Red Dead Redemption: Impressions, leading to a conclusion

Apologies for the resigned tone of the title above. It's just that I so desperately wanted to use the subtitle "Me So Ornery" for this post, but the dull side of my brain told me that it was a step too far and more than a little racist. So to spite my killjoy brain I went with a snarky title and decided to put the quote in the very first paragraph. In your face, common decency!

So now that I've given you that privileged glimpse into the creative process of a deranged troglodyte, we can take a collective peek at the creative process of a bunch of intelligent, presumably non-troglodyte game developers who are hard at work on Red Dead Redemption, pseudo-sequel to 2004's patchily-received PS2 spaghetti shooter Red Dead Revolver.

While Revolver was a vivid romp through Sergio Leone cliche, taking in a range of evocative (if occasionally jarring) locales and a well-rounded (if occasionally playable) supporting cast, its shonky mechanics and second-rate graphics showed that the developers' imaginations were pistol-whipped by their limitations. The lack of production values was a result of the game's chaotic development. Original publisher Capcom canned the game mid-way through its development, paving the way for Rockstar Games (the powerhouse behind GTA) to purchase the rights in 2002. Rockstar San Diego expanded on the game's existing assets, leading to a product that felt like a standard shooter with extra features and style poured on before release. Needless to say, it was the last-minute Rockstar additions that provided Red Dead Revolver's best moments.

Red Dead Redemption has suffered no such setbacks. It's a Rockstar San Diego joint from top to bottom, and looks set to become the rootin', tootin', shootin'est game ever to set foot in the Old West.

STORY

Players take on the role of John Marston, a former gunslinger who has since hung up his metal to settle with his family. But familial bliss does not an awesome game make, so our man is coerced by the law into taking up arms again to track down and bring in his old gang. It's a journey that will take him across the arid borders of America's southern states and on into the revolutionary breeding ground of Mexico (there are three huge primary areas where the game takes place). So far, so Ford. But Rockstar San Diego have made the interesting decision to set the game in 1908, with the West definitively conquered and the frontier smashed into the sea. And with encroaching modernity comes the technology to grind the old breed of outlaw desperado into the desert dust. It's a fascinating period of upheaval that paved the way for modern America, and it seems that the game will take more from revisionist anti-Westerns like The Wild Bunch and Unforgiven than the classic interpretations that preceded them.

GAMEPLAY

Well, it's Rockstar, so yes it's an open-world sandbox game. If you're anything like me, those terms will elicit a curious mix of excitement and dread. The best open-world games offer players freedom and choice but with enough context to imbue those choices with meaning. Infamous and Prototype were so unappealing to me because they simply presented cities to piss about in, as if that were enough. It's not. But based on Rockstar's spotless track record in this genre (GTA IV is a platinum example of a game that effortlessly integrates player freedom with an overarching story), we have every reason to hope that Red Dead Redemption will follow suit.

At the front end of the experience is the shooting mechanic, buoyed by the Euphoria engine that powered GTA IV's character animation and physics. Any player who experienced that jaw-dropping first moment in GTA IV where Nico is sent flying through his car's windshield after a particularly nasty crash will testify to the engine's power, and based on the promo videos shown so far, Redemption is using it to similar effect. So expect enemies to react uniquely and convincingly when you fill them with buckshot, rather than pre-canned animations (a la Call of Duty) or over-the-top ragdoll physics. Dead-eye targeting returns from the original game, an inspired take on bullet-time which allows advanced players to slow down time to mark separate targets and then watch the carnage unfold as Marston pours lead into the skulls and bollocks of his foes (the only two areas worth aiming at). Expect to see the Quick Draw pistol duel mechanic return too, although this hasn't been confirmed.

As Marston gallops (on some of the most convincing horses yet seen in a game) through dusty towns and border outposts, his actions will be monitored by an Honour system that will see the reactions of common folk (and the long arm of the law) change based on the violence of his disposition. Capturing bandits and stopping off to rescue stranded wagons will see Marston revered as the Batman of the Old West, whilst horse theft, shooting old ladies in the face and single-handedly wiping out small villages will, unsurprisingly, cause hapless townspeople to prolapse in fear at the sight of his horse on the horizon. Don't expect a swift GTA-style police reaction, but consistent lawlessness may result in righteous posses being rounded up and a sizeable bounty being placed on your own head.

As this is Rockstar's first open world game set in a predominantly rural environment, we can't expect the vibrant, frenzied hustle and bustle of Liberty City. But the development team has worked hard to ensure that, outside of the main story, there's plenty for players to aim their peacemakers at. From lively saloons complete with bar games (one of the videos shows a game of skill involving a sharp knife and five tender fingers, like you used to play at school only not with a compass) to treasure hunts complete with hand-drawn maps to side quests aplenty, there ought to be enough to do. I'm particularly looking forward to simply saddling up and heading into the wilderness for a few hours of living off the land (there's a dynamic wildlife system for you to admire and/or slaughter) and enjoying the vistas presented by the weather system and ambient day/night cycle. After the straight lines of Liberty City, Rockstar's proprietary RAGE engine has shown itself equally capable of creating organic-looking natural spaces, from sunlight filtering through weatherworn branches to the warped wood of the ramshackle towns and villages.

THE CONCLUSION

So all the pins seem to be in place for a satisfying gameplay experience. But the real potential of Red Dead Redemption is in its setting. By choosing to set the game in a period when savage wilderness was eroding under the steam pressure of oncoming modernity, Rockstar has given itself a golden opportunity. Just as GTA IV plays on ruthless entrepreneurialism and the cruelties of modern American economics, Red Dead Redemption could make a powerful companion piece, exploring the violence and misanthropy that lies at the dark heart of the American dream. I drink your milkshake, indeed.

Red Dead Redemption is released on Xbox 360 and PS3 on May 21, 2010.