As lockdown continues until God knows when, many of us are doing whatever we can to entertain ourselves whilst remaining in our homes 24/7. I’ve watched many films and TV show episodes, however lockdown has allowed me the chance to reintroduce myself to the realm of gaming, and what better place to start than the highly acclaimed sequel to one of my all-time favourite games? That of course being, Red Dead Redemption 2. The game features much of what made the first Red Dead Redemption so amazing but with superior graphics and character dynamics, making the game utterly absorbing. This being said, the game does rely a bit too much on its visual beauty and the narrative does feel a little underwhelming being that it’s a prequel.
Back in 2010, Rockstar Games brought us the story of loveable outlaw John Marston, a husband and father on a mission to hunt down his old gang member Bill Williamson and old gang leader, Dutch Van De Linde. Eight years later, Rockstar released Red Dead Redemption 2, a prequel that follows the adventures and eventual undoing of Dutch’s gang from the perspective of his right-hand man, Arthur Morgan. Although we know from the first game where this one will conclude, the scriptwriters make all the right calls by focusing on Arthur’s shifting morality and relationships, especially with Dutch Van De Linde. The game features a number of compelling characters and explores their various dynamics superbly, but perhaps the most compelling character arch the game has to offer is the gang’s newest member, the recently widowed Sadie Adler. You meet Sadie in the opening mission when you save her life from the murderous gang that killed her husband, and throughout the game we get to witness her gradually blossom into gender non-conforming independence as she seeks vengeance for her dearly departed. The game is outstanding at introducing characters and developing them; however Red Dead Redemption 2 unfortunately suffers from an abundance of unsatisfying resolutions that, considering the exquisite character work, leave you frustrated and wanting more, but not necessarily in a good way.
With eight years between Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2, there is a clear improvement in the quality of animation between the games. Red Dead Redemption 2 is simply stunning. The games various environments are jaw droppingly beautiful and its character animation is simply exquisite. You can lose yourself for hours in the games majestic visuals; however, the game does rely almost entirely on this. The gameplay is much of the same from the first Red Dead Redemption, except with a lot more added detail, which in all honesty, is a little bit overwhelming and, at the end of the day, I could take or leave it. You can chase down bounties, hunt animals, play card games and shoot bad guys almost exactly like the first game, however now you have complete control of Arthur’s weight, facial hair and relationships with horses, whilst also allowing you to do camp chores and greet, antagonise or rob just about anyone. Red Dead Redemption 2 also introduces a balancing act between health, stamina and dead eye cores which took me most of the games to get to grips with. It doesn’t add anything ground-breaking that betters the first game, however it does help make its beautiful world all the more immersive.
Overall, Red Dead Redemption 2 may not be step up from the first game, but it certainly isn’t a step down either. The game makers are smart enough to know that if it ain’t broke, you don’t fix it. The first game’s mechanics flowed so beautifully and, fortunately, this game does also. With extraordinary character work and breath-taking visual effects and cinematography, it’s easy to get utterly lost in the game for hours on end. Although featuring a number of lacklustre resolutions and falling into some of the more unsatisfying prequel potholes, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an absorbing play that will entertain you for hours on end and distract you from whatever problems you may be facing. What more do we need right now?
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