Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) Video Game Review

Title: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Release Date: 2018.
Console (played on): PlayStation 5.
Console (Also available on): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC & Stadia.

Mode(s): Single-Player and Online.
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Crime.
Developer: Rockstar Studios.
Publisher: Rockstar Games.

Producer(s): Rob Nelson.
Designer(s): Imran Sarwar.
Programmer(s): Phil Hooker.
Artist(s): Aaron Garbut.
Writer(s): Dan Houser, Michael Unsworth & Rupert Humphries.
Composer(s): Woody Jackson.
Voice Actor(s): Benjamin Byron Davis, Roger Clark, Rob Wiethoff, Cali Elizabeth Moore, Steve J. Palmer, Noshir Dalal, Curzon Dobell, and many more!

My Overall Rating:

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The world can be ruthless to those who can’t keep up. Despite giving it everything you have to offer, it can find ways to leave you disarmed, rattled, and exposed. By rallying with like-minded individuals, you might be able to fend for yourself a bit longer, relieved that you might not in fact be alone to face adversity, hate, and change. However, the real challenge is when you become disillusioned with your reality, paving yourself a way towards finally making decisions for yourself, giving yourself room to reflect on your actions, and choosing for yourself to be the person you want to be. Considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, Rockstar Studios delivers the epitome of atmospheric immersion through a humanistic and emotionally-riveting Western tale of morality and civilization.

What is Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) about? Set in 1899, the Van der Linde gang is on the run following a botched robbery attempt in the heart of America where the Wild West era is progressively approaching its end. Led by Dutch van der Linde and his trusted companion and outlaw Arthur Morgan, the group flee in search of a new home. Unfortunately, with the law looking for each and every one of them, they must live every day while looking over their shoulders. To make ends meet, Dutch promises that he has a plan that would help them exit this treacherous life but it won’t be easy. As they make their way deeper into the evolving America, their journey leads them to encounter countless obstacles forcing them to doubt the gang’s vision of the future and the perennity of their own life’s course.

There is not a dull moment in this vast Western macrocosm depicting the end of an era of outlaws as you follow the journey of the Van der Linde gang through the eyes of Arthur Morgan. Desperately hanging onto a fragile thread of hope extended over by their leader Dutch van der Linde who believes he has a plan to help this little community out of misery and onto a road of redemption, Arthur and the group find themselves herded into the evolution of mankind and their own freight train of civilization that leads every individual to rethink their moral compass in hopes of building a better future for themselves and for others. While their ghastly past and criminal identity continue to haunt them throughout their march for freedom of this surge of civilization, the story invites players to witness one man’s introspective realization of the chasm between good and evil within each and everyone, within this unforgiving world.

Paying meticulous attention to detail, the story invites players to a myriad of adventures within this open-world Western setting. Whether you’re simply interacting with the characters that compose this detailed and ultra-realistic universe, off chasing after wolves and bears to collect their fur or their meat, conducting bank heists to contribute to the gang’s treasury, or hunting for heads to complete bounties, the journey is beyond immersive through gorgeous graphics and intuitive gameplay mechanics. Although an inclination towards realism does remove traditional gaming difficulty of the overall experience, the focus is instead oriented towards absolute immersion and little criticism can be offered to a video game that achieves such a commendable exploit in terms of character building, world-building, and story-telling.

The remarkable research put into recreating an atmospheric Western environment, complemented by the astounding score, makes for a never-before-seen immersion that surpasses its predecessor despite being a stand-alone game. The quintessential focus on key values and morals during this period in American history, notably around notions of trust, loyalty, and justice, are also cleverly utilized within the narrative to capture Arthur Morgan’s own epiphany regarding the gang’s faith and their hopeless dreams. Through a slow pace allowing players to cautiously discover the chaos of the gang’s loose reigns and the futility of their criminal instincts also makes for an eye-opening odyssey that will inevitably leave players profoundly connected to Arthur Morgan’s trials and tribulations.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) is an unequivocal Western masterpiece heralding the birth of civilization through a tale of blind loyalty and hopeless stagnation.

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Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) is out on the PlayStation 4 since October 26th, 2018.

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Have you played this game?

Will you? What do you think about it?

Share your thoughts with me!

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