Red Deaad Redemption on 360 - great sandbox game
The most important thing to note about Red Dead Redemption right off the bat is that it was developed by the same group that makes the Grand Theft Auto series - this alone is a huge indication on whether or not you'll like the game.
First off, if you like any of the GTA games that have been released within the past few years, chances are you'll enjoy Red Dead Redemption. Though the setting and style is obviously quite different (swap busy cities for vast desert, fast cars for an assortment of horses, and street gangs for posses and other riff-raff), the gameplay and overall feel of the game is very similar.
Next, if you're a fan of "open-concept" or "sandbox world" type games (in other words, there is no strictly linear storyline - you are free to do what you want, when you want), again, you'll probably enjoy RDR. Just like with GTA, you're able to pick and choose which missions you want to do and when. Yes, obviously the missions DO follow some sort of a linear sequence, but it's completely up to you when you want to do them. Unlike a lot of games that start a new level or mission as soon as the previous one ends, with RDR you can put off that next mission to go hunt down nogoodniks, collect items and rewards, or just wander the vast landscape as your will dictates.
Finally, if you like wild/western setting games, you'll probably like RDR as well - just like you would expect from any western-style game or movie, there's plenty of six-shooters, bandannas, and most of all, dust.
The graphics are just what you'd expect from any big-titled Xbox 360 game - Rockstar certainly doesn't disappoint. As you might expect, Red Dead Redemption looks a lot like GTA IV if you went back in time to the old west.
Aside from all the fun I've had with this game and praise I give it, there are some noteworthy negative points to make:
1) Similar to GTA, the game controls can be frustrating at times - there's a lot of activities in the game that have their own cutscenes, such as hogtying criminals, skinning dead animals, etc. Unfortunately, because of how the control system is designed to activate these cutscenes, sometimes the game doesn't respond to your control as you think it should.
2) There are some definite bugs and glitches in the programming - probably the most frustrating thing I've found so far is that your horse can be running at full tilt, and while it can maneuver itself over a fence without much difficulty, running into a boulder or tree can bring you to a complete stop. This might not seem like a big deal, but if whatever you're doing is time-sensitive (i.e. chasing criminals) then speed becomes imperative. Yes, in reality a horse cannot run THROUGH a boulder or tree...but it seems like it would have been nice if they included some sort of script that would at least point your horse in a direction past the object you've just run into instead of just completely killing your momentum.
Other than the negative points mentioned above, this game is fantastic without a doubt. Just like you'd expect from the makers of GTA, there's literally TONS of stuff to do in this game, even long after you've completed the main storyline.
The game's multiplayer is my last noteworthy point about RDR - with tons of different online modes, you're pretty much guaranteed to find something you enjoy even if you've completed the game to 100%. In addition, it also has an online free-roam mode where you can basically do whatever you want to whoever you want.Read full review
