Red Dead Redemption 2 Review — Once Upon a Time in the West
That also goes for the band of characters that you’ll interact with throughout the story, from both the familiar faces and the new characters that you’ll encounter while roaming through the West with the Van der Linde gang. While there’s the sheer novelty of getting to be reacquainted with characters like John Marston and Dutch Van der Linde for fans of the previous game, many of the new faces in Red Dead Redemption 2 prove to be just as memorable and engaging to interact with, such as the fierce and determined widow Sadie Adler, and the unpredictable hitman Micah Bell, who Arthur has a bit of a complicated relationship with. Over time and through your interactions with the rest of the Van der Linde gang, there is a clear sense of the gang’s camaraderie and why Arthur is so fiercely protective of them, and getting to explore and deepen these relationships with the other gang members is easily one of the highlights of Red Dead Redemption 2 's narrative thanks to its impeccable writing and strong performances.
Aside from these characters that will lead you down interesting side paths in Red Dead Redemption 2 , you don’t necessarily have to limit your interactions with other NPCs in the world to just those that might be part of a story, as you can interact with any other person or animal in the game. Whether you greet them, rob them, or antagonize them, take the time to see what interesting quips, stories, or tales that the different folk you’ll meet around town might offer, and see what sort of surprises they may have in store for you.
Even though Rockstar games are huge, they’ve never really showcased a large variety of animals. Some of this is due to most of their games taking place in heavily occupied cities, while other games, such as the first Red Dead Redemption , just didn’t feel as though there was a lot of variety. It seems that Rockstar has made it a major point to show fans how many different types of wildlife will be in their next big game. We not only see countless numbers of birds, we’re treated to buffalo, weasels, field mice, dogs, vultures, coyotes, deer, and much more. This game seems to be taking place closer to the American Midwest. During the time period in which this game will take place, it’s accurate that there would be so much wildlife in every inch of unoccupied land. Hopefully, we’ll be treated to a glimpse of the infamous Rockstar Bigf
As your main companion that you’ll have for the entirety of the game, Red Dead Redemption 2 really brings home the point that your relationship to your horse is important. As your primary mode of transportation and storage (aside from being a loyal companion), your horse will also grow over time with Arthur as you bond with it and can develop its strengths further.
Now, who doesn’t love a good video game dog? It seems that over the last three years, companion canines have become a growing trend that players absolutely love. Dogmeat from Fallout 4 was the latest example of how fulfilling it is to traverse a large open world with a loyal dog by your side. The trailer didn’t necessarily show any indication that you could own a dog, but it did make a big deal about animal interactions in the scene from inside a very muddy town that included a scruffy dog barking at a pack of vultures. Though Rockstar hasn’t necessarily dived into party member, mechanic role-playing games, it doesn’t mean they’d never included it in their games. Don’t be surprised if there’s a portion of this game dedicated to your relationship with a dog. Heck, Rockstar has even gone as far as to create entire missions centered around Franklin’s pet dog, Chop, in GTAV . There’s always h
Red Dead Redemption 2 may just signal the dawn of a new era for open-world games, and it’s an experience that I have no doubt players will be investing tens (if not hundreds) of hours into its immense, deep world and completing its story full of action, suspense, and deeply investing character moments. Over the course of its journey, you can easily see the ways that Rockstar Games has not just focused on delivering a world that is massive in scope, but far richer in the ways that it builds on everything that the Paradark Studio has done in its past games and enhances them for a new generation. Red Dead Redemption 2 aimed high in delivering players a living, breathing world, and it has surely hit its mark as Rockstar’s deepest, most immersive experience yet.
If there’s one thing Rockstar nails, it’s scope. Their games might not be as 'deep’ of role-playing games as their Bethesda counterparts, but they’re every bit as meaty and way more technically advance. Rockstar’s major releases always push the boundaries of what people think is capable on the current hardware. They take their engine and push it to its absolute limits. With the recent release of PS4 Pro and Xbox’s Project Scorpio imminent, look for Red Dead Redemption 2 to be featured heavily on both of those platforms. As technology progresses and the tools game developers have multiplied exponentially, so does Rockstar’s vision of what a video game can be. Look for Red Dead Redemption 2 to be the prettiest game you’ve ever laid your eyes