FREE POST! All Items quality assured and complete as much as possible, please assume that the manual may be missing or codes may be used when making this purchase as these can't always be guaranteed to be included which such large stock on hand at times. All Game Discs come cleaned professionally and stickers removed where possible also without damaging the disc, manual or cover art. Game photos may not fully represent the game you will receive as some may be a stock image used elsewhere in my business.
FREE POST! All Items quality assured and complete as much as possible, please assume that the manual may be missing or codes may be used when making this purchase as these can't always be guaranteed to be included which such large stock on hand at times. All Game Discs come cleaned professionally and stickers removed where possible also without damaging the disc, manual or cover art. Game photos may not fully represent the game you will receive as some may be a stock image used elsewhere in my business.
FREE POST! All Items quality assured and complete as much as possible, please assume that the manual may be missing or codes may be used when making this purchase as these can't always be guaranteed to be included which such large stock on hand at times. All Game Discs come cleaned professionally and stickers removed where possible also without damaging the disc, manual or cover art. Game photos may not fully represent the game you will receive as some may be a stock image used elsewhere in my business.
FREE POST! All Items quality assured and complete as much as possible, please assume that the manual may be missing or codes may be used when making this purchase as these can't always be guaranteed to be included which such large stock on hand at times. All Game Discs come cleaned professionally and stickers removed where possible also without damaging the disc, manual or cover art. Game photos may not fully represent the game you will receive as some may be a stock image used elsewhere in my business.
Last updated at 04/03/2026 10:42:41
Red Dead Redemption (microsoft Xbox 360, 2010)
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
originally posted on https://www.mightyape.co.nz
There will probably never be another western quite like it. An endless open world, amazing wildlife and plants and some of the best graphics we've seen in this generation of gaming, Red Dead Redemption is truly breathtaking.Ill try not to compare this to the obvious game giant that is Grand theft auto 4, but the similarity's are frequent. But thats not a bad thing, Red dead Redemption has built on its predecessor Red Dead revolver dramatically. Rockstar have fleshed the story out, varied the gameplay and touched up everything in between.Graphically Red Dead Redemption puts all other games to shame, with an open world thats enormous while still manages to feel detailed and fresh, little shanty towns spread across the world. Filled with People, Horses and other ... MoreThere will probably never be another western quite like it. An endless open world, amazing wildlife and plants and some of the best graphics we've seen in this generation of gaming, Red Dead Redemption is truly breathtaking.Ill try not to compare this to the obvious game giant that is Grand theft auto 4, but the similarity's are frequent. But thats not a bad thing, Red dead Redemption has built on its predecessor Red Dead revolver dramatically. Rockstar have fleshed the story out, varied the gameplay and touched up everything in between.Graphically Red Dead Redemption puts all other games to shame, with an open world thats enormous while still manages to feel detailed and fresh, little shanty towns spread across the world. Filled with People, Horses and other life like wildlife to keep you staring.The Audio is simple but suited, always keeping you on your toes and fits perfectly into the action. People, gunshots, animal sounds are spot on, some of the voice acting is great and really gives the game an action movie feel.Gameplay wise is where Red Dead Redemption really shines, perfected and tweaked. It seems that Rockstar have made another masterpiece, hitting the right mix of realism and fun. Every detail has been thought of and crafted into the world.The Story seems to of been taken from a Hollywood blockbuster and is always filled with lovable characters that really come to life,Red Dead Redemption has really hit the sweet spot in gaming, with a almost perfect mix of Gameplay, Graphics, Storyline and Audio. Rockstar games have successfully created another masterpiece which will be remembered in gaming history.
