Tuesday, May 11, 2010
May 7 11:20 A.M.
Grab your spurs and ten-gallon hat, because gaming is going West. And it's about time! After conquering every frontier from deep space to Hell itself, game makers have finally turned their attention to the original wild frontier.
Just in case you aren't familiar with these here parts, we've gone ahead and mapped out the game industry's expanding Western landscape. From the sweet-tempered to the downright ornery, there's something for everyone in gaming's new Wild West, and hopefully something here just for you. So get along, little doggie.
Red Dead Redemption: Quick Reload
All the essential information, all in one spot.
By Charles Onyett
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Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption is a big game. If you've been following along with our coverage, you'll notice the initial preview and parts one and two of our interview with Dan Houser have been anything but brief. Maybe you didn't want to wade through that sea of text to get at the meat of what Redemption is, why it's interesting, and why you should keep an eye on it as its expected release date of sometime this fall approaches.
In this article, we'll deliver a more digestible outline of what the game is and how it works.
What is Red Dead Redemption?
It's Rockstar's next attempt at making an open world game, this time with a Western setting. If you've played the 2004 title Red Dead Revolver, you should know Redemption has very little to do with it. It's a different period of time, a different main character, and set in a gigantic game world. In it, you're free to roam around, take on missions in towns, explore the landscape, hunt wildlife, play mini-games, shoot at whoever you want, and progress through the story.
Who Am I?
You're John Marston, a former bandit who hung up his hat and started a family. The past doesn't stay buried for long, however, as characters from his nefarious background jump out of the shadows and force Marston back into the fray. Rockstar is staying pretty quiet as far as story specifics go, which is just fine. Marston is more of a loner, so don't expect a cast of several main characters like in Revolver. From time to time Marston may join up with others for a mission, but he's generally on his own.
How Do I Kill Things?
With revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and even a Gatling gun mounted on a train. Helping you out will be a Deadeye mode, which returns from the original game. Triggering it temporarily drops the onscreen action into slow-motion, helping you to line up a shot. Later on you get a better version of this as it relates to your revolver, which lets you specify locations where you want all your bullets to go before snapping back to real-time. There'll also be a cover system.
How Do I Get Around?
Horses, trains, and stagecoaches are all around the game world for you to hop into. You can buy horses in town or use your lasso to break ones in the wild, and while riding you can still shoot at anyone who gets in your way. On trains and stagecoaches you can either stay on in real time or, if you just want to get somewhere quickly, can just take a nap. When you wake up, you'll be at your destination.
What Else is There to Do?
Well, you get the normal stuff like taking on missions or free roaming exploration and combat along with a number of side activities. The game features quite a few mini-games like five finger filet (a timing game where you slam a knife into a table without nicking your fingers) and cards along with many others Rockstar isn't talking about. You'll also be able to hunt and skin wildlife for profit, as well as take part in a number of side-quests that pop up around the game world. For instance, if you find a broken wagon on the side of the road and a lady next to it calling for help, you can choose to help out or steer clear.
What's to Stop Me From Killing Everything?
There is a system in Redemption that prevents you from going on uncontested shooting sprees, so don't think you'll be able to just wipe out the entire game world. Even if you do manage to kill everyone in a large population center, people return after a few days, so you can't permanently wipe out the whole map. Officers of the law will also give chase, along with other characters, though the specifics of this notoriety system aren't yet finalized so we can't say exactly how it's all going to work.
Why is This Game Worth My Attention?
It's a Rockstar game. It looks pretty. It's a giant, interactive world that seems to offer a lot of interesting activities for players to dig into. It'll have a multiplayer component. From the trailer it seems like it'll have some high quality voice acting and in-game music. Most Western-themed games just aren't very good, and it seems like this could really deliver an impressively comprehensive experience.
When's it Coming Out?
This fall on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Ok, Sounds Cool. I Want to Read More.
Red Dead Redemption First Look
Interview with Dan Houser, Part 1
Interview with Dan Houser, Part 2
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3:00 am EDT May 12, 2009
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