Rockstar has yet again provided a beautiful open world game with hours of content to be explored in addition to an emotional and compelling story line that once again immerses gamers into the wild west.
“Red Dead Redemption 2” follows the main protagonist, Arthur Morgan, in his adventures with Dutch’s gang in the dying ages of the wild west. The storyline is sixty hours in length and provides a compelling plot with valuable content.
Each mission has its own twists and turns as well as beautiful cinematics accompanied by a masterly written score that not only enhances the experience, but also gives chills during the play-through. The missions were never repetitive, which is a true accomlishment. The gameplay feels as if the player is writing a story. The decisions that are made alter how the public sees the player as a person, and the actions and choices that are made determine how a town will judge the player.
While free roaming around the open-world, the player will have these ‘encounters’ with strangers. They enhance the world and allow the character to be seen as an outlaw or a true hero. During travels, there are opportunities to interact with the NPC’s without a lot of dialogue, but there are enough options to create a feeling that you’re a part of this breathing world.
There is a survival component to this game as well, and Rockstar has balanced it perfectly, to the point where it’s not annoying in the effect it has on gameplay. There are cores for stamina, health and deadeye. To refill these cores, you can either go to the general store and purchase foods and other items to refill them, or you can sleep to refill them. There is also a need called “bathe.” This can be tended to by purchasing a bath at the local hotel or swimming in a river to clean yourself. Not bathing will result in people running away from you and commenting on your filth.
The graphics in this game exceed expectations. The light-shading stood out the most and the way the sunlight filters through the vast land and forests creates such a beautiful experience for the player. The attention to detail is also phenomenal here, as it seems like every part of this world was detailed perfectly.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a great candidate for game of the year, and it is highly recommended to anyone who’s new to the franchise or returning.
