Western fan or not , Rockstar's western is one of the most refined gaming experiences to have come out this year !
The Good : Well-written , incredible story . Funny , likeable cast of characters . Superb audio-visual presentation . Excellent voice acting . Beautiful , huge world . Great visuals bring the world to life . Amazing physics . Improved cover system . Terrific gameplay . Great controls . Good AI .
The Bad : Various glitches and bugs . Asian version problems . Marston can't swim .
First off , with the presentation ... Absolutely stunning . It's familiar to anyone who has played a Grand Theft Auto game before : Sleeping saves , prolonged dialogues on the way to mission objectives , etc . Incredible , thrilling story . Reformed outlaw , John Marston , picks up his guns one last time and is off to hunt his former gang members . Many plot twists , keep you on the edge of your seat . Well paced , cinematic story . And of course , an awesome cast of characters that only make things better . Overall , a superb job again from Rockstar in terms of presentation .
Sound : Excellent sound design . Gunfire sounds awesome . Horses sound incredible . Everything feels alive . And of course , the great voice acting we've come to expect from Rockstar . Everyone delivers their lines in a believable way . Which makes the characters even more likeable and interesting .
Arguably , the best looking sandbox ever . Lush environments . Great physics engine . Detailed , high resolution textures , and a crisp frame-rate .Facial animations are great . Horses look stunning . And everything is just so beautiful . It's a graphical treat .
Now ... What's really important , How does Red Dead Redemption play ? Is it just a Grand Theft Auto IV remake in the wild west ? No way . Everything is improved and far better . GTA IV played superbly . But RDR is simply better . Horses are more fun to control then cars (since you won't get bumped by cops everytime you hit the brakes ) . It offers way more replay value . Roaming around offers much more entertainement . Hunting , is one of the best thing you can experience in a sandbox . Excellent gunplay , thanks to the improved cover system . And even , the slightest things like herding , seem to be incredibly charming and entertaining .
Gunplay :Multiple guns are equally fun to shoot . Cover is smooth and fluid . Lassoing people looks frightingly too realistic . Simply Perfect .
Hunting : One of the most entertaining things that i have ever experienced in a video-game . Different breeds , each must be approached with different strategies . And skinning them for money feels rewarding .
Controls : Fairly easy to pick up . Though the shoot with R2 mechanic might be a little strange for PS3 gamers .
Summary : Presentation : 9.0/10
Sound : 10/10
Graphics : 10/10
Gameplay : 10/10
AI : 4/5
Difficulty : 3/5
Fun factor : 5/5
Length : 5/5