The perfect games do not exist. There is always room to improve. However, when I sat down to start writing this review, I struggled to submit a single complaint about Red Dead Redemption 2 . Rockstar's latest open-world epic is an unparalleled masterpiece, a truly amazing achievement in every respect. It is the best Rockstar game, the pinnacle of a studio that is already among the most praised. But it is also the defining game of this generation of consoles and one of the best games of all time.
The Rockstar masterpiece looks and plays much better than the barrage of open-world games before it feels as if the studio is using the technology of the future. The world is awesome. The animations are almost ridiculously detailed. The game of weapons is shocking, satisfying and strategic. The design and the writing are insurmountable.
Through its 100 rare, Red Dead Redemption 2 never stopped introducing new mechanics, new wrinkles, new ways of surprising. The ambitious and ultimately moving story of Van der Linde's gang is woven by experts inside the missions in a way that no other open-world game has achieved.
Red Dead Redemption 2 not only exceeds expectations, but blows Advances the game as a means. All its pieces (history, gameplay, characters, world, systems, animations, direction and music) come together to form an almost perfect experience.
Loyalty, and everything that comes with it
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a Western epic set at the end of the 19th century. Follow the gang Van der Linde, a group of outlaws who flee after a job that went south. Arthur Morgan, the main muscle, has been with the gang since he was a child, taken under his protection by the group leader, the Dutchman. The gang hopes to earn enough money to settle in a place away from the problems
If you've seen the trailers, you know that Arthur will be frustrated with the leadership of Dutch. There is a genuine struggle in the 23-member gang, a growing concern that permeates the entire small society of the outlaws. That, however, is only the beginning of a more ambitious story. It delves into issues of loyalty and betrayal, love and loss, family, personal discovery and the gray area between good and evil. In a methodical and written way, the decisions shape the story and the understanding of the characters, this is an endless and interesting saga.
Arthur Morgan is among the best game leaders of all time, a man whose motivations and ambitions are hard to pin down. You can mold it partially yourself, but there is already so much that the game forces you to think like him, to understand it.
The cast that surrounds Arthur, including the leadership of Red Dead Redemption John Marston, also comes to life. Few games have more than a couple of compelling characters. Red Dead Redemption 2 has dozens of wonderful and diverse characters, all of whom are given space to grow up with exceptional acting performances and a perfect dialogue.
I shot a member of a rival gang from his horse and I saw him a different horse trampled him until his death.
History avoids the pitfalls of most open world games by making each mission a unique experience that sheds light on the characters and the plot. Even the open-world star games like Marvel's Spider-Man have some tedious missions that do not add to the story or feel repetitive. The RDR 2 100 strange story missions are almost universally fantastic and integrate perfectly into the action.
Soon you will be caught in bank binges, train thefts, bar fights, encounters with wild animals. , wild shots of the west, and tense chases, all interrupted by quieter events such as fishing. Even a horseback ride for an objective can be entertained thanks to the conversations you have with other passengers. It is no exaggeration to say that in 80 or 90 missions, you still do not know what the next one will bring
Fustigations and confrontations with the best of them
It is true that not everyone cares about history in a Rockstar game (or any game, for that matter). Red Dead Redemption 2 you'll be happy to hear it, you feel amazing in action. Whether you're lighting a group of law enforcement officers with your rifle, stalking to kill a sneaking knife or riding a horse across the field, you'll feel in the middle of it.
A considerable part of your time is spent shooting The game is set in 1899, so you are limited to variations of old shotguns, rifles (some of them range) and revolvers. You will also have a bow in some missions and, occasionally, in artillery weapons. The developers captured the sound, the appearance and the kick of the old weapons up to the tee. The Dead Eye system, which takes time to track to aim accurately, makes a triumphant comeback. No matter how many times I unleashed Dead Eye and pulled three or more enemies in quick succession, it felt ridiculously cool.
The weapon game is intensified by weak points and star animations. Shoot an enemy with the knee they will reach to grab him. Shoot them in the chest with a rifle and they will throw themselves backwards. Shoot them in the head and they will fall like a rag doll.
I shot a member of a rival gang from his horse and watched another horse trample him to death. You can even see exit wounds on corpses. If you shoot an enemy point blank, it is possible to see droplets of blood on your jacket. The weapon game feels very good, but the way enemies react to the location of your shots takes you to the top.
RDR 2 also has a coverage system, like most third-person shooters. In this sense, it does not reinvent the wheel, but hiding from start to finish works well with the firearms of the era and the Dead Eye system.
The weapon game is only part of the combat. The surrounding systems of RDR 2 also offer some degree of strategy. You should keep your firearm by cleaning it regularly with gun oil. It also has three main statistics: Health, Endurance and Dead Eye, which fill up naturally and when objects are used. If you forget to eat, Arthur loses weight and becomes more susceptible to damage, which I discovered by the difficult road after a long walk that culminated in a quick death of a group of bandits. Your costumes also affect your stats, since you must dress appropriately for the weather. These systems add a simple survival gameplay to keep you grounded in the world.
