Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"All it's cracked up to be"

Red Dead Redemption tells the story of John Marston, a man who must confront his past in this wild western epic from Rockstar Games. With great gameplay, an engrossing story, and loads of extra content, Red Dead Redemption manages to captivate you right up to the point of it's exciting end.

Red Dead Redemption explores the dark past, and dangerous present, of former outlaw John Marston. After his wife and son are kidnapped by the government, John has no choice but to comply with their demands. He must return to his old, killing ways, and hunt down his former gang members, the outlaws he used to run with. This proves to be no easy task, leading him on a wild goose chase, filled with a memorable cast of characters and events, notably an assault on one of the gang hideouts known as Fort Mercer. The story never ceases to enthrall, growing more and more exciting up until the point of it's action-packed, climatic, and memorable finale.

Red Dead Redemption is packed with extra content, from poker, to hunting, even dueling, there is so much stuff to do that its almost overwhelming at times. Want to make some quick cash (or lose, as the case may be)? Head into any one of the game's saloons to find men sitting around playing poker, blackjack, or even liar's dice. Place your bet and join in. Increase your fame, honor, and money by taking on one of the game's many bounty hunter missions. Lasso a horse and break it in, then head into the woods to hunt elk, deer, grizzly, or any one of the game's 37+ animals. Take part in ambient challenges like Sharpshooter or Treasure Hunting, and help out random people you meet along the way. There is so much to do that flesh out the game's experience that it's almost unbelievable at times. Also, exclusive to the PlayStation 3 version are the Walton's Gang outfit, and the Solomon's Folly gang hideout.

The gameplay is great, and the controls feel just right. At the normal setting, the aim assist helps to make combat and hunting more fluid, without making it too easy. Whether riding a horse or fighting the law, the controls are almost perfect, allowing you to run, jump, aim, and shoot almost anywhere you want. Even a simple task like picking flowers for the Survivalist challenge manages to be fun thanks to such incredible control. Then you get introduced to dead eye, which slows down time and helps you to make an accurate and rewarding shot, later versions even let you paint multiple targets before taking them all down in a quick, successive, and gratifying way.

Whether tackling the game's many story missions, or cheating at a quick hand of poker, Red Dead Redemption never ceases to delight. With so much to do, and so much to unlock, the experience not only satisfies, it also lasts for quite a long adventure. In the end, Red Dead Redemption manages to be one of the greatest games on the PlayStation 3 system, and therefore earns a rightful place on any gamer's shelf.

100 out of 100
JogsterXL