Red Dead Redemption II (PlayStation 4) Review

It's hard to believe that the Red Dead series was almost buried before it even began. Rockstar clearly saw a lot of potential in Revolver, which was a more coherent project thanks to the grittier slant that it imposed on it. The most significant aspect of the first instalment was its Dead Eye targeting system, which became a staple for the series, allowing players to slow time and paint targets to unleash a quickfire barrage of bullets. Overall, though, Revolver amounted to little more than a linear spiritual successor to 1985's Gun.Smoke. Red Dead Redemption, on the other hand, was one of the greatest games of its generation, selling over 13 million units. Fans have extremely fond memories of ambling from Blackwater to Escalera on horseback, the spontaneous encounters, gorgeous sunsets, and, of course, John Marston crossing the border to Mexico to the sound of Far Away by Jose Gonzales.

The original Red Dead Redemption wasn't just a product of Rockstar San Diego's vision for a Wild West epic, it was also down to the accumulated knowledge of Rockstar Games, derived from titles such as GTA and Bully, on how to craft deep and detailed open-world experiences. As stated, in turn, Redemption helped Rockstar North to perfect certain aspects of GTA V, predominantly the use of rural environments, wildlife, and elements of its online component. It seems fitting, then, that this new entry in the Red Dead series benefits so much from all its open-world predecessors. Red Dead Redemption 2 is the first ever cross-house collaboration between all of Rockstar Games' studios, making it quite a prospect. This prequel takes place in 1899, before the events of the first Redemption instalment, and follows Arthur Morgan, a fellow member of the Dutch Van der Linde gang.

Red Dead Redemption 2, without question, is the most polished and cinematic experience Rockstar Games has ever produced. It's the team's first open-world built from the ground up for PS4 and Xbox One. This really shows through its sheer beauty, the epic scale and proportions of the world, as well as its countless finer details. Perhaps one of the most impressive elements of the package is its quality and quantity of dialogue. Conversing with NPCs, not to mention plotting and reflecting with Dutch's Gang, has never been quite as immersive as it is here. It's never off-the-cuff, instead being startlingly contextual. A staggering half a million lines of dialogue were captured for Red Dead Redemption 2, which is twice the volume of GTA V. What's more astounding is how much of that can be missed, because the player makes Arthur Morgan pursue a different alley of conversation, or take a different action. Unlike in GTA V, whose characters and motivations faded fast, RDR2 is full of legitimately compelling characters and stories.

In fact, the America of 1899 is a near perfect setting that really enables Red Dead Redemption 2's narrative to take centre-stage. GTA V's intensely satirical edge meant it was ripe for commentary, but that also created a superficial divide between the story and player. By contrast, RDR2's grittier and more realistic world is full of characters with compelling plights and moral quandaries. Everyone is searching for a sense of meaning in an evolving, ever-changing America. This means there's seldom a forgettable character or story. The setting, in other words, serves the story far better than anything previously. Historical events and themes of the time also further enhance this impression. It's not just about the demise of gunslingers and being on the run, as Arthur Morgan will find himself bumping into suffragettes, brushing up against the African-American civil rights campaign, and playing both sides of two wealthy households, amongst lots of other things.

It's not just the story itself, though. Red Dead Redemption 2 carries itself with a great deal of finesse, in so many ways. Much of this is down to the fine-tuning of Rockstar's already well-balanced open-world formula. Whereas GTA V and RDR, featured a lot of laborious set-up missions and drawn out bouts of walking around, RDR2 knows how to keep things lean. Exposition and set-up happen frequently, but only when there's an interesting exchange to go along with it. Otherwise, the game, very sensibly, cuts to the action. Missions are extremely well crafted and generally more grandiose and memorable. Then there are features like the cinematic camera, which is drastically improved from the one seen in GTAV. If the player sets a waypoint on the map, they can swoop into this mode and soak up the dialogue whilst being treated to some truly cinema-quality shots. There are also far more seamless transitions between phases of exchanges, cut-scenes, and gameplay, which keeps things engrossing and vivid.

Then there's the combat, which is much improved from the first outing. It certainly benefits from this cinematic finesse, with slow-motion cutaways that will occasionally frame Arthur mid-shot or provide a gruesome close-up of his shot. This really intensifies the massive shootouts that Dutch's Gang gets caught up in, which are much more grandiose and unique in their setup. Once again, the most unique aspect of the combat is the Dead Eye system. There's a meter for this that can be topped up with purchasable tonics and chewing tabacco. Arthur can use this to slow time and mark targets to be picked off in quick succession. Unlike the previous instalment, there are many upgrades to be had within this ability, which is great for the sense of progression. Overall, combat systems too have benefited from more fluid titles like Max Payne 3. With that said, though, Red Dead Redemption 2 still doesn't borrow quite as much as some might have hoped.

