Red Dead Redemption – review

It’s the little things that make it great.

Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar’s latest entry into the open world genre they helped create with Grand Theft Auto, is also their best achievement to date. There was a lot of praise directed at Grand Theft Auto 4 when it released (and deservedly so), but Red Dead Redemption takes everything that made that game great, removes all faults it had, and, by believing in and grounding the world they’ve created, makes not only the greatest Western game ever created but also one of the best games of the year (and arguably ever).

The faults in GTA4 were very specific, most of them tied to gameplay. The biggest fault I had with the game was the lack of regenerating health, now a staple of nearly every genre of video game. True, a lack of the feature allows for a bit more challenge, but it also accounts for a large amount of frustration. Did you remember to bring enough health packs with you into this next level? No?  Then you might never make it out, not without lots of retries. Regenerating health removes that barrier by allowing you greater flexibility in how you tackle a mission. Want to go in head on? Go for it. If you’re taking too much fire, take cover and try a different approach. Rockstar was slow to implement this feature into their games (recent open world games like Saints Row 2 and The Godfather 2 have this feature), but now that it’s here, it makes their games much more playable. Prior to this, I’d never completed a Rockstar open world game, due to various frustrations, many of which dealt with regenerating health or a lack thereof. None of those were present in Red Dead Redemption, which is why I finally saw a Rockstar open world game through to its end. It’s a small but absolutely vital addition.

Rockstar has never been one to fail on atmosphere in their games, and with Red Dead Redemption, they continue their winning streak, primarily in the exceptional soundtrack. Since a licensed soundtrack was out of the question for a game set in the early 20^th century, Rockstar went with an original soundtrack that already ranks as one of the better soundtracks for games yet. It evokes the best of Morricone and Bacalov in their primes, and no matter which area of the game you may be in, the music always fits. The lighting in the game is amongst the best I’ve seen, as well. From riding at night with only the moon lighting the sky, to the sun’s light breaking through the trees at dawn, to the overbearing brightness of high noon, you are never unaware of what time it is in the game. Just look at the sky, and you’ll know.

One big difference is the treatment of the mood of the game. Grand Theft Auto has always been a satire of the modern world, but Red Dead Redemption treats the old West as a serious place to be. There are over-the-top characters, for sure, but nothing in the game seems out of place or ridiculous. Oddly enough, by making their games more serious, Rockstar hurt GTA a little (one major criticism of GTA4 was its seriousness, after the madness that was GTA: San Andreas), but in this setting, it keeps the game grounded and helps it excel and stand out.

One of my favorite features isn’t a feature, necessarily, but a respect for the Western as a genre. I adore the genre and have spent many hours watching Western films and television series, and nearly every Western I’ve ever seen has some sort of reference in this game, directly or indirectly. The first area, New Austin, feels like your classic John Ford western. Films and shows like High Noon and Gunsmoke have their parallel here. If you’re more of a fan of the spaghetti Western era, the Clint Eastwood/Fistful of Dollars-style western, then the Nuevo Paradiso area is made for you. It’s an area a bit more lawless, with characters even greyer than usual. You even acquire a poncho, just like the one Man with No Name made popular. The Western era did eventually give way to the modern world, referenced in The Wild Bunch, Unforgiven and especially the HBO series Deadwood. All of that is reflected in the West Elizabeth area of the game world. Even the snowy areas of Tall Trees bring to minds films like The Great Silence and parts of The Searchers. Much love and care has been put into this game world, and it shows in every corner.

Red Dead Redemption is a triumph, not just of video games but also Westerns as a whole. It deserves to be mentioned with the greats of the genre, like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Stagecoach. Rockstar put a lot of work into the details of the world, making sure it stood up as believable. And in that, they succeeded.

It was all in the little things.