Red Dead Redemption: Single Player Review

[Casual Shinji]

I've got to get this game.... No money though, and I'm still upset about the shitty resolution on PS3. Fucking hell Rockstar, you put that much money into a game and there's no fucking escuse.

I have it on PS3 and trust me, it looks great. I haven't seen it on 360, but I doubt the difference will be night and day.

To be honest, I'm a little bored with the single-player. The main character aswell as the supporting cast just aren't really cutting it and even with the random events, the plains just feel extremely empty. The most fun I've had with the game was during Free Roam; shooting up gang hide-outs with a few people online is very cool. To bad most people online are dicks who out of the blue will shoot you in the back and steal your horse. But I guess that's how the West was won.

Still, I found GTA4 to be much more well-rounded game.

 

[Zenn3k]

Shame the multiplayer is such garbage.

Free roam is basically FFA, FFA is completely broken by the fact you can always see everyone on the map. Gang wars is a camp fest and within all modes, it simply takes too many shots to kill someone, then you'll die to 1 shot by a guy firing a pistol across half the world.

The single player is a lot of fun, but I'm seriously considering trading the game in once I finish it up.

 

[Tazzlefrass]

Shame the multiplayer is such garbage.

Free roam is basically FFA, FFA is completely broken by the fact you can always see everyone on the map. Gang wars is a camp fest and within all modes, it simply takes too many shots to kill someone, then you'll die to 1 shot by a guy firing a pistol across half the world.

The single player is a lot of fun, but I'm seriously considering trading the game in once I finish it up.

I started up the multiplayer and went into the free roam which as I've been told is basically a lobby for the game. It's a carbon copy of the single-player world but it feels...hollow. Maybe I was on at a bad time (12pm cst on a Saturday) but there was nothing going on, really. It felt like popping onto an old favorite mmo after all the players have moved on, absolutely barren save for a few NPCs that just kinda stand there.

Of course, that was just a first impression. I need to devote some time to it and hopefully I'll have my multiplayer review up soon.

 

[Zenn3k]

Shame the multiplayer is such garbage.

Free roam is basically FFA, FFA is completely broken by the fact you can always see everyone on the map. Gang wars is a camp fest and within all modes, it simply takes too many shots to kill someone, then you'll die to 1 shot by a guy firing a pistol across half the world.

The single player is a lot of fun, but I'm seriously considering trading the game in once I finish it up.

I started up the multiplayer and went into the free roam which as I've been told is basically a lobby for the game. It's a carbon copy of the single-player world but it feels...hollow. Maybe I was on at a bad time (12pm cst on a Saturday) but there was nothing going on, really. It felt like popping onto an old favorite mmo after all the players have moved on, absolutely barren save for a few NPCs that just kinda stand there.

Of course, that was just a first impression. I need to devote some time to it and hopefully I'll have my multiplayer review up soon.

It is hollow, except for a few bandit missions to do (which can be solo'ed). If you DO find Free Roam with other people in it, I advise you stay away, as everyone of the 16 possible players you encounter will not only not have a Mic, but open fire on you instantly. You then spawn about 2 feet from the location you died at, and are being shot at again before you can find out where its even coming from...this'll happen over and over until you get yourself into an organized game. I recommend anything with "Bag" in it, or simple TDM. Free Roam is terrible.

 

[Jaqen Hghar]

Free Roam is awesome if you have some friends to play with. Like people on here.
It helps that you can make a private Free Roam Lobby, which means you can keep all the assholes away.
That being said, it does feel a bit hollow, but you make it into what you want yourself. You can have a lot of fun if you have at least one buddy to hunt with for instance.

The MP in itself is awesome. The showdown every match starts with is chaotic and hilarious, the maps are all places found in the SP world, and you always got something new to achieve in your Journal. Like killing 25 people with certain weapons. The fact that you can ride in some of the MP matches also helps in making it cool.

