As we approach the twilight of the current generation consoles, we talk about the best games the consoles came out with in our Killer Games on PS3/Xbox 360 series. Our first pick was the Uncharted trilogy. Here is our second pick, Red Dead Redemption. (This game is also available on Xbox 360). PC fans worry not, Rockstar announced two weeks back that they are developing a PC port for RDR.
My greatest fear is to meet people who despise video games, against all odds. These people will seriously demand realism in life and yet go for cheap stress busters like Farmville. My article is aimed at those people rather than those gamers who have spent at least an hour inside this next title I’m going to throw at you. And it is one of the reasons why I still believe that video games not only give us beautiful stories but create a world that is ready to be believed, lived and then analysed. On Killer Games for PS3, I present to you an underrated Rockstar Games’ creation – Red Dead Redemption.
The way I fell in love with Rockstar was not through Nico Bellic or bald Max Payne, it was when I was put in the shoes of the ex Outlaw who has been hired and threatened by the Government in order to track down his ex outlaw friends. Sir John Marston, the man who would keep me hanging in the air, unless I’d come back home and play the game again. Red Dead Redemption fits you (without an effort) into an America that is slowly emerging out of civil wars, anarchy and gang wars. And you take reins of the process (of globalization) through John Marston. The game has an open world map to your storyline, which actually makes you believe that the world inside the television is actually the real world. If someone still denies the great story telling capacity of Rockstar Games, then head this way.
John Marston used to be a part of the gang once run by an outlaw called Dutch van der Linde, with Bill Williamson and Javier Escuella. Dutch took this orphan kid indoors, trained him, and made him the best in his business. Everything’s fair in love and war, so when John fell in love with a woman from the gang, Abigail, they decided to run away from their dirty deeds in order to give themselves a family, and a better place to raise their child, Jack. 8-9 years down the line, John is called forth by the Government under charges that were out of history books for him. And they threatened to harm his family unless he tracked down his ex gang members and successfully killed them or handed them over to the government officials. To even start of such a story, there will be tears in your eyes. As the first thing you’ll see in the video game is Marston in a coach, frowned upon by a group of fashionable ladies. Easing his way into a town facing the great Fort Mercer, where his ex gang members are known to be hiding. Epicness awaits you on the other side.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSkexsxH9Qw]
You as John Marston discover this America that is still raw in its culture, people, wildlife and science. You discover each one of them in your main or side quests, or you can simply free run in probably the largest map I have witnessed in my gaming career. The map is just as beautiful and unique as you’ve probably seen in your favourite Wild West movies, with depth from the grass blade to the setting sun. Graphically it may not be as hardcore as an Uncharted or God of War title, but it sure does inject an epic feel to your days as John Marston. The day to dusk to night to dawn is even better than the one I see outside my boring window, every boring day. Red Dead owns Skyrim in the next bit.
As your wild quest through these barren and mysterious lands continue, you discover a lot of people. People are plenty in Skyrim, but the part I hate about it is, why isn’t there a proper character portrayal in the most expansive open map game ever? On the other hand, Red Dead Redemption makes each of its characters stand out, with their uniqueness of character and the minor screen time they share with the hero John Marston. The first character I met probably hurt me the most towards the end, Bonnie McFarlane. She runs the McFarlane ranch in Hennigan’s Stead, she’s the one who carries the injured Marston back at her place in the earliest sequences. She is not your pansy woman, she’s seen more death in the family than any man in Marston’s ex gang, and she is helping her country father out with the household and stable work, while her only surviving brother is away with his own life in the bigger town. There is a slow and reasonable chemistry between Marston and Bonnie, until the end. Marston takes most of his orders from Marshall Johnson of town Armadillo. He is the most stubborn sheriff you’ll ever come across.
And then you have the craziest of all characters, the man who self believes to be leading the evolution of mankind in the west, Nigel West Dickens. This snake oil merchant takes liking to random medicines that puts him into a questionable mess, and is also quite the gambler. You will also meet the ex-miner Seth who has lost his mind in the western heat and says to be hunting for some treasures in these lands. He becomes the pivot in the DLC for Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare. And then you meet Langdon Rickets as you proceed with your storyline, who teaches Marston how to deal with such things in life. Rickets is apparently the myth of the west, a retired Clint Eastwood.
John Marston is not only the protagonist and perhaps the best character out of the game, but is also one of the characters who will live through generations after generations of video gaming. He is what every game needs, a character who can dominate the entire game on his own, a character that is so hard to let go of. A character that shows you the town, which shows you more than what you think a video game can show you. You will not feel like screwing up your experience by doing random sadistic open map things with John Marston. And for someone who has seen the ending of Red Dead Redemption, John Marston will be imprinted in your memory forever. He can be all: funny, happy, sad, lonely, dangerous and a caring father and loyal husband.
