Editorial | Why Red Dead Redemption is special to me.

By Sam Coles:

In 2010 when I had just turned 17 years old, I was in the middle of studying my first year of A-levels. It was the hot months of May and the pressure of my work was getting the better of me, where I just zone out and worry about various problems. However there was one thing I was focusing on at the time, and it was a little game that was called Red Dead Redemption which I had been watching all the marketing material. When I finally got Red Dead Redemption in my hands, I was enthralled and all of my worries just disappeared. I want to talk about why this game is special to me, and why you should play it if you haven’t.

Red Dead Redemption starts off slow intentionally slow, but this is great build up as we get an overall outlook of the world of 1911 in America where the way of the outlaw was coming to a close. I remember at the time not being too fond of this introduction, but as I have gotten older I have a new appreciation for it as adds layers of context to the world, whether it is about religion, politics and overall prejudice to certain races and groups. It’s this opening that the main character John Marston has this sort voyeuristic outlook, as he sits there in silence rolling his eyes at the cynical attitudes of the new “civilisation”. It adds a layer of depth to John Marston and this is very impressive considering he doesn’t say a word for 10 minutes, then when he does speak he sees that he has to move on from his old ways but he doesn’t like the new civilised world.  

Exploring the world was where I quite literally got lost, where I would ride for miles upon miles with no particular goal. What heightens this exploration is the dynamic soundtrack, where it will trigger with certain events or when you are just exploring. The soundtrack when you are out exploring is almost diegetic in a way, because it feels like it is a part of the world and John Marston’s life. I remember getting in from Sixth Form and just playing the night away as I explore the plains of New Austin helping out the locals, playing poker and getting into the gun battles with bandits and lawman. It was a world that I could just runway, forget about my worries and feel like the hero of the Wild West.

The characters were another aspect that made the game special to me, yes a lot of them were one note never to be seen again later in the story but they are fun nonetheless. You first meet up with the tough rancher Bonnie McFarland; she takes no prisoners and will defend her homestead no matter what. You have the erudite and scheming Nigel West Dickens, who is a snake oil salesman who has a silver tongue that will make you part ways with your money, to the charismatic yet crazy gang leader Dutch Van Der Linde. All the characters are superbly written which made care for them, or they gave me more motivation to kill them I’m looking at you Captain De Santa!

Even when I play Red Dead Redemption in 2019 it is still a beautiful game, it’s astonishing how well this game has aged, yes there are few rough edges here and there to remind you that it is a mid gen 360 game. However it’s the lighting and impressive draw distance that makes me cry with joy, with how magnificent it is. It’s the subtle things that are still amazing to look at today, with the expertly animated horse to the footprints left in the sand as you slowly walk through town as you hear your spurs clang. It’s not often that I praise a game that is old for its visuals, as most games that shoot for realism age terribly, but Red Dead Redemption is one of the few exceptions.

Red Dead Redemption is a game that I hold close to my heart, it was a time where everything was getting the better of me. Being able to be alongside John Marston’s quest for well…… Redemption was fantastic in 2010 and is still great in 2019. It’s a timeless classic that I will one day show younger generations and my children, it’s a game that I think everyone should experience as it has a special place in video game history.