Fun but shallow gameplay surrounded by a superb setting and cast of characters.
Red Dead Redemption's game world is huge spanning two fictional US states and one in the north of Mexico. The world is entirely sandbox too so if you don't feel like carrying out a mission you can partake in a host of other activities including poker, arm wrestling and of course a multitude of side quests. Most of these activities are simple diversions to earn cash but the side quests are just as fun as the story missions and there are plenty to complete. The main story is about 13-16 hours long but add in everything else that there is to do and that could be doubled.
The Wild West setting is a refreshing difference from most games of this style and Rockstar have captured it perfectly. The tone is one of danger but also opportunity. Setting the game in 1911 as new technologies like telegraph communication and trains are coming into full swing just adds to this feeling. The setting enables the inclusion of weapons like repeating rifles and revolvers and in an even more refreshing change, cars are substituted for horses. Horse riding feels intuitive and the mechanics of it are nicely tuned. Roaming the environment on a horse felt much more liberating than exploring it in a car would have been. The game's story is passable with few genuine unexpected moments or twists but what really brings the game to life are its characters. It features a colourful cast, each with their own interesting personality and the characterisation is superb. This includes a crazed treasure hunting grave robber and an animated, old, snake oil salesman. All of the characters including John Marston are wonderfully voice acted and the dialogue is well written and enjoyable to listen too. The characters are brought to life magnificently. The music of the game may be forgettable but the rest of the sound work is certainly not. Everything from the horses to the trains sounds spot on and makes the world feel even more realistic. Graphically the game is not spectacular but it is good with few blemishes or glitches and some decent facial animations. Overall the graphics, characters, setting and sounds come together to recreate the Wild West and its inhabitants in a captivating manner that you can't help but want to explore.
All that is fine but what really matters is how it plays. Unfortunately whilst not being bad by any stretch of the imagination the gameplay can't live up to what surrounds it. Mission variety is strong in a sense with missions ranging from defending a train to storming an outpost and much more in between. Most missions boil down to shooting enemies in different scenarios though. Whilst this is fun for the most part it does get repetitive at times and there is no getting away from the fact that the gameplay is fairly shallow. Therefore it is a good job that the shooting mechanics refined and accurate. Taking cover is simple to execute and picking off enemies strikes the right balance between being too hard and too easy. Different weapons also handle uniquely and have differing degrees of effectiveness indicating the effort put in the development team. The game struggles when it departs from the shooting missions though which is shame because more quality variation is needed. Horse racing and duels are well handled but tasks such as cow herding and breaking in new horses are simply dull. What results is the unfortunate situation where you hope for a break from the repetitive shooting missions only to find yourself yearning for them again after enduring the likes of cow herding. On the whole the missions are fun but they are also largely one note with attempts at a change of pace disappointing.
Red Dead Redemption's strength is its world and its characters and as such it plays to these. There is plenty of focus on characterisation and dialogue especially as you ride alongside fellow characters on the way to mission locations. The core of the game is its gameplay though and that is fun but can get repetitive and is undeniably shallow. Many reviewers have claimed it to be one of the best games ever. The aesthetics and characters certainly justify this claim but the gameplay they are wrapped around sadly does not. It's not bad but unlike what surrounds it, it is not top draw.