The Old West Returns

A review of Red Dead Redemption 2

Before reading this review, it should be noted that this game is rated M for mature. Although video games can often be enjoyed by younger players, this particular title contains certain elements that are not appropriate for children. I will try and keep this review as clean and family friendly as possible, since I want content on this blog to be enjoyed by everyone. Always check a game's rating before allowing children to play.

I remember when the first Red Dead Redemption was released. I had just started to get into gaming and was still a bit too young for the title. However, that didn't mean that I wasn't intrigued by it. Gamers and game journalists alike could not stop talking about it and it quickly became one of the most popular titles of the console generation. I did finally get a chance to try it a few years later and it's one of the first times I can remember actually feeling moved by a video game. Red Dead Redemption showed me what storytelling could be like for the medium.

So naturally when the sequel was finally announced I was more than ready to get back in the saddle. After numerous delays, the game was finally released in fall of 2018, and I received it as a Christmas gift that same year. Just like its predecessor it was highly regarded by critics and fans alike. And yet I still remember feeling hesitant as the game loaded for the first time. I had such fond memories of the original title. Would this installment do justice to what had come before?

Despite being titled as the sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2 is actually a prequel. Set about ten years before its predecessor, this game follows Arthur Morgan, a highly respected individual in the Van der Lin gang, led by none other than Dutch Van der Lin. After a heist gone horribly wrong, the gang finds themselves on the run from the law. Dutch has assured them that with one last major score they will be able to disappear and find safety. As time goes on, Arthur begins to feel unsure about Dutch’s leadership and motives. With the law closing in and the West changing around them, Arthur finds he must make a choice between the only family he's known and being a better man.

The gang prepares to confront an enemy who has wronged them.

Although the sequel does obviously have some similarities to the first game, changes have definitely been made. The first major change comes in the form of our protagonist Arthur Morgan, a character who was not even mentioned in the original title. John Marston, the protagonist from the first game, does end up playing quite a major role in the prequel. As a massive fan of the first game, I was initially unhappy with this change. However, I quickly grew to enjoy playing as Arthur since his personality and methods are very different from John.

Most of the other major differences come from the sheer amount of detail in the game world. The graphics are insane and tend to border on photorealism. Even at lower resolutions this game is absolutely stunning- from the sunlight filtering through the trees in the forest, to the snowflakes in a character’s facial hair. When it comes to gameplay the changes are almost impossible to count. Instead of just simply riding around and completing missions, the player is responsible for caring for both themselves and their horse. Arthur can become either too thin or too heavy depending on the amount of food he eats which can affect gameplay. If the player's weapons are not properly maintained, they won't perform as well in a shootout. One too many drinks in the saloon, and Arthur will stumble around as the screen becomes blurry and distorted. These details are small, but they really help in making the player feel connected to Arthur and make the game feel more realistic in turn. Having had eight years to work on the sequel, it really seems as though Rockstar Games used changing technology to make the ultimate simulation experience that they wanted from Red Dead Redemption.

Most of the gameplay does involve shootouts with the law or rival gangs. However, the developers were smart enough to include missions that allow variations in gameplay. These can be anything from hunting to provide food for the gang, infiltrating a high stakes poker game, or cracking open a safe during a bank robbery. This last example is shown in the video clip below and requires the player to focus on the vibrations from the controller to determine the correct combination.

One of my favorite things about the game is the amount of freedom given to the player. The game will always have the next story mission marked on the map but the time frame of completing it is entirely up to you. There were times during my first playthrough where I wouldn't complete any story missions at all. Instead, I would become a temporary bounty hunter or track an animal over a snowy mountain to then cook by a campfire later that night. I was happy to just exist in the world and take in the beauty of the environment. I still find myself doing that from time to time, even years later.

Tracking down bounties are some of my favorite side missions. It gives me the chance to appreciate the game's beauty while feeling like a cowboy.

My main complaint comes from story pacing. Overall, I really enjoyed the main narrative of the game, but it was definitely long, even for a single player open-world adventure. I won’t spoil any major plot points here, but I will say there was a section where the main narrative seemed to veer completely off track. I vividly remember thinking, Can we get back to the point? This is taking too long. Obviously that’s not to say that the game isn’t fantastic or that the entire experience was ruined by one section. But in a game that is already full of detail and story, an extra section of padding wasn’t required.

Now we're in the new generation of consoles and I've seen some people asking if Rockstar Games plans on remastering Red Dead Redemption 2 to take advantage of the newer hardware. Personally, at this point I don't see the reason for a remaster. The game is only five years old and still absolutely gorgeous. Although it would be neat to see how the game benefits from current consoles, I feel like a remaster would cause more problems than it would solve and give the publishers a chance to charge an even higher price for the game again.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an amazing game and remains high on my list of most beautiful and entertaining titles, even five years later. But there’s still one question that remains. Can you enjoy the sequel if you haven’t played the original? I would say yes, especially due to its nature as a prequel. Playing this title first might even give players a greater appreciation for the original game. If you’re looking for an exciting narrative with hours of additional content, then saddle up and get ready to take on the West.

This post was written by Vanessa Hart, creator of Deep Dive Gaming.