Editorial | Why is Red Dead Redemption special.

By Sam Coles:

As of time of writing this Red Dead Redemption came out 8 years ago, I was a naïve 17 year old at the time studying my A-levels. At the time I didn’t really follow the industry, but I would check the Xbox Live store for up and coming games, I remember Red Dead Redemption being on the store for a couple of years and I wondered when it was coming out. It wasn’t until early 2010 when Rockstar kicked the marketing into overdrive, and in May of 2010 I received my copy in the post and what I play was one of the most beautiful pieces of art. Why is this game so special? Why do people still talk about it nearly a decade later? Well with the upcoming release of the sequel I want to talk about the magic that is Red Dead Redemption.

The intro is a great way to start the game, as the main protagonist John Marston doesn’t speak for about 10-15 minutes as he is escorted onto a train and then takes in the politics from different people from various stages of life. This is very much a trope from westerns during the 1960’s as the main character will barely speak, this is usually to build an intimidating profile, but in Red Dead this is to build more of a mysterious fog around John until he first confronts Bill Williamson. The introduction of the game does  a fantastic job of establishing the world, as John sits there on the train listening to people, where they discuss the wild west dying as a more civilised age is coming to take over, where they discuss automobiles and even people flying as this game is set in 1911.

Once you’re unleashed into the world Red Dead Redemption doesn’t hold your hand or shut you off from certain areas (Mexico being the exception until later), you can do… well anything you want. You wanted to ride across the deserts of New Austin and look for treasure and rob stage coaches? Go ahead! Want to get drunk and get into inebriated bar brawls with your fists or six shooter? Fill your boots and go nuts! It’s a classic Rockstar open world where it opens up in an organic manner, compared to other games where you’re going down a checklist list where you obliterate tasks rather than complete them (I’m looking at you Ubisoft).

The world in general is a joy to explore because you never know what you are going to run into, you could come across an abandoned stage coach with nothing more than dying embers of a camp fire, blood and shrivelled upped corpses. You can think about what happened here, then you are ambushed by a wild animal or bandits trying to rob for everything you have, where you then gun them down in a spectacular fashion. It’s the organic nature of the world is what is so appealing to explore, I remember the first time I found a gang hideout and thought I didn’t see that coming and looked into every nook and cranny where I started find the more bizarre “strangers and freaks” missions.

Like Oblivion this is one of those worlds I feel the life within it, where people go by their everyday activities and routines. I almost get to know the locals and know the world better than my own city, where it still carries on even when I switch the game off and go on with my day.

Considering the game came out 8 years ago graphically it is still a joy to look at and I can’t say that for many titles from 2010, yes some textures look a tad rough on and character models look like a processed vegetarian sausage although that maybe the entire point given the time period. It’s the environments that really stand out to this day, from the thirst inducing deserts to the more civilised cities.

The main reason why Red Dead Redemption is special is because of John Marston, he is one of the best video game protagonists from the past 20 years of video games. He is a man who is trying to leave his blood soaked past, but gets dragged back into it when the government kidnaps his wife and son. Unlike his past self, John is calm and collective as he handles most situations like a gentleman where he gives you the warnings to walk away before he pulls his revolver from his holster with lightning speed. When he is finally allowed to live his normal life, it is cut short when Edgar Ross decides to double cross him and cut him down like an animal, it proves his point of how the government is no better than the bandits they hunt.

Red Dead Redemption is a piece of art that will be held in high regard for the next 20 plus years, perhaps the sequel can recapture that magic with current generation technology and make an even more convincing world to explore. We only have to wait until the 26^th of October find out.