originally posted on mightyape.com.au
This game is amazing one of the best i have ever played if you enjoyed GTA IV you will love this game you dont even have to like westerns to enjoy this game it is just orsome.The graphics in this game are very nice you can see the muscles contracting in the horses legs when running facial features a really well done you can see moles/freckles/scares on peoples faces Rockstar as really paid attention to the little things. Single- player mode is really interesting its not like GTA where you cant be bothered doing campaign and just want to go round killing people/mucking around. The campaign is alot of fun with cool missions. Mulitplayer is equally as great if not better you and up to 15 other players can explore the world of Red Dead Redemption (which is huge) in ... MoreThis game is amazing one of the best i have ever played if you enjoyed GTA IV you will love this game you dont even have to like westerns to enjoy this game it is just orsome.The graphics in this game are very nice you can see the muscles contracting in the horses legs when running facial features a really well done you can see moles/freckles/scares on peoples faces Rockstar as really paid attention to the little things. Single- player mode is really interesting its not like GTA where you cant be bothered doing campaign and just want to go round killing people/mucking around. The campaign is alot of fun with cool missions. Mulitplayer is equally as great if not better you and up to 15 other players can explore the world of Red Dead Redemption (which is huge) in free roam mode and you can form a posse to go around hunting/do gang hideout missions/play other mulitplayer modes within free roam. Free roam is like the slayer of Red Dead Redemption is pretty much a game lobby.Free For All- is a game mode where you and anyone else in your session compete in a small town and the person with the most kills wins at the start you have a shootout to try and be the last one standing this game is so much fun.Gang Matches- is a team based mulitplayer game where you can compete against other posses. In game modes like Gold Rush which is sorta like capture the flag but with gold bags.This game is well worth its price.There is just so much to youll never be bored and the gameplay is just as detailed as the graphics its so much fun lassoing another person and dragging them behind your horse.
originally posted on https://www.mightyape.co.nz
This game is truely remarkable,although this game is made by Rockstar games who made grand theft auto, this game has a much more straightforward but detailed sotryline to it.Not all just blood and guts (unless you go on the occasinal killing rampage).Unlike the grand theft auto games it moivated you to keep doing the missions and not killing people with the Fame system.The more fame you get,the more items you can purchase.The more people you kill,the more fame is deducted.This will keep you on the right track,which is good,gives the feeling of freedom but having a mission at the same time.The next thing I have to mention,the graphics.You can sit right up next to a widescreen tv running the game through AV and it still looks good.THEY ARE THAT GOOD,the physics ... MoreThis game is truely remarkable,although this game is made by Rockstar games who made grand theft auto, this game has a much more straightforward but detailed sotryline to it.Not all just blood and guts (unless you go on the occasinal killing rampage).Unlike the grand theft auto games it moivated you to keep doing the missions and not killing people with the Fame system.The more fame you get,the more items you can purchase.The more people you kill,the more fame is deducted.This will keep you on the right track,which is good,gives the feeling of freedom but having a mission at the same time.The next thing I have to mention,the graphics.You can sit right up next to a widescreen tv running the game through AV and it still looks good.THEY ARE THAT GOOD,the physics is good (although bullet damage and penetration to walls would be nice).Missions are fun and funny of humour.If I had to complain about something it would be the inability to save during a mission without failing,having to restart it,or it cancelling & also not being able to save anywhere except at your campsight which you can ONLY set up outside of settlements on flat ground.Otherwise great game and will give you hours and hours of fun.
Red Dead Redemption (microsoft Xbox 360, 2010)
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
There will probably never be another western quite like it. An endless open world, amazing wildlife and plants and some of the best graphics we've seen in this generation of gaming, Red Dead Redemption is truly breathtaking.Ill try not to compare this to the obvious game giant that is Grand theft auto 4, but the similarity's are frequent. But thats not a bad thing, Red dead Redemption has built on its predecessor Red Dead revolver dramatically. Rockstar have fleshed the story out, varied the gameplay and touched up everything in between.Graphically Red Dead Redemption puts all other games to shame, with an open world thats enormous while still manages to feel detailed and fresh, little shanty towns spread across the world. Filled with People, Horses and other ... MoreThere will probably never be another western quite like it. An endless open world, amazing wildlife and plants and some of the best graphics we've seen in this generation of gaming, Red Dead Redemption is truly breathtaking.Ill try not to compare this to the obvious game giant that is Grand theft auto 4, but the similarity's are frequent. But thats not a bad thing, Red dead Redemption has built on its predecessor Red Dead revolver dramatically. Rockstar have fleshed the story out, varied the gameplay and touched up everything in between.Graphically Red Dead Redemption puts all other games to shame, with an open world thats enormous while still manages to feel detailed and fresh, little shanty towns spread across the world. Filled with People, Horses and other life like wildlife to keep you staring.The Audio is simple but suited, always keeping you on your toes and fits perfectly into the action. People, gunshots, animal sounds are spot on, some of the voice acting is great and really gives the game an action movie feel.Gameplay wise is where Red Dead Redemption really shines, perfected and tweaked. It seems that Rockstar have made another masterpiece, hitting the right mix of realism and fun. Every detail has been thought of and crafted into the world.The Story seems to of been taken from a Hollywood blockbuster and is always filled with lovable characters that really come to life,Red Dead Redemption has really hit the sweet spot in gaming, with a almost perfect mix of Gameplay, Graphics, Storyline and Audio. Rockstar games have successfully created another masterpiece which will be remembered in gaming history.
