Video games
Red Dead Redemption 2
Studio:Rockstar Games
Rating:8.5/10
Recommend?:Yes
Game one has now been ticked off the list. I actually started this game before I began this list, and it was the second time I had attempted to get through it. Now, this was not due to not enjoying it. I ended up getting so into the cowboy role-playing that I forgot to get into the story so I just stopped playing for a bit. This time, I went in with the intention of completing the game.
First, what a beautiful game. I am no graphics snob but this game benefited from looking stunning. The world felt “full” in a way which I did not get from Grand Theft Auto Five and some of this was definitely down to the incredible immersion of the world.
Two main focuses of this game are obviously the character work and the story. The characters are incredibly personable, aided immensely by the incredible voice work. You can feel them evolve throughout the story, especially as the story spans many years. You also have the opportunity to build relationships with them in the camp and side missions. I was particularly transfixed by Dutch’s incessant need to escape the world, while battling his greed was such a fascinating journey. His hatred of modernisation, which is exemplified by his dislike of places like Saint Denis, was a familiar feeling.
The game did however suffer from some pacing issues which I found frustrating. Once you hit Guarma, the pacing seems to change. Some of this comes from having too many loose ends which seem particularly hard to tie up. The other comes from making most missions rolling combat missions, rather than expanding the playstyle outwards into something more gripping. I think this is what knocks my personal score down. The ending straight-away of Arthur’s story is great though, albeit the introduction of so many new characters in the last quarter felt overwhelming.
From a technical perspective, this game is a masterpiece in every element apart from the combat. For a game 20 hours long, it would not have been an issue, but as I hit 80+ hours, I grew a little frustrated. It felt like the same recycled loop from early Rockstar games which hasn’t been iterated on at all.
The epilogue also felt like too much, I honestly believe about 20% of the story could be removed without ruining the game in any way.
This felt like an overly critical review of a game which I did actually thoroughly enjoy. I was heavily invested in the characters, the story gripped me, especially in the first half, I loved the world building and extra elements a lot. I spent a decent amount of time just enjoying the side missions and hunting which is not something I would normally do. I really do recommend this game. I hope Rockstar build on this game, rather than GTAV for their next iterations but I am not sure that is what sells.