Besides using Dead Eye to make gun fights awesome, there is also a great duck and cover system in place. You can post up against rocks, buildings, and other solid objects to protect yourself during gun fights. You can also blind fire to make enemies duck (or cover), but don’t expect a super accurate Gears of War style blind fire.
These gun fights I’ve been having in Red Dead Redemption have to be the most fun I’ve had in a while. Most places provide various opportunities for cover for you and your enemies. Usually you need to work your way up to where you want to go, can just blow through all your enemies at once. The character models have great physics attached to them so when you shoot someone it’s really cool to see how it impacts the target. When you use Dead Eye you will see the reaction in slow motion which makes it even cooler. When you shoot through a target you will usually be able to see an exit wound. If you shoot them through the head and go up to their body you can actually tell at what part of the head the bullet came out of because it explodes out. You can literally split someone’s wig!
The sound quality in this game is incredible. I spoke on the music and voice acting earlier, but everything from gun shots to the spurs on your boots sounds authentic. Then again I don’t have spurs on my boots, but that’s what I think it would sound like. Gun shot’s especially sound like they pack a punch.
The controls are comfortable and easy to use. It’s quick and easy to switch between weapons. It’s even easy to ride a horse while shooting at enemies, something that has the potential to become quite cumbersome. Horse riding isn’t something that is mindless. As you ride you need to keep a balance between your speed and stamina or you will find yourself on the ground after the horse bucks you off.
You have a large assortment of weapons to sort through. They range from shotguns, rifles, pistols, knifes, and even a lasso. There are more than that but that’s what I have so far. Also, you can have multiple weapons for a weapon type. So you can choose from an assortment of rifles, shotguns, etc. It’s also very easy to switch between them without going to a menu.
There used to be an embeded media player here, but it doesn't work anymore. We blame the Tumbeasts.
Something that I’m a bit torn about is the look of the game. The scenery is great; the open landscape of the old west. Lots of detail was put into the plants, how dusty the game looks, and also how hot it appears to be. And there is nothing like riding into the sunset. The art style of the game is brilliant. My problem is with how dated the graphics look. I would have been impressed with these graphics if this game came out back in 07 or 08. But for where we are now, these graphics just look old. I can’t even say that these graphics are pushing the limits of the XBox. Also, I’m a strong believer that we shouldn’t see frame loss on consoles. In almost every cut scene I have experienced frame loss.
There were a few bugs I ran into. Once I was opening a crate, then magically appeared on top of it, then magically was thrown halfway across the town. Another was getting stuck in a wall while being chased by a gang. Finally, I ran into the bird people glitch (see the video). Even with the graphics, frame loss, and bugs the game is still really good. The story and gameplay pull you in. So pretty much you forget about the bad stuff as you’re playing.
I checked out the multiplayer before I finished my ten hours on this game. Basically you go into a free roaming mode where the games map is completely open for you. Your multiplayer character is level based so you need to complete activities to get your level up. You can form a posse and take down gang hideouts, do gang matches to kill other posses, or participate in free for all. You can go out randomly and kill other players if you want to. You get points for doing all of these things, but you get the least for just randomly killing other players. You get the most points from being in a posse and completing an activity.
The game by itself will keep you busy for a few months, but if you include the multiplayer it will keep you busy for much longer than that. There aren’t many games out there that give you your full $60 worth. I can honestly tell you that you will get your full value plus more when it comes to Red Dead Redemption. I would recommend buying this game…IMMEDIATELY. Good job Rockstar, you really came through for me.
