Red Dead Redemption -- Discussion for Rockstar's romp in the Wild West

I'm by no means an expert on Westerns, but of all the ones I've gone through lately, he doesn't copy any one. I mean they have taken a lot of inspiration from the genre, I loved the shootout at the rustler's base in a canyon.

I was very frustrated by GTA4's combat system, and they've really cleaned up that aspect and made using the weapons actually fun. I also discovered it wasn't a good idea to ride on top on trains due to, you know, trees.

 

I'm still hoping that he's in there somehow--some sort of reference maybe? Like in Pokemon when you face Ash in the sequel. I just think it would be an awesome easter egg or something--probably not there, but it would be awesome. I should be getting a copy of the game by the end of the week--glad to hear they cleaned up the gun-play from GTA4 to this (I feel like you'd need to in order for this to work).

 

For some weird reason one thing I wish they had was miles and miles of either salt flats or sand dunes with nothing but a few watering holes you'd have to find in order to not die. And at the end a huge treasure or something. Granted I'm probably the only one, but it is such a common trope and given how easy it would be to add a flat nothingness, it would be the perfect way to simulate the vastness of the West.

 

I think that would be great--reminds me of the repeating desert screens from King's Quest V. I like the idea of a game without bounds.

 

I preordered this at gamestop but haven't picked it up yet due to finals. Once I finish my last one tomorrow, I'm heading straight over to pick up my copy.

 

*** **** ************** *******!!!!! Someone on FB just spoiled the ending!!!! GAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!! Thanks a lot, ******* ******** ************!!!



I mean, spoilers are acceptable after enough time, say...anywhere from a month to 6 depending, but the day after release?! C'mon...


Grrr...

 

Well, you'll be kind of disappointed. Red Harlow isn't in the game, but when you do visit a campsite they make reference to him and his exploits.

 

Really? That's great!

 

Yeah, it's an interesting nod to the original. I'm continually amazed by how beautiful the landscape is in this game and how vast it is. I've only just now gotten to Mexico and there's still a lot more to go.

 

i love lassoing people and dragging them behind me on a train track, with the train nipping at their heels. makes me feel like i got my monies worth.

 

so this game is avilable for pc?

 

No and R* has been pretty quiet about it, but given their history, I'd say it'll prolly be on PC in a year, maybe less. Just a guess.

 

Thank you, R*

 

I've already logged in way too much time with this thing already, but man there's so much to do! Hell, I've spent hours just playing a combination of liars dice, horseshoes, poker, black jack, and five finger fillet.

I mean, I can set my waypoint to a mission, right? I'm on my way to it atop my lovely steed (which is actually my fifth one, who we'll call Jack. First one died in a shootout, second by a cougar, third I jumped off a hill that was a bit too high, and the fourth just collapsed on me while I was bringing a bounty into town, guess I overworked it), and oh dang! Look at that buck! Beautiful. So I pull out my rifle and aim while Jack begins to slow down and fire off a round. Hit it, but it's still running, so I pull off a second shot while some birds who once found comfort in the trees fly away from the sound. It falls, dead. I direct Jack to take me to my fallen prey and climb off as he stops. I kneel down, skin it, and take its antlers as my prize, and once again I'm on my way to a meeting with a Mexican revolutionary.

But wait. I'm nearing my destination when a poor senorita exclaims that a man has stolen her horse! A convenient blue dot appears on my radar, and suddenly I'm off to track down her kidnapped transport. Jack races to catch up, and as we draw near I pull out my lasso and swing it above my head until we get to a comfortable distance. I unleash, and the rope wraps around the culprit's body, and he falls off the back of the fleeing horse. I quickly slide off of Jack's back and hogtie the criminal as he mutters what I can only assume are Mexican swears, and get back up on the patient Jack 'cause my job ain't done yet. I quickly command the steed to speed up to its kidnapped comrade, and I pull out my trusty lasso once again. A few seconds later, I have the woman's horse in tow behind me as I lead it along behind myself and Jack, on its way to her rightful owner. The woman offers her thanks and gives me a few spare dollars in gratitude, and once again, I'm on my way.