This game is amazing one of the best i have ever played if you enjoyed GTA IV you will love this game you dont even have to like westerns to enjoy this game it is just orsome.The graphics in this game are very nice you can see the muscles contracting in the horses legs when running facial features a really well done you can see moles/freckles/scares on peoples faces Rockstar as really paid attention to the little things. Single- player mode is really interesting its not like GTA where you cant be bothered doing campaign and just want to go round killing people/mucking around. The campaign is alot of fun with cool missions. Mulitplayer is equally as great if not better you and up to 15 other players can explore the world of Red Dead Redemption (which is huge) in ... MoreThis game is amazing one of the best i have ever played if you enjoyed GTA IV you will love this game you dont even have to like westerns to enjoy this game it is just orsome.The graphics in this game are very nice you can see the muscles contracting in the horses legs when running facial features a really well done you can see moles/freckles/scares on peoples faces Rockstar as really paid attention to the little things. Single- player mode is really interesting its not like GTA where you cant be bothered doing campaign and just want to go round killing people/mucking around. The campaign is alot of fun with cool missions. Mulitplayer is equally as great if not better you and up to 15 other players can explore the world of Red Dead Redemption (which is huge) in free roam mode and you can form a posse to go around hunting/do gang hideout missions/play other mulitplayer modes within free roam. Free roam is like the slayer of Red Dead Redemption is pretty much a game lobby.Free For All- is a game mode where you and anyone else in your session compete in a small town and the person with the most kills wins at the start you have a shootout to try and be the last one standing this game is so much fun.Gang Matches- is a team based mulitplayer game where you can compete against other posses. In game modes like Gold Rush which is sorta like capture the flag but with gold bags.This game is well worth its price.There is just so much to youll never be bored and the gameplay is just as detailed as the graphics its so much fun lassoing another person and dragging them behind your horse.
This game is truely remarkable,although this game is made by Rockstar games who made grand theft auto, this game has a much more straightforward but detailed sotryline to it.Not all just blood and guts (unless you go on the occasinal killing rampage).Unlike the grand theft auto games it moivated you to keep doing the missions and not killing people with the Fame system.The more fame you get,the more items you can purchase.The more people you kill,the more fame is deducted.This will keep you on the right track,which is good,gives the feeling of freedom but having a mission at the same time.The next thing I have to mention,the graphics.You can sit right up next to a widescreen tv running the game through AV and it still looks good.THEY ARE THAT GOOD,the physics ... MoreThis game is truely remarkable,although this game is made by Rockstar games who made grand theft auto, this game has a much more straightforward but detailed sotryline to it.Not all just blood and guts (unless you go on the occasinal killing rampage).Unlike the grand theft auto games it moivated you to keep doing the missions and not killing people with the Fame system.The more fame you get,the more items you can purchase.The more people you kill,the more fame is deducted.This will keep you on the right track,which is good,gives the feeling of freedom but having a mission at the same time.The next thing I have to mention,the graphics.You can sit right up next to a widescreen tv running the game through AV and it still looks good.THEY ARE THAT GOOD,the physics is good (although bullet damage and penetration to walls would be nice).Missions are fun and funny of humour.If I had to complain about something it would be the inability to save during a mission without failing,having to restart it,or it cancelling & also not being able to save anywhere except at your campsight which you can ONLY set up outside of settlements on flat ground.Otherwise great game and will give you hours and hours of fun.
