Screenshot from the game. All rights belongs to the publisher
Be the cowboy you always wanted?
This game was very hyped when it came out to Playstation 4 in 2018. The timing seemed right on spot following the success from the TV series Westworld which came out in 2016.
Just as we in 2024 see a big Fallout hype after the series on Prime.
But Red Dead Redemption is not Westworld the game. I remember the first critics called it a horse simulator. And yes you do ride a lot on your horse especially in the beginning of the game where you have not unlocked fast travel points.
Your life is also far less action packed desperado than you might have imagined. Instead you get a game about a gang of criminals that are marginalized and do not fit in modern america.
I will say the game is depressing but I mean it in a good way. The atmosphere and story touches me and I feel emotions that I rarely feel when playing computer games. Usually you are a hero in games, maybe even a person you would aspire to be like for instance Indy. Nobody wants to be this cowboy, you are more a human than a hero that tries to make amends before it is too late.
The graphics in the game are stunning even in 2024 and I enjoyed the long horseback rides in the beautiful wild west sceneries and the atmospheric cities I rode into.
This game requires patience but it will reward you with a rich tragic story and meaningful side quests. I feel the game is less repetitive than other games in this genre. You could easily spend 60 hours + exploring the entire map and do all side quests.
I stuck to the main story and enjoyed most of it. Don’t expect to have choices that affect the story. This is not that type of game. You are in for the ride for better or worse – mostly worse.
The combat system is ok but a bit clunky just like in the Witcher. The gunfights are engaging and I found aimeing ok on a PC but I would not want to play this game on a console.
The game does not end where I think it should at the dramatic peak. Instead there is an extra chapter where you work as a farm hand. I think you should have been a totally separate story after the credits. I like those credits in games. They give a game with a story the closure we as players need as a token of accomplishment and the possibility to move on.
I tried to move on to Read Dead Redemption Online but I quickly quit the game because matchmaking was so bad. You basically lose your mission if your teammates quit and anyone who has played online games with random people knows that is exactly what happens all the time.
So the online part is in my opinion only playable if you play with friends.
But the solo part is the gem of this game and I enjoyed being the cowboy I never wanted to be.