While this preview will primarily concentrate on our play through, a quick recap is in order. You play as John Marsden (who’s voice sounds remarkably like Johnny Klebitz from GTA IV), an ex-train robber lured backed (re: blackmailed) by the government to hunt down his old gang from anywhere between Nevada through to Mexico and back. It’s your typical Western plot, with a huge injection of Rockstar extravagance, embellishment and flair. A lot of the characters that you seem to meet feel like the ancestors of some of those from any modern Grand Theft Auto game. That said, Redemption looks to be a much more serious Western affair than its spaghetti predecessor, Red Dead Revolver.
Damn it, why is it occupied now!!!.
While we only got to play two missions (and watch a third) it became very clear to us from the start that we didn’t need to see much more to know what we were dealing with. Why? Because the game is built off the same engine as Grand Theft Auto IV, so mechanically, the games are similar. However, there are a couple of additions that could help Red Dead Redemption break away from the issues that eventually held back the Grand Theft Auto episodes. Movement still felt a little clunky though, with wide turning radii and an inexplicable need to have Marsden amble so slowly, unless pressing the run button. However, with the wider open spaces, this hopefully won’t be as much a problem as it was in GTA, what with getting hooked in narrow spaces.
Along with the addition of checkpoints, something that took a lot of hassle out of the Episodes of Liberty City, you now have regenerative health. While this is contentious for some, in an open world game such as Redemption, it is a huge blessing. You’re under a lot fire, as was shown in one of the missions, and not needing to worry about health packs, like you had to in GTA, will be excellent. Furthermore, with some proposed tweaks in the cover system, less reliance on a full lock on, more accurate aiming and the ‘dead-eye’ mechanic, the action should be easier to handle this time around as well. Replacing the health meter on you radar is the dead-eye meter which fills as you kill enemies, which allows you to virtually halt time to line up your targets with pin-point accuracy and it will get more intricate as you play.
Given that Red Dead Redemption is much more open, there will be a larger emphasis on exploration. An illustrated example had the player finding a treasure map. However, at the ‘spot’, there wasn’t treasure but someone that you had to help out. In turn, helping him yield the real treasure map. Now, you’d find something hot like, potentially, the best revolver in the game or something similar. If Redemption is able to pull of these kinds of tricks, then it would add an extra incentive to explore, over just finding packages or seagulls. Furthermore, there will be a heap of random events, such as hold-ups, stage coaches being robbed, farms being commandeered and so forth to keep you occupied while traversing through the world. You can choose, save to goodies or help the baddies, and your ‘fame’ and ‘honour’ will adjust accordingly. Then there are the mini-games and gambling activities as well. Basically, there will be a lot to do.
Must... kill... former gang... WEEEEE!!!
Two missions were playable, from fairly early on in the game. A third mission was view only, which actually gave a good indication regarding the scope of the fire fights that you’ll get involved in. Suffice to say, you’ll have large hordes of enemies battling over vast expanses. The other two firstly had you playing with cover, and ‘learning’ how to use it. It also showed how you don’t always need to kill your enemies to complete the mission. The second mission had you raiding a mine to find a Gatling gun, and it was here that the benefits of recharging health were happily realised. Oh, and pushing the mine cart around to get the gun out of the mine was more fun than you may have thought.
Two aspects of the game that are still unexplained to us are the multiplayer, which we’ll apparently get to have a hands-on at a later date, and whether you have any means of fast travel to help you get through the vast expanses in the game. Otherwise, Red Dead Redemption is well on track to provide a Wild West gaming experience unlike anything before it. Well, maybe a little bit like GTA might have been if it was set 100 or so years earlier.
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