With interesting scenary, a wealth of oppurtunities for activities, and Do-anything open-world roaming, Red Dead Redemption is pretty much my new definition of what a sandbox game should be.There is a wide range of activities to either complete or ignore as you see fit, but there's always something avaliable to do, if you look hard enough. From hunting (animals or bounty), to gambling, to rescuing wayward settlers from being eaten by cyotes, wandering the world never leaves me bored. You never know who might challenge you to a shooting contest while roaming through the desert.The main storyline is your pretty average revenge plot, interesting enough and doesn't feel like it moves too slowly. The cut scenes are well made, and quite pretty. The fall-down of the ... MoreWith interesting scenary, a wealth of oppurtunities for activities, and Do-anything open-world roaming, Red Dead Redemption is pretty much my new definition of what a sandbox game should be.There is a wide range of activities to either complete or ignore as you see fit, but there's always something avaliable to do, if you look hard enough. From hunting (animals or bounty), to gambling, to rescuing wayward settlers from being eaten by cyotes, wandering the world never leaves me bored. You never know who might challenge you to a shooting contest while roaming through the desert.The main storyline is your pretty average revenge plot, interesting enough and doesn't feel like it moves too slowly. The cut scenes are well made, and quite pretty. The fall-down of the plotline is that it doesn't change - if you play the game as a saint, you'll see exactly the same as you would if you killed all the citizens of Armadillo. With games like Bioshock2 and the Fable serries on the market, this is slightly dissapointing. The in game NPC's react to your allingment however, and will challenge you to a duel if they feel the world would be a better place without you.Multiplayer is a joy to play, server can still be a little rocky at this point, but it's getting better. Free-roam Multiplayer is brilliant, it's so fun running about the gameworld with your friends and completing hideouts, challenges, or just hunting your friends down for killing your horse. (Horse killing has started a few real-life arguments in my house.) You get a few idiots in free roam who always seem to know when you're trying to accomplish something and will use that opourtunity to kill you, but that'll happen in any game.The set game-types are interesting too, cute variants on all your old multiplayer favourites.I realy find Red Dead Redemption to be one of the best games that's come out this year. It runs well, and is easy to learn, play and enjoy. The only real let-down I've seen so far is the alingment ridgitity in the main storyline. Other than that, it's great. In short, if you enjoy westerns, play this game. If you enjoy sandbox games, play this game. If you enjoy exploring, good scenery, and finding new things around every corner, play this game. You'll love it.
Red Dead is set in the wild west and is packed full of atmosphere.With a similar style game play to the ever popular Grand Theft Auto series, you'll find yourself free roaming around a truly vast area completing side missions but all the time progressing the main story through main missions.One of the key features of Red Dead that makes it MUCH more enjoyable than Grand Theft Auto is that you actually care about the characters and story. This makes the game much more engaging than the GTA, whose characters were barely likeable and the story somewhat boring to the point you would aimlessly drive round and make your own fun.The graphics are great and the day/night cycles add to the atmosphere. There is something quite relaxing about riding at dusk and watching ... MoreRed Dead is set in the wild west and is packed full of atmosphere.With a similar style game play to the ever popular Grand Theft Auto series, you'll find yourself free roaming around a truly vast area completing side missions but all the time progressing the main story through main missions.One of the key features of Red Dead that makes it MUCH more enjoyable than Grand Theft Auto is that you actually care about the characters and story. This makes the game much more engaging than the GTA, whose characters were barely likeable and the story somewhat boring to the point you would aimlessly drive round and make your own fun.The graphics are great and the day/night cycles add to the atmosphere. There is something quite relaxing about riding at dusk and watching the sun set over the stunning vistas.Sounds are also very good only add to the atmosphere.Multiplayer is another area where the game excels with a truly enjoyable experience. There are multiple modes to play and nothing is more fun than getting a posse together and kicking ass.All in all and great game, which will have high replay value. I'll be looking forward to the DLC.
