The most controversial games created by Rockstar have to be their Manhunt series. The first Manhunt was released in 2003 and seemed destined for damnation from the beginning. A stealth based horror game, Manhunt requires you to play as the main character James Earl Cash, a death row inmate. In order to progress through the game, you had to murder gang members, with the method of murder becoming quite graphic and obscene, in ways never seen before on any platform. It included things like suffocating people with plastic bags to the use of blunt force trauma. Manhunt created many problems for Rockstar due to its graphic nature. There were reports of a split in the company, with many people worried about how dark the game was. However, Rockstar was no stranger to controversy at the time, Palworld Moon Lord Egg receiving a lot of attention over their previous GTA releases. However, Manhunt was even worse. The game was it was banned in New Zealand and confiscated in Germany. It received even more negative press when it was implicated in a UK murder, although the game was eventually absolved of all involvement. Although it received many positive reviews, was all the negativity really worth
With the release of the eagerly awaited Red Dead Redemption 2 on the horizon, they will be thrust into the spotlight once again. That being said, nothing is ever perfect and we all make mistakes, and Rockstar has been no exception over the years. Whether it is being nit-picked to death by their players or condemned within the media, no publisher inspires as many positive and negative reviews as Rockstar. But all publicity is good publicity. ri
Before diving fully into my gripes with something that only has just shy over a minute of game footage that’s been shown, let me explain what made the other two games so special. Both, Red Dead Revolver/Redemption were games that touched on a part of American mythos in the best of ways. Even other cultural mythos play into what makes these games so great, with many different backgrounds showcased. Each game is a unique tail of one man’s quest deeply personal to them. Not only exploring the characters presented fully, but also putting forth some of the best storytelling for video games of such a genre at each respective time. Each felt like a true American western tale.
By forcing you to slow down and complete duties that seem lackluster, you slowly start to feel more present in this world and grow closer to your own version of Arthur. If Red Dead Redemption 2 was just all about riding around the West and shooting up saloons with your revolver, you’d likely feel disconnected from your avatar. The game then just becomes a power trip and the character that you end up playing is just an amplified version of your own wants and desires. Doing simple chores though such as chopping wood, skinning animals and dragging them back to my horse, and donating to the gang’s larger pool of money has made me feel more of a bond with Arthur than any other character I’ve played as in recent memory. My bond with the character thus far has been established in these small moments, not the large ones.
First and foremost, let’s take a look at Rockstar Games’ track record with single-player titles. Rockstar has not delivered a new title since 2013’s _ Grand Theft Auto V _ , which is ultimately a reflection of the success of _ Grand Theft Auto Online _ . In fact, Rockstar has only released two other games since the original _ Red Dead Redemption _ and _ Undead Nightmare _ expansion in 2010: _ L.A. Noire _ and _ Max Payne 3 _ . Hopefully, the _ Red Dead Redemption 2 _ team at Rockstar was fully-devoted to the title and the wait will be worth it, but a five-year hiatus from releasing any single-player title is enough to make us a bit w
John Marston. The man, the father, the legend. A seasoned outlaw with a moral sense of right and wrong. His past still haunts him as he seeks to live out his final years with his family. Blackmailed into working for the government, John must eradicate his past gang members in return for amnesty. We can only sympathize with John as he looks to bury his demons. Because of that, going through his journey brought us a big sense of pride and victory as we move into the final chapters of his journey. Finally, after having brought down all of your required targets, Rockstar lull you into a false sense of security, playing missions on John’s family ranch along with his son. It seems like everything panned out okay in the end for our lovable outlaw. WRONG. John was betrayed by the government and shot down outside his family home while defending his son and wife. This was a truly soul wrenching moment which broke our hearts. While it may of been a piece of scripted brilliance on Rockstar’s part. it also meant the death of one of gaming’s greatest characters and I’m afraid it is something we can never quite forg
As for the main story, it’s entertaining but far from revolutionary. It has its highs and lows, the lows being the lack of development outside anyone who’s within the Van der Linde gang. You get to meet a plethora of characters through Arthur’s journey and yet most of them only appear in one or two missions, outside of a couple of exceptions. Red Dead Redemptions 2 moves at an incredible pace to the point that most people in the world are disposable and sometimes unnecessary, making me wish there was more of a focus on specific story beats as it’s spread too thin in spots. With that said, outside of the phenomenal core cast, what Rockstar does right is create exciting scenarios. This is something the company is known for, crafting well-designed and often comical heists that are sure to go awry. Whether it’s robbing a train or a stagecoach, or simply walking through town, each chapter has a handful of standout missions that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Granted, the other missions are mostly broken up into your standard affairs, but at least they’re kept lively thanks to Arthur generally being assisted by another member of the gang.