Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Grows on you"

Most of the games I play don't live up to the hype, and red dead is no exception. I didn't even really have any hype coming into this game, I thought I'd just, try it out. It sounded interesting enough.

The atmosphere of the game is probably the best thing about it. The music, environments, animal noises, and people are all well done. I never really got bored riding my horse around in the western horizon, it just felt so real and polished. I don't think there is any other game company that can capture and portray the wild west as rockstar has, it is just that good. There are plenty of little things to interact with, like animals to hunt, people to engage in friendly competitions with, and random strangers who are in need of dire assistance. The world is very authentic and fleshed out, you really feel like an outlaw in the west.

Aside from the world itself, red dead failed in several spots as an incredible experience. Story was good, but carried on a bit too long. The length wasnt a problem, but I just felt like I was doing chores the whole time. Some of the characters were nice, but others were just annoying, and I felt like I spent more time with annoying characters than the ones I actually cared about. Bonnie, for example, was a character I wish I could have spent more time with. I just wish the story developed faster, and there were less filler characters and more moments with the ones that mattered. Story isnt all bad, and infact, you will enjoy many moments. By the end of the game, you will feel nostalgic about the good times you had with some of the characters, which is about the only time I've felt nostalgic the moment right after I've beat the game. Usually, the game has to be an old childhood game to make me feel that way.

Gameplay is another thing that could have been better. Controls are fine, and gunplay feels satisfying, until you have to gun down person after person. Some combat moments feel very repetitive, especially with the turret. There are too many people you have to kill, which takes away from the realism of the game. I wish there were less enemies to take on, but each bullet you take deals more damage, that would make the game feel more authentic. The dead eye mechanic is a neat feature though, same with dueling. I also like how you can either kill or hog tie enemies, or kill or disarm in dueling. Gameplay offers choices in the midst of combat.

Overall, solid game. Not as good as I wanted it to be, with underdeveloped story, and sometimes repetitive gameplay, but the world is so well made, it's worth the trip.