Red Dead Redemption 2 (XBox One)

I don’t quite know where to begin when talking about this game. I was excited for it as soon as it was announced by Rockstar, but nobody, including myself, realised it would be quite this good. Let me start off by saying...this game is a masterpiece, and that word is thrown around a lot - for films, games, albums. But this is as a creative achievement, is truly one of a kind.The narrative is by far the strongest of Rockstar’s so far, and in my opinion, the history of gaming so far. The cast is huge, going from the Van Der Linde gang to side characters who you meet in the world. Each character is so rich, vibrant and textured that they genuinely feel like real people. For this, you will find yourself investing your emotions in their comings and goings, in their triumphs and downfalls. The story is fierce, with strong themes of loyalty, trust and brotherhood. You see this once dominant gang steadily decay under the boot off the Federal Law, and the multiple challenges that the world sets on them. It is exhilarating and tragic to see them evolve from optimistic outlaws to broken individuals hoping for a better life for themselves. It is by far the longest story mode I have ever played. Doing only side quests and stranger missions, I am over 80 hours in. Missions are versatile, ranging from action-packed bank robberies to more subtle objectives such as fishing or heading to one of the many towns to interact with the locals. They enhance the sense of character and realism in this world, immersing you into feeling beyond a mere player holding a controller. I never thought that a game would be able to surpass the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or BioShock in terms of storytelling, but Rockstar have made RDR 2 slow-paced, but thoughtful, mature rather than guns blazing 24/7. Each set piece is masterful, paying homage to classic Sergio Leonne Western films. The dialogue between characters is believable, and some of the one liners are to die for. I would also like to take this opportunity to warn readers that other reviews have story spoilers, as does YouTube sites and social media; browse at your own risk!!!The world itself is vast, being substantially larger than the original (even though it features the top half of the first game, anyway). It varies from alligator-invested swamps to open plains, from an industrialised city to farming commutnies, from mountain peaks to snow-carpeted wilderness; in terms of location, this game simply has it all. And the story takes you to a large amount of the map in an organic way, which is not only relevant to the story, but also gives you a chance to explore different areas out of your own leisure. The light effects are beautiful, especially when the dying light of sundown dapples through the arms of trees. The sound effects add to the immersive world too, with crisp sound quality that makes it again seem more than a video game. Rockstar’s attention to detail is the greatest achievement in video game history as of so far. Even rockstar themselves may not be able to surpass what they have achieved with this game. I play on an Xbox one X and on a 4K TV, and in Native 4K, this game is beyond stunning. Many times (more than I dare to admit), I was staring out into the game’s world in awe. I was simply left with pure wonder at how a game could look, feel and sound so real. NPCs will carry on with whatever they’re doing or saying whether you’re there to witness it or not. Encounters happen frequently, meaning long horse journeys to and from locations are not mundane or lacking excitement. Rival gangs will ambush you or be up to no good within your proximity. Citizens will ask for your help or try to rob you. So much can happen that you almost can never predict when something will; that’s what keeps it fresh after countless hours of play.In this world there is also so much to do and engage with, from hunting to treasure hunting, to bounty hunting and completing challenges. Even when the story is over with, I guarantee you will not be left with little to do. there are over 200 species of wildlife, and if you’re like me (being a completionist and wildlife nerd), you’ll have many hours of fun just from studying or hunting wildlife. Many upgrades can be made either to the main camp or to your inventory layout, meaning there is almost always something to strive for, whether it is to earn money, or to complete a specific challenge.I’ve rambled on enough and no words will ever be able to fully explain the pure epicness of this game. You have to just play it and find out for yourself. I went to the midnight launch and do not regret it, nor the many many hours I have put into it. Drawing close to the conclusion, I know it will be hard to leave once it’s over. Arthur Morgan is my favourite video game character now.A masterpiece in virtually every aspect. If you enjoyed the first game, you NEED to experience this. It ties in the first game with this one extremely well and in an organic manner. You will not be disappointed. Forget online games; this game will be the main talk of this year, and for a very long time no doubt.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is finally here after a short delay which I commend Rockstar for doing to get the game right for release day as opposed to releasing a buggy mess. It's been eight years since the original took videogames by storm and is my favourite Rockstar franchise but is it still as good all these years later?RDR 2 has you playing as a new protagonist in Arthur Morgan in what is essentially a prequel to the first game. I feel as though there is a better cast of characters or a stronger set of characters in RDR2 than in the original game although quite a few do crossover. The story is outstanding and it affected me in a way a story often fails to achieve where you will become emotionally invested in these characters with all the paradoxes and contradictions that can evoke. In terms of how good the story is I would put it in the same league as say Metal Gear Solid or Silent Hill 2 (albeit a completely different overall narrative and story arc) but all three games will linger in your mind long after completion. If I was to levy a criticism on the story it would be that some details are overemphasised at the expense of others and I would have liked to see certain characters get a bit more focus. It can also be said that the story peaks a good 4-5 hours before it is actually finished which is the biggest issue with it but overall and by the time the credits roll it all ties together fantastically and does leave me wanting to fire up the original all over again.In addition to the normal campaign missions there are many side missions to undertake as expected from a Rockstar title. Some of these side missions are genuinely funny but some are also duds with a notable amount of 'fetch quests' but I wouldn't go as far as calling any of it grating. There's also a number of activities such as poker, blackjack, fishing, hunting and other things to do as in RDR. Somewhat disappointingly there is not much new here but everything that is here in terms of activities is done very well.Maintenance also returns and is added for your horse where the most intrusive element I found to be was horse grooming which was just annoying. It's not really required or you can work around it but it definitely has more of a vibe for realism than for fun in that regard. Arthur's appearance will also change depending on if the player decides to have his hair or beard cut which is a nice touch and is easy enough to customise to your own liking. The key difference here being that it grows organically which I don't recollect being in GTA 5 but I may be mistaken.As in GTA 5, bank and stagecoach robberies are in the game and depending on your path Arthur Morgan can be honourable or a savage. This is dependent on your actions with the main missions, side missions and strangers where interactions can repeat which may cause some irritation but it's completely up to the player as to whether they choose to proceed. Largely all of the padding is entirely optional.At the time of writing the RDR2 online beta has opened which I have played very little of. I must admit that I don't really have much interest in this which will be a cash cow for Rockstar and I don't blame them wanting to make money off of it but it's just not very interesting to me. There is a clear difference in terms of story which is much stronger in single player but to compare the two would be offensive.---Summary--- (Scored out of 10)Graphics - 9 - Mostly good but there are some irregularities when it comes to the lighting where characters can light up like lambent from Gears of War. On the whole though it's a great looking game with fine little details such as mud, footprints and tracks looking very nice.Sound - 10 - The star of the show it really is exceptional all the way through and puts many Hollywood films to shame.Gameplay - 8 - I have seen some criticism for the combat being too loose but I found it to be good seeing as it can all be customised in terms of auto-aim which I prefer to be off. There's perhaps an overreliance on deadeye but it all works well.Lifespan - 8 - I've finished the campaign and it must have been at least 20 hours. I can see myself going back through it at some point and I've not completed all the challenges or made it to 100% yet. As I said, online doesn't really appeal to me but if it does to you then the game has got even more longevity.---Verdict---Red Dead Redemption 2 is a masterclass in how great videogames are made and it deserves all the praise it is getting and then some. This isn't just game of the year for me but is even in game of the decade as far as that conversation goes. There are some minor gameplay niggles but the execution of everything else is near flawless or as close to it as you're going get. Go buy this now.