Rockstar Games, the king of the open-sandbox shooter genre, has really outdone themselves with the masterful sequel to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2.
A prequel to the original game, Red Dead Redemption 2 begins following outlaw Arthur Morgan and his struggling gang’s trek through a heavy blizzard in the mountains after a failed heist in the town of Blackwater in 1899, 12 years before the events of the original game. The trudge through the blizzard is slow and tiring. Fittingly, the start of the game mirrors this feeling, as the beginning tutorial of the game is set within the confines of the mountains.
Unlike most Rockstar games, the player is not immediately granted the freedom to move about the world at will. The beginning tutorial insists that the player take the game slowly and pay attention to the story. However, the game picks up after the gang leaves the mountains and sets up camp at a place called Horseshoe Overlook. At this point, the player’s restrictions are seemingly removed and the world opens up for exploration and mischief.
Unlike its predecessor, Red Dead Redemption 2 requires much more busywork which can be annoying but overall helps the player get immersed within the game. The player no longer has a simple health or stamina bar. Instead, the player and the player’s horse both have health and stamina cores, which determine how fast health and stamina regenerate. The lower the core, the slower health and/or stamina regenerate. The player now has to make sure that Arthur and his horse are well-fed and kept clean.
No longer can players hold all of their weapons at once, as they must be stowed on the saddle of your horse. Clothing is no longer just for the sake of fashion, as dressing inappropriately for the weather can negatively affect health or stamina. Fast travel is impractical for a large portion of the game’s beginning, forcing the player to embark on long expeditions to get from point A to point B. These all can be taken as criticisms, but they really do add to the immersion and realism of the game. Not even long expeditions are that much of a chore. The world that Rockstar made is not only stunning visually, but is full of surprises and activities to keep the player occupied.
The gun-play in Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most satisfying out of all of Rockstar’s previous games. The cover system is a little wonkier, but takes little time to get used to.
The “deadeye” system, which allows the player to briefly slow down time and let off multiple, well-aimed shots, returns here. Deadeye also operates on the same core system as health and stamina. Deadeye, when not used in combat, can be used to track animals while hunting.
The attention to detail and immersion is outstanding. The player truly feels like a Western outlaw just trying to make it by and avoid the law, which is difficult due to the emergence of cities and law enforcement expanding across the country. However, this vast immersion creates a sort of disconnect. Like any good open-world game, the main story normally takes a backseat to side quests and other miscellaneous activities. There are activities you should be doing in Red Dead Redemption 2, like donating money and supplies to your camp of outlaws, but most players will likely forget about this due to the expansive world and activities found within said world.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is in a league of its own. Rockstar has shown they can one-up themselves time after time again. When Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto V in 2013, I thought that game was the tip of the iceberg. Of course, I no longer think that, and I am sure that Rockstar will trump Red Dead Redemption 2 in the foreseeable future.
