I like to think just about every kid at one point had a fantasy about living out life in the wild west.
Gun slinging your way through a desolate town, taking out any desperado that gives you an imposing glare as tumbleweeds roll through the scene. Red Dead Redemption 2 breathes life into that fantasy, but this isn’t the west like you imagined.
Red Dead 2 is the newest release and highly anticipated sequel from Rockstar Games, the same developer that created the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto franchise.
The game creates a vast landscape of the west in the late 1800’s where the main character, Arthur Morgan, roams with his crew of outlaws.
As Morgan and his gang drift through snowy mountains and into wider territories, it’s up to the player on how Arthur acts in this lawless land.
The game is an open world story mode that features everything you could think of whether it’s robbing a train, to fending off wild bears, or getting into shootouts with the rival O’Driscoll gang.
Every little detail is fleshed out and fundamental to the immense success of this game. Playing for the first hour gave me the itch to go horseback riding, dressed head to toe in denim, and equipped with a cool cowboy hat.
I, self-admittedly, haven’t played the first iteration of this game and dove fresh into the sequel.
Not to worry, the events of the game actually take place prior to the first version and setup to introduce the game mechanics for new players.
It’s a rare example of a video game that is so rewarding on a granular level that it makes every minor action exciting and new.
The first mission of the game takes Arthur and his crew through a winding snowy terrain as you attempt to survive the night.
The head member of the gang is a man named Dutch. He rides with you and others into the frosty labyrinth in search for supplies and trouble.
This is the point of the game that instructs the player on the controls and it does so in a way that introduces the story and world as well, another accomplished feat to add to the laundry list of victories.
The atmosphere of Red Dead 2 and the specificity is so accurate that it is almost “Westworldian” to a degree.
If you want to commit a crime on your own time in this game, you better be ready for the consequences because a bounty will be put out.
If you need to restore your strength and eat food, you better be ready to hunt for your own supper. Each and every decision you make can alter the direction of the game, a truly spectacular feature.
It is too often that games yada yada over things for the sake of saving time or moving the plot of the game along.
Not Red Dead. You can tell the amount of effort put into this game by the developers that they deserve all the praise they can get.
This game is so specific you can spend your time petting your horse all day if that would satisfy you.
The graphics in this game are stellar all around as well. Nothing ever looks clunky and the landscapes seen over the horizon as you ride into town are nothing short of remarkable.
You can see the snowy bluffs you descended from in the background as you move further and further away.
I don’t consider myself to be an avid gamer, but this game has a little bit of something for everyone.
It’s that inherit interest that I believe we have in the wild west that strikes a chord and encapsulates this drive to live life like an outlaw.
The easy comparison of this game would be Grand Theft Auto but with cowboys, however I think this is much different.
Everything down to the guitar strums that play in the background as you ride creates an immersion I have not quite had while playing a video game.
The game is rated mature and will run you just north of $60 so it certainly is a bit of an investment.
The story mode does feature an abundant amount of cut scenes and requires a lot of time to actually see results in the game.
Obviously not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you can learn to appreciate the slow burn, the return is extraordinary.
PHOTO TAKEN from Nerdist
