From Liberty City to the Wild West frontier town of Armadillo, Rockstar have changed direction in developing Red Dead Redemption. Whether this new title will be a Grand Theft Auto slayer remains to be seen, but without doubt there are many hours of intense enjoyment to be had from the vast scale, the breathtaking surroundings and the compelling story that will frequently bring you to the edge of your seat.
At the outset of Red Dead Redemption you, the protagonist John Marston, will find yourself propelled into a particularly large pond, in which you are just a tiny fish. It won’t take you long to start to build some friendships though, through a series of initial mandatory missions. As well as starting the long process of getting your name known, you will also be introduced to the gameplay controls, similar in style to those in the latest GTA. The story isn’t always so linear though, with the option to undertake different missions in a different order at later stages within the game.
It isn’t just the wonderful story that will keep you enthralled within the world of Red Dead Redemption. The sheer volume of the world in which you find yourself is likely to sidetrack you for many an hour as you explore the different spectacles on offer, and discover the history of the winning of the West through the detailed tales of the locals. What’s more, you would be surprised how many of the random strangers that you encounter will have a habit of asking for your aid. From collecting herbs to rescuing a man in the process of being hanged, the short and varied missions are plentiful and will help to raise your reputation.
Your fame will undoubtedly rise as you spend more time completing the story and helping out the locals. However, your honour will also affect the way that the game plays out; choose to be the villain and you may find the townsfolk wary of your presence. Play the hero though, and you could be greeted with a round of applause at your entrance to the towns that you encounter. The pros and cons associated with fame and honour will entice you to replay the game in order to discover any differences should you play in a different way.
Should you have recently removed GTA IV from your console, you will definitely notice similarities, particularly when it comes to the familiar running, shooting and ducking for cover principles obvious in Liberty City. However, streamlining has helped to improve gameplay, and positive additions such as Dead Eye that allows you to temporarily slow down time to mark your targets before raining fire upon them, are a big plus.
From herding cattle to battling with rivals, lassoing horses to getting to know your own horse and training and increasing its loyalty; there is a lot to hold your attention in Red Dead Redemption. A game that might initially seem equivocal to Grand Theft Auto on the back of a horse brings so much more to the table than you might think. Stunning scenery, a truly enticing story and an improvement on the open world excitement that GTA has so successfully brought to the table make this game a must play.