Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Reviewed on: PlayStation 4

Publisher & Developer: Rockstar Games

When I purchased Red Dead Redemption 2, I didn’t know how beautiful this game would be.  RDR2 was created by Rockstar Games, whose most famous work is the Grand Theft Auto series. I never fully played a GTA game but I knew how much work was put into these games.  

The game has two CDs. This was a first for me as most games are just one CD. The reason there’s two CD’s is because there’s so much data in the game. So if you don’t have 99 GB, start making some room! For me, the game took two hours to download, so my expectations were extremely high if they had me waiting this long.

There are two options: Online mode and Story mode.  If you pay for your consoles membership, you can create your own character and do lots of good or bad activities with friends in online mode.

I played story mode, not knowing the game is more than 60 hours of gameplay.  The 60-hour gameplay is just to account for the main plot. Besides the plot, there are a bunch of side missions and challenges you can complete.

The RDR2 plot is one of the most serious plots that Rockstar Games have ever made.  The plot, being a prequel, was well written in all aspects. If you played Red Dead Redemption, the original,  the game is even more heartbreaking as you know who lives, who betrays, who dies, etc.

In the game, the player plays as Arthur Morgan. Arthur is the co-leader of the Van Der Linde gang, who is running away from the Pinkertons after a failed heist. Now wanted criminals, the gang faces many obstacles in their way.

What I look into a lot in games are the characters. Character development is key to any good game. RDR2 proves that. No matter what route you go, Arthur Morgan’s development is astonishing. Not only him but the gang members too.

As Arthur Morgan, the game gives you the choices of being a mean ruthless cowboy or an honorable one. These choices are important!  The games use your honor level for a lot of the game. This includes having different endings! Luckily the game gives you a lot of time for you to change your mind on what route you want to take. Just be careful with the actions you choose.

The choices you take, shape not only your character but also others perspective of you.

A huge reason why I love the game is how realistic it is. I think that’s a reason why most people bond with Arthur and the other game members. Each member has their own background and special personality.

Not only characters but Rockstar put a lot of tiny details. Fall in mud,  now your clothes are dirty. Stowing your hunted animals leave you blood streaks. Guns have to be cocked before firing. Arthur can gain or lose weight depending on how much you feed him. The weather can affect your health bar. This all made the game feel more down to earth.

What’s a cowboy without their horse? Horses are your transportation. Your relationship with your horse is important. There’s a wide range of horses. You can either purchase them or try to tame the wild horses you can find throughout traveling.

Another thing I loved about the game was the scenery! I mean the map has many places to visit. From snowy mountains to deserted towns or alligator-infested swamps to thick forests. Besides the countryside towns, there is one city.

If you’re heading to the mountains make sure a pack of wolves doesn’t attack you. Or if you’re traveling in the woodlands, try not to catch the attention of grizzlies or cougars. There are more than a hundred animals in the game! You can go hunting for them or just admire how pretty it all is.

Sometimes if you just watch the scenery, you can see wolves playing around or a hawk flying down for a snake. You can see rams headbutting each other or ducks washing themselves. Just be careful with predator animals, it is not a pretty scene when one catches you off guard. Rockstar made every place feel so alive.

Not only animals but the npcs in the background are so much fun. Depending on where and what time of day, you can get weird interactions. These interactions can vary from you helping suck the poison out of someone whos been bitten by a snake to helping someone cover up a murder. These interactions are a huge reason to why you can never get bored while traveling.

In conclusion, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best games I’ve ever played. I never knew how captivating the outlaw cowboy life was. Robbing a train or doing a bank heist was something unreal. Just simply resting and watching the wildlife was also a highlight of playing this game. The game just has so much where I feel like I was actually a cowboy. Even after finishing the story and epilogue, I still continue to play it. Personally, I believe Red Dead Redemption 2 was the best game in 2018. With that, I rate it a

10/10