I am not that far into the game (25% or so), but I still think your review was spot on. Except I loved GTAIV. The only thing I hated in that game was all the calls I got from various people who wanted to bowl... It seems RDR is quite accurate when it comes to a lot of things as well, according to this guy over at Gamespot [http://www.gamespot.com/users/Esotericus/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-25826654&om_act=convert&om_clk=soapbox&tag=soapbox;subject;3]. Hope you don't mind me posting that link. I thought it was an interesting read.

 

[Tazzlefrass]

Free Roam is awesome if you have some friends to play with. Like people on here.
It helps that you can make a private Free Roam Lobby, which means you can keep all the assholes away.
That being said, it does feel a bit hollow, but you make it into what you want yourself. You can have a lot of fun if you have at least one buddy to hunt with for instance.

The MP in itself is awesome. The showdown every match starts with is chaotic and hilarious, the maps are all places found in the SP world, and you always got something new to achieve in your Journal. Like killing 25 people with certain weapons. The fact that you can ride in some of the MP matches also helps in making it cool.

I am not that far into the game (25% or so), but I still think your review was spot on. Except I loved GTAIV. The only thing I hated in that game was all the calls I got from various people who wanted to bowl... It seems RDR is quite accurate when it comes to a lot of things as well, according to this guy over at Gamespot [http://www.gamespot.com/users/Esotericus/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-25826654&om_act=convert&om_clk=soapbox&tag=soapbox;subject;3]. Hope you don't mind me posting that link. I thought it was an interesting read.

I don't mind the link at all, will definitely give it a read through. Though I definitely will suggest that you finish the single player game that ending is...crazy awesome.

GTA4 had some amazing moments in it. When the (spoiler alert) cabbie shop burned down I had a real emotional attachment to Niko and his cousin. I felt moved by their plight. The gameplay though I just couldn't stand. Half of the game was a tutorial and I just never felt the controls were very fluid. The city just felt too claustrophobia inducing to me. The absolute worst part was the toll gates on the high ways. Sure you could just blow right through them but that earns you a wanted star and on some missions that could spell disaster. I don't want to beat a dead horse (as I can do that literally in Red Dead Redemption) so I'll end my rant on GTA4 with this: great charactierzation as usual, controls were an experiment that didn't work quite right, no one likes toll booths, yay Saints Row 2.

 

[Rylot]

I have strong opinions (maybe just harsh ones) about this review (all reviews here), if you don't want any negative posts, do yourself a favor and stop reading this one. I really want someone to reply to me honestly tho.

Advice: don't spend your first paragraph, in what you call a review, bashing a different game. It kinda takes away from your level of maturity and ability to honestly review a game. But I guess this is another rant, flame, spam, opinion, summary of a game, and not a real review. I have been told what to expect from these posts, yet I still reply to them. I guess I fail once again.

For the most part it seems like you are giving this game a positive review tho..... I fail to have noticed anything, from what I have already played, being said in your review. Irony perhaps?

LOL!! I was waiting for someone to complain that shooting while on horseback wasn't easy!

Cause as everyone knows, shooting while riding a horse should be easy, right?

Since I was berated last time I asked this, I will hope for a different answer this time...

Does anyone actually review games on this site? Or is it all just biased opinions that try to interject personality instead of substance? I was told to just look at Wiki pages on games for the simple facts on what the game might be about, is that the only way for me to get what I want?

Is "just the facts" more than you all to handle? Even with all of the reviews that add 'flair' or what ever, it would help if you were able to explain the game better perhaps.

This is not an attack on the OP, this is more about this review, and all the reviews I have seem on this website. It is nothing personal, but it's a question about all of the people who 'review', and the integrity of those people. I don't want to argue, I just want a serious response please.

He talked about GTAIV since RDR is an obvious successor to that game, as he states in the next sentence. You don't want opinions in a review? A review is what the reviewer did and didn't like, it's all personal preference with video games. Give a gamer who doesn't like Sports games the greatest sports game ever and they still won't like it.

 

[Red Right Hand]

This review just makes me jealous that I don't get my copy till the 7th of june. I want mine now damnit!

 

[Tazzlefrass]

I have strong opinions (maybe just harsh ones) about this review (all reviews here), if you don't want any negative posts, do yourself a favor and stop reading this one. I really want someone to reply to me honestly tho.


