For such a stoic man, John Marston, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption , was a bit for a clutz. Despite being a frontiersman that should’ve been adapted to the rough terrain of the West, players found their character stumbling around like a drunken fool at the slightest notion of uneven land. It didn’t seem like John Marston had much ability to explore anything other than flat firm ground. Getting a player character that can climb up can ledges and swim across rivers would make for a much more realistic Western character, ready to take on whatever the terrain throws at them. He doesn’t need to have Assassin’s Creed style free running, jumping from tree to tree like a flying squirrel, but a bit more natural movement and flexibility over what terrain the player can traverse would make for a better character and experie
Whistling for your horse carries a litany of problems. For example, the distance it can hear it in isn’t that great. Even when you do whistle, within distance, it takes forever for your steed to trot to you even when you have a good relationship. It’s weird in games where you turn around and your horse is there like in The Witcher 3 , but as ridiculous as that is I would much prefer that silliness to this. Thankfully there are cheat
However, the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is also the home to a number of interesting characters and folks that you’ll meet along the way, whether randomly or as part of a side mission. Typically, other characters you’ll meet fall into the category of „Strangers” — side mission characters that you’ll find on the map marked by a white question mark — or Random Encounters, which usually will involve a character seeking assistance on the side of the road or while you are exploring town.
Throughout this review, I may have seemed a little hard on Red Dead Redemption 2, but the overall package is nothing short of spectacular. It has its share of issues involving controls, but the vast majority of the experience is unforgettable. Rockstar has created the single most immersive Wild West game yet, with an intelligently-written story, a compelling core cast of characters, highly-engaging scenarios and a diverse open world to explore. The visuals are also truly stunning, with a substantial amount of detail put into each environment and character model, not to mention the extraordinary lighting techniques. The world is just ripe for exploration; it may not be the densest place out there, and I do wish there was a larger emphasis on hunting, but there’s still a ton to see and do. With around fifty hours to complete the main campaign, and even more if you do all of the other side activities, a game such as Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn’t come around this often. All I can say is wow.
What makes the Wild West one of the best settings for a videogame is that there’s constant danger around every corner. Cowboys and pioneers had to be prepared for whatever the frontier threw at them. Not only were bandits and predators a threat, but the very land and weather itself. The American West is home to some of the United State’s most intense natural disasters. Tornadoes, sandstorms, mudslides, wildfires, flash floods, and even earthquakes could cause devastating amounts of damage in moments. If Red Dead Redemption 2 captures even one of these phenomena as a random encounter, it would completely change the way players would think about the map, knowing full well the ground below and the sky above them could kill them. Players might think twice about crossing Tornado Al
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a long game and there’s a lot to do in it. The main campaign alone, along with a good number of Stranger missions, took us just under fifty hours to complete, which is exponentially longer than its predecessor. That’s barely even participating in the various other activities, such as hunting, gambling, bounty hunting and more. The Stranger missions are one of the bigger draws as they are once again whacky, over-the-top scenarios that fill out the world. Arthur may not have the sarcastic, comical timing of John Marston, but he still lends to each situation with his confusion. Sadly, I never saw a damsel tied up on a railroad track that needed saving. Speaking of Stranger missions, you’re also able to make choices that may affect scenes in the main story. For example, I met one woman earlier in the campaign and she appeared as a prostitute later on, which lead to a bounty immediately put on my head. Another was a surprisingly lengthy scene with a nun who I randomly bumped into once, and Arthur opened up to her. Your choices through the campaign do hold some weight as they can affect where specific people end up in the future and might even expand upon Arthur’s character more.
The hardcore mode in Red Dead Redemption left a lot to be desired. Instead of shifting the gameplay focus to survivalist activities, (night hunting Strategy, finding shelter) it mostly just made it harder to kill enemies . A mode that would force a player to stock up his saddle with food or be prepared to hunt or steal for a long journey across the map would make for the ultimate Western experience. Simply trying to stay alive for a couple of days should be a challenge as plays fend themselves off from bandits, starvation, bobcats, and the weather. It would also make beating the game in Hardcore mode that much more rewarding. While it may come off a bit too „simulator” to some, it would offer versatile game play and better replay va