar’s largest ever open-environment game. It’s a genre that few game developers have dared to delve into. The Wild West setting has been captured beautifully, making every journey and mission, no matter how straight forward, an experience in itself. Red Dead Redemption successfully nails the Wild West setting and it’s both compelling and atmospheric. We can’t wait, bring on April the 30th!