As many player reviews have said, "This is G.T.A but in the old west". Well, not realy. Yeah it is a Rockstar game and as we all know Rockstar made G.T.A but you can't say this is G.T.A cause ITS NOT! ok ok it may play like G.T.A in the sense that the mission style is the same but for me that works well, and progression to other areas is opened after you complete the base missions in the area before it. But I say thats as far as the G.T.A thing goes, it a Gun Slinger game.Game PlayFree roaming to a point access to some areas is blocked until you have to go there. Because this is the old west you can trade or sell items to stores, and what sort of items well anything, you can hunt in this so anything that walks, flies or slithers you can kill and get itmes from as ... MoreAs many player reviews have said, "This is G.T.A but in the old west". Well, not realy. Yeah it is a Rockstar game and as we all know Rockstar made G.T.A but you can't say this is G.T.A cause ITS NOT! ok ok it may play like G.T.A in the sense that the mission style is the same but for me that works well, and progression to other areas is opened after you complete the base missions in the area before it. But I say thats as far as the G.T.A thing goes, it a Gun Slinger game.Game PlayFree roaming to a point access to some areas is blocked until you have to go there. Because this is the old west you can trade or sell items to stores, and what sort of items well anything, you can hunt in this so anything that walks, flies or slithers you can kill and get itmes from as well as some plants that you can sell. Guns and other weapons are aquired as you progress or complete sub missions. So if you don't want to complete missions you can hunt or play mini games.Mini GamesTheres a few mini games to play like Poker, Hores Shoes, Black Jack and one of my favs the old Five Finger Knife Game (Don't cut your finger off lol) as well as a few more.WeaponsTheres Hand guns, Rifels, Shotguns, Dynamite, Monotovs Lasso, Fists and a knife. With the hand guns, rifels and shotguns you get a few of them to choose from as you go along.TipComplete the first few ranch missions untill you get the lasso that way not only can you catch some wild horses to break and own but if you go on bounty huntings missions you can take the bounty alive (Live bounties mean more cash) after you get the lasso its up to you but if you want cash... Hunt, the more you kill the more cash you can get early and do bounty hunting missions.
Not simply just Grand Thief Auto IV on horse-back, Red Dead Redemption is a near perfect game. Rock Star nailed the environment and living world excellently and the GTA Euphoria engine only adds to it. The incredible vistas are a main part of what make this environment so impressive, whether it be the stunning golden sun beams bursting through clouds at dusk or a thunder storm in the pitch black of night where the world is only lit up with each crack of lighting. The world also is very alive with animals and events taking place all over which really makes you feel more a part of the world.The part where the game draws from GTA would be the main game play and gun handling, this is much the same only refined with a fun "dead eye" system that slows down time and ... MoreNot simply just Grand Thief Auto IV on horse-back, Red Dead Redemption is a near perfect game. Rock Star nailed the environment and living world excellently and the GTA Euphoria engine only adds to it. The incredible vistas are a main part of what make this environment so impressive, whether it be the stunning golden sun beams bursting through clouds at dusk or a thunder storm in the pitch black of night where the world is only lit up with each crack of lighting. The world also is very alive with animals and events taking place all over which really makes you feel more a part of the world.The part where the game draws from GTA would be the main game play and gun handling, this is much the same only refined with a fun "dead eye" system that slows down time and allows players to paint targets. Although there are also a few niggly glitches with the game, they are easy to over look and are often hilarious anyway. I also hear that Rock Star is releasing a patch soon to fix a lot of errors and also releasing some free content as an apology.Red Dead Redemption will also be especially pleasing to fans of classic old Spaghetti Western movies that will enjoy the references to the old films with the amazingly done but sometimes stereotypical characters, shooting people's hats off, dueling people that call you a cheat at poker and so much more. It is an amazing ride and you will enjoy every minute of it.