Since I was berated last time I asked this, I will hope for a different answer this time...

He talked about GTAIV since RDR is an obvious successor to that game, as he states in the next sentence. You don't want opinions in a review? A review is what the reviewer did and didn't like, it's all personal preference with video games. Give a gamer who doesn't like Sports games the greatest sports game ever and they still won't like it.

Yeah, sorry, I wasn't clear about what I really wanted to say.

Lemme say this then:

Why would you read a review when you know it's just all about some guys opinions? Just for Fun? Yeah, that's about it, eh?

I guess if the same opinions are echoed in your mind, you would want to read more and take it seriously. But the idea, that seems to be present is that 1) I wanna say all this bad stuff about a game, 2) I wanna say what other games I am thinking about because I obviously can't concentrate on any one thing, 3) I make jokes, but they are lost on the majority because I only write for certain people, 4) I think I am someone who has opinions that are so cool, I should get paid for them.... I don't, so I post reviews here instead.

I already know I don't belong posting this way. People get all insulted when I say I don't like a review, but I am still waiting/hoping/praying/wishing that my other post gets a real response, and not what you said.

If you really feel I am insulting you, take a step back, send me a private mail, I will explain in more detail. I have no problem with any individual, I just want some answers.

I find that The reviews are more about just accepting the literary talent that each of the reviewers have at face value. Nothing more, but obviously for me, something less.

OMFG HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH THINGS WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!?!?!11~1!

Before I dive right into what I hope will be thought provoking and intellectually simulating conversation I just want to say one thing: I do not have two thumbs on one hand. Yes, pressing X and aiming the reticle with the right thumbstick while keeping myself moving in the right direction with the left thumbstick is very difficult and could have been avoided if the "accelerator" on the horse was moved to one of the shoulder buttons but I will admit pressing, say, R1 repeatedly to move the horse would be annoying and tedious, especially if X is the brake. That would just confuse people. It is not so much due to it being very difficult to fire a gun on horseback in real life and due to the chosen control scheme. If we want to talk about realism in that game we can start with John Marston getting shot down with a single bullet to the side in the beginning of the game and him being able to take a hail of bullets in any normal fight and still keep going by ducking behind a crate and waiting for his essentials to grow back.

Back to the rest of your statement: I'm not entirely certain what you're looking for. A review is someone's opinion, as it is their critique of the game. Roger Ebert, a reviewer movies is paid gobs of money for his opinion, not an imdb summary.

I think it would be best if you clarify exactly what you're looking for in a review. I'm having trouble understanding what you mean by "just the facts." As shown previously in this review between my conversation with nincompoop, I felt the driving physics for GTA4 were awkward, whereas he felt they were satisfying and challenging. Some people feel that throwing themselves against a brick wall over and over in Demon's Souls is satisfying because of how they feel when they finally kill the big bad they've been working on for hours whereas I feel that Demon's Souls isn't challenging but more infuriating than a particularly sickly cat throwing up in the center of the cushion on my computer chair.

What I'm rambling about is what is good in a game is subjective. So please explain what, "just the facts" are and I will happily clarify what the facts are about Red Dead Redemption to the best of my ability either in this thread or a PM.

 

[braincore02]

I would like to point out that shooting from horses is actually pretty easy. Horses continue to carry their speed for a fair distance after you stop holding or tapping the A button, so all you have to do is stop tapping A for a second, aim, shoot, and be on your way, with minimal speed lost. I personally have a harder time making sure my horse stays going in a certain direction while shooting, but unless you're riding along a cliff side this has never posed a real problem for me.

I think this review is fairly comprehensive and informative. I liked your point about the sound effects containing classic samples. I am always amused to hear the Wilhelm scream amidst a firefight and the ricochets sound straight from old westerns.

 

[Tazzlefrass]

I would like to point out that shooting from horses is actually pretty easy. Horses continue to carry their speed for a fair distance after you stop holding or tapping the A button, so all you have to do is stop tapping A for a second, aim, shoot, and be on your way, with minimal speed lost. I personally have a harder time making sure my horse stays going in a certain direction while shooting, but unless you're riding along a cliff side this has never posed a real problem for me.

