***Review contains a few minor spoilers***
“Red Dead Redemption 2” throws you in the middle of the old west, and into a world so immersive, you might never want to leave.
I’ve never played the first “Red Dead Redemption,” and had no idea what to expect here. (In fact, I didn’t even know this was a prequel till I was quite a ways into the game.) It’s amazing how quickly the game draws you in. Once you get your bearings, you soon find yourself already feeling like you’re part of the Van Der Linde gang. But it’s when you reach Chapter 2 that the game truly comes alive. With the ability to explore virtually anywhere on the map now available, the sky’s the limit. In fact, sometimes it feels like they’re too much to do. Hunting, fishing, robberies, watching vaudeville shows, or just exploring the beautifully rendered land will eat up hours of your time. The main quest missions are a nice mix of small personal quests, general illegal activities and huge shootouts. There are also plenty of side quests that pop up practically everywhere, and most are entertaining, or not too long to outlive their welcome. I was surprised how accessible the game was. You can generally wonder around and not have to worry about not being able to go someplace because your level is too low or you don’t have the right weapons. With a few health potions and good use of your dead eye, you’re pretty formidable from the start.
The main story is lacking a bit. Despite the gang being on the run, it rarely feels like it. Plus, the end goal is so vague that it struggles to propel the narrative. You’re not trying to save the world or stop the bad guys. It’s a seemingly unrealistic quest to escape the law once and for all. However, as the games progresses, it’s Arthur’s personal journey that sucks you in. He’s just a man who’s spent his whole life doing wrong and now wants to finally do what’s right. The rest of the characters are a colorful lot, and there interactions with Arthur and each other make you feel like they’re one big, dysfunctional family. Not all of them will make it, and they often go out quickly and tragically.
As I mentioned, the game looks beautiful. The clear streams, tall mountains, murky swamps and everything in-between are incredibly detailed. As are all the animals populating the great outdoors. It’s amazing sometimes to just sit back and watch as they do their own thing. Eagles swoop down and snag prey, deer fight, foxes chase squirrels and rabbits. You get the feeling that even when you leave the area, they’re still doing their thing. The same goes for the NPCs. As you watch and listen to them interact with each other, it feels like they were having a great conversation before you got there, and will keep on going after you leave. There’s so much life in the world that you feel like the game would have no problem going on without you there.
Most of the negatives about this game are nitpicks. The limited fast travel can make traveling a chore. Sometimes it’s really hard to tell if something will lower or raise your honor. A lot of the nuances of gameplay aren’t explained, making things a lot harder than they should be. Even if you shoot somebody in self-defense, it’s still considered murder. (Just knocking someone out is considered murder.) The in-game challenges can be also extremely tedious. While you don’t have to do them, they’re needed for the “100% completion.” Also, the game’s epilogues are a bit anti-climactic. They feel a bit like you got some free DLC to play after the main story ends.
“Red Dead Redemption 2” has an immersive world, filled with characters you come to care about, and a hero’s journey that’s more about saving his soul than saving the world. There’s so much stuff in this game, it feels like you’ll never see and do it all. And if you do, there’s always the online play.
***** out of *****