During Red Deads development and imminent release there were many rumours that this would just be a GTA clone with a few fancy features tacked on a horse.Everyone was wrong; Red Dead is Rockstars crowning achievement; their best game to date and so different to GTA but so similar which makes it so easy to pick up; though the horses do have a learning curve.The soundtrack, setting and storyline are amazing. If you don't believe me it's so good there was a 30 minute long short film made of clips from it from a professional director. The storyline is steadier and not as quick and action packed as previous GTA games. Many fans worried about this but they have nothing to worry about all it serves to do is tell a much deeper story that draws you in so much further. ... MoreDuring Red Deads development and imminent release there were many rumours that this would just be a GTA clone with a few fancy features tacked on a horse.Everyone was wrong; Red Dead is Rockstars crowning achievement; their best game to date and so different to GTA but so similar which makes it so easy to pick up; though the horses do have a learning curve.The soundtrack, setting and storyline are amazing. If you don't believe me it's so good there was a 30 minute long short film made of clips from it from a professional director. The storyline is steadier and not as quick and action packed as previous GTA games. Many fans worried about this but they have nothing to worry about all it serves to do is tell a much deeper story that draws you in so much further. The cast are impressive and unique whilst representing key parts of society in that time. If you were concerned that macabre jokes would not be effective in the Old West than you are wrong. Rockstars humour is clear during the course of this game and regularly a good laugh.Red Deads game play is fantastic; the physics are amazing especially in regards to the ragdoll physics used for the opposition. When you shoot someone it's like a classic western, they reel back and maybe manage to squeeze off one or two more shots in random directors before they pass onto the next world. They will stumble and fall off balconies in dramatic manners and can be carried off their horse by a single gunshot.Speaking of guns the arsenal is impressive and realistic for the time period and you really notice the difference gun to gun in regards to power, accuracy and reload speed all which are important to your success in single or multiplayer.In regards to the multiplayer I feel there has been too little mention of this. The modes are fantastic and being able to explore the full map with a gang of friends at your side can quickly break out into a substantial and long lasting gun fight between teams. I recently encountered a two hour long fort battle and found it extremely enjoyable especially as you can utilize cannons and Gatling guns.In essence RDR is Rockstars best work to date and is a clear competitor for Game of the Year. If you truly liked GTA you will love RDR. If you want to understand how good a game this is I purchased a Xbox 360 console from Mighty Ape just so I could play this. I'm not a big console fan and never have been but this game is one of a very few exceptions.
Red Dead Redemption is one of those games that's plain fun. Being set in 1911 American West and Mexico, you play as the John Marston and fill the shoes of an ex-outlaw looking at a shot at redemption in order to keep his family safe.The game itself plays smoothly, has incredible graphics and a large variety of missions within the rough n' tumble, saloon brawling world. There are no motor vehicles for you to control, but there are plenty of horses and mules to select from with an interesting stamina system. Obvious comparisons can be made with the GTA series (Not surprising as they have the same developer) but it feels a lot more involving, making the player connect to the story in a way that's rare for games these days.Speaking of story, the characters are ... MoreRed Dead Redemption is one of those games that's plain fun. Being set in 1911 American West and Mexico, you play as the John Marston and fill the shoes of an ex-outlaw looking at a shot at redemption in order to keep his family safe.The game itself plays smoothly, has incredible graphics and a large variety of missions within the rough n' tumble, saloon brawling world. There are no motor vehicles for you to control, but there are plenty of horses and mules to select from with an interesting stamina system. Obvious comparisons can be made with the GTA series (Not surprising as they have the same developer) but it feels a lot more involving, making the player connect to the story in a way that's rare for games these days.Speaking of story, the characters are memorable, to say the least. Each have their idiosyncrasies and feel like interesting people to interact with in the time of the adventure. It's beyond gripping, keeping you on mission after T. On top of the already impressive storyline though, is the honor system (do good things like stop a horse thief and the bar increases, kill the lawmen and let the criminal get away to see it decrease). It determines whether your character is actually a reformed individual or whether it's a classic case of 'old habits dying hard' adding another layer to the entire game.The multi-player is the best I've seen in a while. Ranking system with loads of challenges to overcome, such as hunting, sharpshooting, or perhaps taking on gang hide-outs is more your thing. It doesn't matter, keep playing and you will level up. Public games lets you tackle the ol' west with your amigos and gunsling through the towns, giving you the ability to create a posse and roam with your friends and strangers alike. If private games are more your speed, that's an option as well giving a lot of possibilities for all kinds of people, ie. you can level up on multi-player by your lonesome if you wish.Overall, this game is extremely well made and a tour de force of Rockstar. Stunning visuals, nearly limitless play and extreme amounts of fun with guns, a lasso and a lot of dynamite. ;DEasily 5 stars and highly recommended.