You will begin to recognize areas based on a remarkable tree, a strange rock or a ruined barn. It's that obsessively detailed.
Your horse, which you can name with love, has a core of health and resistance. Running horses too hard can make them scare and throw you to the ground. And if your horse dies, you must get a new one. The risk of losing your horse emphasizes your relationship with your trusted animal. There is even a link system that affects the maneuvers your horse can handle. My faithful steed, Huey, almost died a few times, mostly from hitting trees. My apologies, Huey.
Red Dead Redemption 2 allows you to experience your world in your own way. The Sliding Honor scale dictates how the world and all those around you treat you. Steal and kill innocents and you will soon be considered a threat by the townspeople. My wave of crime in an idyllic city not only attracted the police but, the next time I returned, I heard the negative comments made about Arthur. People were afraid of him, they got angry with him and they got mad at me. It is a wonderfully nuanced system of consequences. Many other games, such as the recent Assassin & # 39; s Creed: Odyssey have games based on choices, but are often reduced to a single decision point. Here, your choices become visible throughout the game world.
So beautiful, it seems to be from the future
To add another layer to its excellence, history, playability and missions exist in an excellent description of the heart of America. . The world of RDR 2 that moves you more to the east than the original, offers a fascinating amount of detail.
It is a vast and vertiginous sight. Much of it is open land full of trees and hills and small bodies of water. There are several small cities and some industrialized, each of which is undeniably splendid, but much is the natural world. Even so, you will begin to notice how unique each area is, even when they initially appear to be somewhat similar.
You will begin to recognize areas based on a remarkable tree, a strangely shaped rock, or a ruined barn. , or a peculiar fork in the road. It's that obsessively detailed. If you get lost, people around you can help by pointing the right way. You can use the mini-map, but often you do not need it.
Do you need a break from the launch of the gun? Head to the theaters and watch live action performances and animated shows.
There is also a lot of fine details. The grass is lush, the flowers are colorful and sway in the breeze, and you can see the cracks in the bark of the trees. The snow in the mountains flakes and swings under the hooves of your horse. If you roll on the ground and get mud in your pants, you can see it change from a dark brown to a faded tan while it dries. I could go on and on.
It's no wonder that every character animation in RDR 2 has been captured in motion. Even subtle finger contractions and slight facial movements are recorded with incredible realism. Arthur's beard and hair grows over time, so you'll have to shave, go to the hairdresser and the bathroom if you want to look clean. When he is tired, dirty and poorly fed, he can see the fatigue in the movements of Arthur's body and the fatigue in his face.
Apparently, no detail was considered too small. For that, Rockstar has created the most realistic video game of all time. Reaching this conclusion only takes a few minutes of play, although you will find new surprising details for a long time. It is a new high point for virtual worlds. We have seen a recent eruption of beautiful open worlds in 2018, including Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and God of War . While the two impressed, the world of RDR 2 has an incomparable level of detail that is displayed in large and small forms.
Endless possibilities
While the main campaign will keep you busy for at least 50 hours, that's only part of the appeal. You can meet strangers under duress on your trips. Being a good Samaritan and helping them can lead to monetary rewards and an increase in Honor, but on one occasion, a man who thought I needed help wanted to cheat me of my hard-earned money. I recovered my money from his corpse.
If you want to stay on the right side of the law, you can look for rewards published in the city. Personally, I learned that the biggest emotions come from committing less than legal acts, like stopping the merchant. Train thieves often have the best trips, because the rich take trains.
For more innocent fun, you can head to city theaters to watch live action shows and animated shows. Seriously. You can watch animated programs with a period's accuracy during a quarter of a pop. Several board games like Texas hold & em and Five Finger Fillet (the knife game) add to the activities you may experience in Red Dead Redemption 2 .
For the finishing enthusiasts, you will find more than 100 Cigarette Cards to collect, approximately 200 plants and animals to discover and many other boxes to record in your compendium.
The background appears in view
A scene from Red Dead Redemption 2 that & # 39; I will remember that it always happens when Arthur rides a horse after a key swing in history. Throughout the game, the rich soundtrack, filled with interlaced guitar riffs and discreet orchestra arrangements, remained in the background. Here, however, a moving vocal song was heard while on a long horseback ride across the country. At that moment, a moment of reflection, I felt that everything is possible.
That's what it puts Red Dead Redemption 2 among the best games of all time. Even in the quietest moments, when you're not shooting with your weapon or fighting with other outlaws, it's a lot of fun. Red Dead Redemption 2 is part of the general panorama, but it unites everything with a thousand memorable moments.
DT Gameplay
Our Take
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a magnificent open world game and one of the best games of all time. His world offers unparalleled attention to detail, combat is excellent and history is among the best in an AAA game.
Is there a better alternative?
No. Red Dead Redemption 2 is the best open world game of all time and the best available PS4 / Xbox One experience. It also beats The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild the standard bearer of open world games.
How long will it last?
The campaign took us about 50 hours, but The world is full of things to do and places to explore. You could spend more than 100 hours doing side quests and doing your own fun.
Should you buy it?
Yes. You must buy Red Dead Redemption 2 immediately.