I think this review is fairly comprehensive and informative. I liked your point about the sound effects containing classic samples. I am always amused to hear the Wilhelm scream amidst a firefight and the ricochets sound straight from old westerns.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I did to compensate. It's nice that Rockstar thought about it but I'm pretty sure that's mostly just momentum. I found that the auto-stick feature on the aiming really helps. I just tap L2, shoot, and keep cycling between shots like I'm knocking down ducks at a carnival game. As far as your problem staying in the same direction goes, just try not to fiddle with the left thumbstick while shooting. The horse more or less stays on the roads / trails if you're following one, though it doesn't veer too hard to stay on the road. It's a decent self-correcting system.

I agree, the sound of the game is one of my favorite parts, easily. Gun also had great sound and it really helped the immersion. After you beat a big chapter though and the background track in RDR changes to an actual song, it fits the mood so perfectly I don't even check my map because that would stop the music. It is done so well.

 

[Tazzlefrass]

Minor update to the review. The update begins at the bottom of the review, starting with the word EDIT.

 

[-Drifter-]

EDIT: After the euphoria of the superb ending washed over me and I went back to begin the game anew I remembered something that was just irritating enough about the game that made me lower the volume and play the soundtrack on loop: People talking during the poker games. I didn't play five-finger fillet, horseshoes, or really any of the gambling mini-games but I remember the poker game because I dumped about an hour into it constantly restarting my save file because I felt cheated by the computer. I didn't give up due to lack of patience, I gave up due to the absolutely horrific, nerve-grinding, recycled snippets of dialogue the npcs use when playing poker. One will begin a conversation about something they saw or heard recently, and the others will respond with an agreement or give their opinion on it. Stay too long and not only will everything be repeated (understandable due to the budget / time constraints) but lines of dialogue will be inserted into the conversation for absolutely no reason. It's a very cool idea and I was genuinely impressed when I sat down and heard the conversation, but I can only hear, "Quit yer jawin' I ain't dayff." so many times before I just exit the poker game and shoot everyone at the table.

"Them bean-eaters got a right on Civil War brewin', sure as shoot."
"I hear that John Marston was a hired killer for the Jews."
"I saw my boss kiss a man."
"Reyes is about as revolutionary as Napoleon. He just likes riding horses in a fancy uniform!"
"Them bean-eaters got a right on Civil War brewin', sure as shoot."
etc., etc.

 

[Tazzlefrass]

Paragraph!

"Them bean-eaters got a right on Civil War brewin', sure as shoot."
"I hear that John Marston was a hired killer for the Jews."
"I saw my boss kiss a man."
"Reyes is about as revolutionary as Napoleon. He just likes riding horses in a fancy uniform!"
"Them bean-eaters got a right on Civil War brewin', sure as shoot."
etc., etc.

Haaaah! Exactly, Drifter. I think the conversation about philosophy between the husband and wife in Monty Python and the Meaning of Life flowed more smoothly than that. Admirable attempt by Rockstar but some things just don't work. Maybe randomly generated, "Quit lookin' at mah cards!" were there instead, it would be less jarring. As is though, it just sounds very rough and awkward; almost as if the actors were simply cold-reading the lines without any context and were told to "sound like a cowboy."

 

[red00str]

I usually don't take the time to read lengthy reviews, but I'm glad i took the time on this one. Being on the internet, i was expecting to find a review along the lines of "this game is so gewd!!!!1 get it now!!1" but was pleasantly surprised seeing such a well written and informative review, none the less, on the internet. I was a little iffy on this game upon release, but this review has definitely swayed me in the right direction. Thanks for the great review, and keep on reviewing.

 

[DaysUntold]

This was an excellent review, one I agreed with quite a bit. I'm not really a fan of sandbox games but I find this one very addicting and versatile. I'm glad I decided to pick it up and hopefully your review encouraged a few others to pick it up as well.

 

[Hunter6475]

A very good review, I agreed with many points you made, still not sure whether I should get this game though..