It's hard not to be struck by how amazing this game is. For me, it came after playing for a little while, after I'd gotten over how awesome the graphics are, and how cool the landscape looks. It happened when I started to become aware of the world going by around me. People meander along on their way here or there, trains and stagecoaches come and go, blacksmiths work at their forges, and over there a man pauses to wash in a water trough. People stand around and chat with each other and the snippets of conversations actually sound convincing for once.I was struck further by how special this game is some time later when I was out in the wilderness with just myself and my horse, taking in the vast and picturesque scenery while moody music played in the background. I ... MoreIt's hard not to be struck by how amazing this game is. For me, it came after playing for a little while, after I'd gotten over how awesome the graphics are, and how cool the landscape looks. It happened when I started to become aware of the world going by around me. People meander along on their way here or there, trains and stagecoaches come and go, blacksmiths work at their forges, and over there a man pauses to wash in a water trough. People stand around and chat with each other and the snippets of conversations actually sound convincing for once.I was struck further by how special this game is some time later when I was out in the wilderness with just myself and my horse, taking in the vast and picturesque scenery while moody music played in the background. I couldn't help but fall in love with it. Everything is just so lifelike; the people, the horses, the wildlife, everything is just done so well. The look and feel of the game and the atmosphere is really what makes it such a joy to play. Sometimes you just have to stop and look around, taking it all in.The game has some similarities with the GTA games but it's far from GTA with horses. I didn't like the GTA games personally, and played only two of them briefly, but I still like this game. The main similarities I've noticed are the controls (the peculiar requirement to hold down the A button to run) and how missions always start with a cutscene, which is triggered by you walking or driving into a golden circle on the ground. That's pretty much the same with RDR, but it's an X not a circle. I don't like this personally, I'd rather approach the person and select them (and that's how side missions are handled), but that's the way it is.As you'd expect from a game with such high production values, the writing, dialog and voice acting are all top notch, and there are some very entertaining characters. The story missions seem interesting andvaried enough (they're not all combat), but combat tends to get a bit repetitive after a while, and you sometimes face a rather ridiculous number of enemies. The side missions are very short. There are a number of mimigames, if that interests you. You can take bounty hunting missions by looking for wanted posters, but to me they ruined this by making them very repetitive and you're constantly hounded byrespawning enemies as you try to get the target back to the sheriff to collect your reward. Something I particularly liked are the random encounters that you come across as you travel. Someone may rush up toyou and implore you to help his wife who is about to be lynched, and you can charge off to rescue her. But they've sort of ruined this too because they happen too frequently and become a repetitive bore after a while.Despite the undeniable awesomeness of the game it does have some flaws and idiosyncrasies (besides the minor ones mentioned above). The biggest issue I have with it, from what I've seen after thirty hours or so, is it offers almost no challenge whatsoever. Combat is woefully easy thanks to auto health regeneration, an absurd ammo carrying capacity and dead eye. There are no difficulty settings to makeenemies tougher or more skilful. Ammo is abundant (and you can carry a buttload of it), and it's quite easy to accumulate money. The missions present little challenge because of the help text that pops up telling you exactly where to go and what to do in step by step instructions, and a yellow marker shows you where to go just in case the instructions didn't make it clear enough for you.All this contributes to removing any and all challenge from the game, and I'm sorry to say it's started to get a bit boring. I regularly cut my way through a small army of enemies with no trouble whatsoever. The biggest culprit by far is the auto health regeneration. It may not seem that big a deal at first glance, after all it's pretty standard these days (sadly), but it effects the game in three important areas; combat, buying/selling and hunting. When I first heard about this game and started researching it I read that survival was to be an important aspect, and hunting would be essential. Well, it's not. Not at all. Hunting is little more than a diversion. You can sell the meat and fur but it's very easy to accumulate money so it's not necessary.What's more there is very little to spend your money on. As I said, ammo is abundant (there is even a magic chest in each safe house that constantly spawns it) so you don't have to buy it, free horses are very easy to come by and you get new weapons in missions. So once you've bought one or two pieces of kit, like a bandanna (to hide your face) and a bandolier (as if you needed to carry more