Red Dead Redemption

       If you've been waiting for a good open world game then Red Dead Redemption is for you and if you haven't been persuaded by what you've already seen then you're either not a fan of open world games or don't have a pulse.

       Much like Grand Theft Auto 4, Red Dead Redemption has a very long and immersive campaign. After about 15 hours of playtime I managed to get 68% of what the game had to offer, yet it felt as though I had just completed a behemoth of gaming awesomeness. The epic story is complemented by its huge map, which spans from a huge southern area including New Mexico to Mexico itself with plenty of things to do. Gun play couldn't be better; with a simple crosshair interface and aiming that locks on slightly so you're not sifting through pixels trying to triangulate an enemy's body. As I said before, the aiming system is almost identical to that of Grand Theft Auto 4, so there's no need to worry about it oversimplifying a good gunfight; you'll still need to guide the crosshairs to the enemy's protruding head if you want the extra advantage. There's also a wide variety of weapons, which was quite a relief. Whether you feel like hog-tying an enemy so they can't move or mowing them down with a rifle or pistol there are plenty tools o' destruction to get the job done like:

• The Springfield Rifle
• The Mauser Pistol
• Dynomite
• Cake
• Throwing Knives (Yeah, they're only insanely awesome)
• A Lasso
• A Rolling Block Rifle (Essentially a beastly Sniper Rifle)
• And of course Shotguns

      Using these weapons in creative ways that you could only think of on a rainy day is only half the fun. Seriously, many of the weapons included in the game are very satisfying. All in all I guess you could say that the gun play is pretty much as fluid as it can be. That also goes for it's cover mechanic, which is the same as GTA 4's as well. However, don't expect to be going around as the western massacre; shooting everything you see and getting away with it. Again, just like GTA 4 this game also has a cop system where if you gain bounty the police will come after you, however there's not much reason to be bad. You play as John Marston, a simple western man, who (I won't give away much for the sake of the story) is trying to start a new life by literally wiping out his past. Although there's not much to do on the dark side of things other than murdering or robbing the many innocent civilians in the game, it makes sense since that's not what this game's story is about.

      As awesome as the mechanics and the story of the game are, I was even more surprised with the game's beautiful graphics, especially on the Xbox 360. Considering that this is from GTA 4's engine, that feat isn't as exciting, but it is certainly worth mentioning that the game's visuals are far above many other titles on the platform. The environments themselves are greatly detailed especially when you take into account that much of the Wild Wild West was uncivilized during the time this game takes place. In fact, it justified my reasons for hating Fallout 3's unbelievable and empty attempts at creating a deserted landscape.


     And yes, there is most definitely a multilayer component that's just as polished as the rest of the game. Ranging from intense matches to long explorations, you can basically do whatever you want. Other than the normal match types you'll seen in other games (with slight twists), Red Dead Redemption also offers an addicting Free Roam mode that allows you to play with a bunch of your friends, or total strangers, in the map of the singleplayer story, granting you access to gang hideouts which you can clear out and random civilians to kill. There's even an online ranking system with tons of unlockables.

 That about covers it. By this point, you might be afraid that this is just a clever GTA 4 clone since I referred to it so much, but let me assure you, it's an entirely new experience.  So, go on, saddle up and ride yourself on over to your nearest store to get your copy, whatcha' waiting for partner?