I had two very distinct emotions when finishing Red Dead Redemption II. Sadness that an amazing journey was over yet excited that after being lost in a game for so long I could finally dive in to another big experience. RDR2 is the definition of a marathon, not a sprint.
GRAPHICS
Simply put, Rockstar has created the most beautiful open world I have ever seen in a game. I honestly didn’t think anything this gen would beat the jaw dropping environments and overall graphical detail of Horizon Zero Dawn but I am happy to be proven wrong.
Most impressive of all is the lighting. It looks incredible at all times but especially during sun rise and sun set. Every texture in every corner of the massive sprawling open world has seen hours of care and attention. The original Red Dead Redemption suffered from a lack of colour at times but that isn’t a problem this time around. Beautiful countryside, lakes, rivers and towns. Saint Denis was my pick of the populated areas, but each town had their own unique look and feel. They were all instantly recognisable.
GAMEPLAY
Gameplay is where Red Dead Redemption II has it’s most detractors. Admittedly the sheer number of mechanics can make things a little confusing at times, especially when you haven’t had time to play in a few days. Mundane tasks like getting hair cuts and trimming your facial hair may annoy a few but I found it was just another excellent layer of detail. It allowed your version of Arthur Morgan to be unique to yourself.
However I don’t think the game controls nearly as bad as some think. Rockstar has went for a deliberate and slow pace. It feels a lot like the original game and also Grand Theft Auto V, but slowed down and with a bunch of extra depth added.
Shooting has been targeted (pun intended) as a weak point, but with auto-aim and deadeye mode I really didn’t see how it posed any issue. If you turned assists off and didn’t use the slow motion mechanic (which would make you a monster, because it’s awesome) then sure aiming isn’t as smooth as the top tier shooters, but RDR2 is so much more than a third person shooter.
Exploring the land on horse is a joy thanks to some of the best riding mechanics I have seen in a game. Most people I have spoke to that had issues with their horse was in the Saint Denis area and my suspision is that they were attempting to rush and got themselves in a muddle. As with the rest of the game a slow, full immersion approach works best.
Red Dead Redemption II is so diverse that hunting and fishing both almost feel like separate games packed in. Each activity in the game comes with it’s own layers and systems. Sometimes when you are in the thick of it you just have to stand back and marvel at the lengths Rockstar have went to.
As you would imagine this is not the most accessible game and takes time to learn the systems. You have a health, stamina and deadeye circular “core”. To help restore these you can sleep (by going back to camp or setting up a temporary camp for the night) or eat food (which can be bought from stores or cooked from meat carved from hunted animals).
You also get quick hit items like alcohol or cigarettes that will give you a boost at the time but deplete your cores. Luckily these can be recovered with sleep. It’s the 1899 equivalent of chugging about ten Red Bulls. It gets you through the next hour but you’ll be hanging by a thread once the fun is over.
AUDIO
You would be forgiven for thinking with how much work went in both the graphics and gameplay that the audio might get the short end of the stick but that is far from the case. The score is superb and is interwoven with the story perfectly at big moments.
Each of the main characters is expertly voiced and comes with more lines of dialogue than I have ever seen in a game. The amount of conversations that can be had at the gangs camp alone is a show of the developers dedication. The most impressive thing to me though was that every NPC in the game could be communicated with and many were available for full conversations.
STORY
The game starts off with the protagonist Arthur Morgan up in the snowy mountains (Presumably of Colorado) with this Van der Linde gang led by the charismatic Dutch Van der Linde. They are a misfit bunch consisting of killers, con-men, ex-soldiers, moneylenders, women and even a child.
They are on the run for an incident that is only hinted at in the early hours and so starts a tale of the old world meeting the new. Arthur, Dutch and friends are struggling to accept that the world is moving on without them and are prepared to dig their heels in.
John Marston from the original game is also part of the gang and as RDR2 is a prequel set in 1899 it is fascinating to watch his character evolve more in to what you saw in the 2010 hit. Those who did play the original Red Dead Redemption needn’t worry about the story falling short because they have an idea how it plays out, because the story is laiden with excellent twists, turns and mini crescendo’s.
Side stories, stranger missions and random encounters all return and are more frequent and varied than I have ever seen in a game. Rockstar has taken the idea of blending side content with the main story and pushed it forward five years. Everything feels important, everything feels worthwhile and the smallest of encounters can end up having hug impacts on your journey.
After finishing the story and having time to reflect I definitely believe it is the best open world narrative we have ever seen in a game. It doesn’t quite stack up to the likes of The Last of Us, but that is also not a fair comparison given how much easier it is to tell a concise story in a more linear adventure.
VALUE
Not only is it the best open world ever, one of the biggest ever, it is also bursting with possibilities. I would wager I have put around 120 hours into the game so far and that is without really touching the hunting and fishing. I have a third of the map still to explore and many strangers to meet.
I also haven’t played much of the online hence why I haven’t gone in to any great detail about it. It is still in beta at the moment and while those I know that have played extensively are enjoying it, the general consensus is that it is a little bare bones and will be a different proposition by this time next year.
This may be the best value for money on the whole Playstation 4 system. One of the longest single player stories to date and an online mode that if GTA:V is anything to go by could be supported weekly for the next 4-5 years
VERDICT
In case you haven’t guessed already, Red Dead Redemption II is a masterpiece. I didn’t have huge expectations going in as while I enjoyed the first game I didn’t overly like the Western setting and thought it would be more of the same.
While it is, it is also a game that has been improved upon in every way. I honestly think you could hate the story, the controls and the characters yet still be enamored with what a technical marvel in front of you. There have been some incredible games in 2018, but this is the first one that feels like next-generation software. It feels ahead of it’s time.
I recommend this game to absolutely anyone. Some won’t like the slow, deliberate pace but my advice is to persevere. The mundane tasks help build the relationships that make this game so incredible and the ordinary can become extraordinary in a moments notice.
This is not a perfect game, but it does most things so much better than any game has before it that it deserves the highest score possible. Rockstar have created a game that every open world from this point forward will be measured against until someone (somehow) outdoes it.
-Craig ✌️
A review code for this product was kindly provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PS4 Pro.