ammo) and maybe a new outfit there really isn't much to spend your money on. But if your health did not regenerate you'd need to buy medicine or pay for a doctor's services to heal. This would make money and hunting vital aspects of the game. The game would greatly benefit from some sort of Hardcore mode, in my opinion.Less egregious but still rather annoying, are the controls. The controls work well for the most part except for this baffling need to keep the A button depressed to run, both on foot and while mounted. The 360 controller is quite capable of allowing multi speed control by the player simply varying how far he or she pushes the left stick forward. This is the way the majority of games handle it. But this game INSISTS that you hold the A button to run. There are no options for this. The only controller options are vibration and right stick sensitivity. There are options for nearly everything else, but none for the controls. At one point I thought I'd found a way around it when I discovered John auto runs when he has a weapon drawn, but it thwarts you there as well because he will holster his weapon when not in combat. It's not that big of a deal on foot but it really becomes a problem when riding because you can't look around (or aim) when you're travelling faster than a sedate plod. What's more the chase camera follows the player quite low to the ground, which makes navigation over rough terrain slightly tricky (and often hazardous). It would be no problem because you can adjust it with the right stick on the fly, but to do so you need to release the A button (unless you have two thumbs on your right hand that is) and your horse quickly coasts to an almost dead stop. Why they've done it this way is beyond me. It's cool that your horse can travel at varying speeds, which you set by tapping the A button, but why can't it simply maintain its speed once you've set it thusly (it actually does for a few seconds)? The right bumper is used for decreasing speed and stopping.The game's strangest idiosyncrasy is the save/load function. You can't save wherever you want, but come on… who expected that? This is a console game after all. But you can save more or less wherever you want by resting in any room you've purchased or pitching camp. I think this is a neat way to save, but time is forwarded by six hours when you do. The game auto saves during missions or whenever you complete certain tasks but here's the weird thing… if you load your game after one of these autosaves it will spawn you where you last slept (in your house or at the place you last pitched camp), often miles away from where you were. Also, when you camp you may find you have moved a few hundred meters while you slept. This can be a bit disconcerting at first but it's not that big of a deal.There are some realism issues with the game that somewhat bug me. As I said you can carry a silly amount of ammo (and there's that stupid magic chest in each of your safe houses), and you can carry all your guns at once. But most of the issues concern the horses. Firstly, your horse respawns if it's killed. Simply wait five minutes and whistle for it and it magically raises from the dead. Also, it will teleport around the map to follow you. Should a mission take you away from your horse or if you take a train somewhere, often it will magically be waiting for you at your destination. Or a free horse will be conveniently placed there for you. No matter where you are or where you left your horse all you need do is whistle for it and it will appear. I dislike this immensely but I just exercise some player discipline. For example I don't whistle unless I'm near where I left the horse, and should he be killed I force myself to find another one (while fighting back the tears), and not simply whistle and have him respawn.In my opinion horses and riding are one of the nicest things about the game. I really like how you can bond with your horse. When you've spent some time with him he will start to trust you and follow you around. Also the more you've bonded with him the more stamina he has so you can push him to sprint for longer before he gets annoyed with you and bucks you off, but that's something I personally don't use very often. You can "own" any horse you acquire by any means (stealing, purchasing or catching a wild one). Once you hitch him at a hitching post he becomes yours and will come (or respawn) when you whistle. There is really no need to purchase a horse but I suggest you do, partly because they're one of the few things to spend your money on, and because of this little trick; sometimes you may want to leave your horse before approaching a combat situation. If you don't he's likely to get shot, because as I said he will often follow you. So what you can do is "use" your horse's deed in your satchel and that will send him away. Once you've finished fighting whistle and he'll return to you. This will also quicksave the game (but remember what I said about loading).Overall I think Red Dead Redemption is a pretty amazing game, but it fails in a few key areas and that holds it back from being an instant classic. I've only played it for a few days but I'm already getting a little bored due to the lack of any challenge and the realism issues. But it's still a fun game to play, and it should keep you going for quite some time. I just hope they develop it further and offer some control options and (fingers crossed) a Hardcore option.