Detailing is important to any video game, and this retro cowboy title beats every game in its detailing. After every mission completion, you will see Marston leaning back on a pole and smoking his cigarette, throwing it aside he’ll be ready for the next quest. You will see the horse neighing and kicking you over if you spur him too hard. You will see the sheriff hound running across you like a dog that knows how to love you back. You will feel the urge to meet your (Marston’s) family and you will feel the need of comfort amidst your journey through cold blood and sand. John Marston could’ve been a Clint Eastwood with his west side talent, but Rockstar kept him as a genuine rambler who is also a passionate human being at heart. The reason why you fall in love with his character and shed tears by the end of your journey. Bring in the Part 2 I say, Rockstar, I’m ready for my teardrops again!
The background score in Red Dead Redemption is easily one of the best fitted scores of all time. When you are escaping the sheriff or the bandits, the music will pump up. When you are just meandering through the outskirts, you will hear a whistling tune. The soundtrack changes depending on whether you are in America or Mexico. And did I miss mentioning this? When you leave the American lands and start for Mexico in pursuit of the gang members, the very talented Jose Gonzalez takes you through your journey with the ultra smooth track Far Away. It is also one of the most memorable sequences from the game. Like a movie with intermissions and all.
The Wild West gunmanship is best captured in this game, and can never be tallied against the heroics of other titles like Call of Juarez. The Dead Eye is the best thing about Red Dead’s combat. With the R3 you turn Marston’s focus on, slowing down objects/movements, while allowing Marston to mark his triggers on targets; and when the Dead Eye count is up, he goes gunning all Wild West style. The beauty of the Dead Eye is that it can be regenerated by consuming chewing tobaccos. So real! You also will embark on one on one duels with other gunmen. When you are in combat, you won’t hear gunshots like in modern times. If you’re aware of For a Few Dollars More and The Good, Bad and Ugly, you’ll probably recall the gunshot SFX used in those movies. The same is throughout Red Dead Redemption. A shotgun will echo while a volcanic revolver will buzz.
Of the best missions in Red Dead Redemption, you’ve got quite a variety. Some would want you to break through locked doors and arrest a man on warrant, while others will simply ask you to fetch equipments/ingredients spread all across the huge American open map. As Marston you get to take the cattle to their grazing fields, break and tame wild horses, loot coaches with money and of course hog tying people. At night, if you are fully rested and don’t need any sleep, you can earn yourself some cash by taking up the role of the night watchman. Basically a dog will guide you, all you need to do is arrest some convicts trying to ruin the night for some, and bring them hog tied to the local sheriff. You will also spot people randomly asking for help as you cross the country. Some of them might even fake the attempt in order to loot you. Did I miss telling you that you can go to towns and earn more cash by playing Poker, Black Jack or by even tracking down outlaws? Yes, in each town you will receive a flier next to the sheriff station, pick them up and accept the bounty in order to find the outlaw’s gang hiding somewhere in the map, and then bring him dead (for less reward money) or alive(for more reward money) to the officials. This is why RDR is perhaps a standalone existence in my otherwise crowded memory spaces. I have never seen America or the Wild West, but thanks to Red Dead Redemption, I’ve lived it.
Red Dead offers a wide array of customisation and features too. With each mission achieved, you unlock a different aspect of John Marston. Like a Mexican outfit, a Treasure Hunter suit, whatever. So in the end, your hunger for scavenging is simply eternal. With every town you travel to, you can watch their lifestyle, buy property, do side missions or simply accept bounty jobs. Horses will be plenty at your disposal, but picking a suitable horse for Marston will actually raise a level in your whole experience. You will cross rivers, canyons, plains, snow and rain and mud. The environment and climate in Red Dead are simply fascinating, with the best rain sequence ever in my honest opinion.
RDR is the spiritual sequel to Red Dead Revolver. It is grander, better and more epic than its counterpart, to such an extent that it becomes a console defining brand in itself. It is one of those games wherein the end won’t bother you, because you will be submerged in the means. To add the Rockstar bit to the game, you can easily lose grip of the main story and settle down in life at Armadillo as a night watchman. Red Dead Redemption is not only the reason why you should buy a PS3, it is also the reason why you should never let go of it, if you end up buying the PS4 or the Xbox One.
So cool yourself down with this brilliant track that comes right at the end of the game and basically makes one cry like a school girl when he/she plays RDR for the first time:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gZuFUhL7K0]