Insane. The environmental graphics are nothing short of incredible, especially in the white deserts of New Mexico when the sun is at its peak in the sky and John's colored poncho flaps in the wind as he rides atop his speeding brown thoroughbred. The voice acting is, as has been said, simply fantastic, the highlight for me being the badass Marshal Johnson. And of course Rockstar has once again given us a brilliant protagonist in John Marston, a family man who can't escape the lawlessness of the life he left behind years ago. I would like to say the gameplay is rock solid, but it does occasionally leave a bit to be desired. John will take cover in the wrong spot more often than I'd like (or maybe I'm just clumsy), and my biggest complaint of the game so far is the fact that I can shoot a guy in the chest with a bolt action rifle from five feet away, and he stumbles back for a second and tries to kill me again. But these are minor, and when the gameplay shines, it shines. The horse riding is fantastic, the gunplay is great (though I can't imagine how anyone could play it on Expert or even Normal targeting mode while in a firefight with multiple bandits on horseback), and the physics are simply outstanding and immensely rewarding. The game does inherit a couple problems that I found in its spiritual predecessor, Grand Theft Auto IV. The story's pacing can become slow (honestly, Marston's a little too trusting, being led along by seemingly everyone he meets with the promise of information on his ultimate targets). And while the missions are a little less repetitive (love the trains), I don't think people who found GTA's missions game-breakingly tedious will find much solace here.

I haven't finished the campaign yet, and haven't touched the multiplayer. But all in all, I do think this is the best game since... oh... Fallout 3. I'll go ahead and call it game of the year so far (not to take away from the greatness of Mass Effect 2), but we've still got some time yet before 2010's had its say.

 

Don't get me wrong, I loved Fallout 3 and even played a few of the expansions, but world just doesn't compare. I rarely got awestruck at how awesome things looked, for me it is a tough choice between this and Mass Effect 2. ME2 definately loses in the replayability section, but the shortness of it allows a more cinematic feel.

 

i accidentally shot my horse in the head while riding it. i was trying to stab a wolf. not even sure how i pulled that one off.

 

rockstar San Diego never do pc versions, so i'm screwed unless i get a 360. which i might for madden anyway. but i am so beside myself that this company is so not pc friendly

 

Shooting a guy with TNT, having it blow up, and then throw his buddy 50 feet into the river was just so full of win I can't even describe it.

 

Agreed. I love how full of TNT the game is, and how many bad guys tend to stand next to it.

 

I'm still sorry to say I haven't gotten far in the story. I've only just gotten my lasso and I had to go do some other [real life] stuff.

I have to say, I can't stay away from MP. I'm level 35 and the need for more XPs is like a drug. The only thing that disappoints me in the slightest in MP is that we can't play games (poker, horse shoes, etc) and we don't get a lasso. I'm really sad we can't have a lasso in MP, but I can see why they didn't include it (Although a nice "mini-game" to wiggle out would have been nice).

Overall, GOTY. Sorry for any who disagre, but this game is the best I've played in years. From the graphics to the voice acting to the story to the sound/atmosphere. It's unreal. I absolutely love this game. I was telling a friend it'll be one of those games I play long after it's done and over with (at least, I think I will).

Like some people who still play Gears of War or Crackdown, years from now I see myself being "that guy" playing Red Dead.

To be honest, I haven't even scrapped the story and I'm already thirsty for a sequel. I think Rockstar struck gold (no pun intended).

Also, quick question.........how does one do well at Horseshoes!? I utterly suck. I always get a decent throw but it lands no where near the pit.

 

Question: Does anyone else here play with music off? I tried it once and haven't gone back, it sucked me in and made the atmosphere even more compelling than it already was. A testament to how great the sound design is in this game.

 

I've put about two hours into it so far, and it's just not clicking for me yet. It feels like GTAIV all over again - great atmosphere, nice graphics, but just no motivation to do anything. I spent all night thinking about it, but I don't know what it is. The world reminds me of Fallout 3 though, maybe that's the problem. I'll try and push myself through a bit more to see if it finally comes together, not giving up yet.

Multiplayer is fun though, but have a feeling it might get old eventually.

 

Give it time, I never did finish GTA4 but the characters are much more interesting this time. In a game like this, you need to take breaks, enjoy some poker or hunting, and just do random stuff.

 

Never....the music is amazing.

 

Before your first throw and before every throw after that, Marston's aim goes completely haywire so you'll have to re-correct it by hitting whatever button it is to look directly over his shoulder (L2 or Left trigger I think?) and then line up the pole so that it appears to right in the middle of the horseshoe you are holding. Then you let go of aim, swing your arm back as far as it goes and swing forward with full momentum and release the horseshoe when the meter turns green (should be somewhere around the first and second marker on the meter)

With some practice you'll learn to time it better and better and should get a ringer before too long