For one thing, perhaps because of the nature of sprawling open-worlds, the cover system is not quite as ergonomic as it could be. Arthur will sometimes park himself in cover that's completely out in the open, and it's often unclear when he's attached to a wall or not. In this regard, it's not quite at the level of smoothness of something like Uncharted 4. Another minor qualm is to do with smoothness and flexibility. Arthur doesn't quite have the fluid movement, nor the full 360-degree range that's seen in Max Payne 3, which is a shame. He's not always immediately responsive with objects in the way, and particularly when on horseback, it's difficult to latch onto multiple targets that are surrounding him from behind, unless indulging in Dead Eye. It's also then difficult to get him to pivot back forward, meaning there's a temporary moment of riding blind. The only other mechanic that feels a tad lacklustre in the same way is stealth because it relies on this less-than-ideal cover system. Neither issue, in the end, is a huge detractor, but it's a shame that these fundamentals aren't quite as polished as everything else.

In terms of the open-world adventuring, there's a wealth of things to get up to. The random encounters, first seen in the original Redemption, and expanded in GTA V, are back, and even better constructed. They feature more interesting scenarios that often feedback to Arthur's advantage, or disadvantage, depending on how the player behaves. Unlike in GTA V, where most of these events played out like Uber-rides, spontaneous encounters in Red Dead Redemption 2 feel like proper missions. They are not predictable and are well worth the detour. Then, of course, there are the activities more becoming of gunslingers, such as robbing banks, thieving horses to sell off, collecting debts, and taking up bounty missions. Not to mention, elements like crafting, fishing, and hunting, the latter of which is incredibly expansive. There are over 2,000 species of animals, birds, and fish in the game, which is quite something. This includes legendary animals, which are painstaking and hard-earned trophies to track down. Overall, it's extremely easy to get side-tracked in RDR2, which is amazing considering the main story is already extraordinarily massive. From poker to climbing distant mountains, there's plenty to sink your teeth into.

In terms of the finer details, there's so much to talk about it's almost impossible not to forget about something. Starting with the horses, they can be named, bought customisable manes and tails, saddles and provisions, and stored and sold at stables. They carry the bulk of Arthur's supplies, which he will dip into before and during missions. Meat, skins, and hogtied and dead folk can also be stowed on their backs. The bond the protagonist has with his horse needs to be carefully nurtured, if intending to go the distance with them. Developing this bond enables extra moves, such as drifting and one-eighty pivots, as well as other things, like increasing the distance in which it can be whistled. All of this is done by feeding and maintaining the animal, calming it during stressful situations like shootouts and wildlife encounters, as well as brushing it. Taming wild horses works in the same way as before, although this time round it's more worthwhile to capture and develop their skill-set as they become more valuable. Horse animations are very lifelike, and their movement and dexterity is much better represented than before.

There's a similar aspect of maintenance that goes along with guns, too. Arthur's weapons need to be cleaned with purchasable gun oil, and will show signs of wear should he neglect them. They are susceptible to damage from the elements, such as water and freezing temperatures, which adds a great deal of realism. Fortunately, the protagonist always has a great number of weapons at his disposal, so this never feels like an annoyance. The process of cleaning them is quick and streamlined. In similar fashion, Arthur's clothes and personal hygiene require attention, too. It's best to stow clothes for both hot and cold weather in the saddle, as wearing the wrong gear in extreme conditions can drain various stats. If he gets extremely muddy or goes too long without bathing at a saloon, citizens start to notice his odour and begin to avoid him. Another aspect that players need to be conscious of is the 'Honour' system, which modulates based on the protagonist's deeds or misdeeds. This can affect whether Arthur is welcomed to a town or given the cold shoulder. The genius of all these mechanisms is that they never feel mechanical or like a chore, rather they have true functions as finer details in the fabric of this adventure.

The 'Wanted' system has also been amended from the original Redemption. Especially due to the greater depth of interaction with NPCs, there's a more complex system at play when committing crimes. Rather than being attributed a wanted status and simply having a one-size-fits-all bounty placed on Arthur's head, towns and regions operate independently. Robbing a bank in Valentine, New Hanover, means the player becomes a high profile and easily recognised wanted man in that region alone. This affords more freedom to the player to roam elsewhere unimpeded, and perhaps adds a further strategic element outside of the main story campaign. More importantly, NPCs can now be witnesses to crimes. This means Arthur sometimes needs to convince folk to keep quiet, through peaceful, threatening, or sometimes lethal means. Taking the trusting route doesn't always work out, either, as some people are inclined to take a bribe but still report the player to the local sheriff. There are a ton of small nuances like this that help the universe to feel populated with genuine people going about their daily lives.

The last things to speak of, which are far more fleshed out than expected, are the gangs in Red Dead Redemption 2. Although the central protagonist is Arthur Morgan, it's the famous Van der Linde Gang he rides with that frequently takes centre stage. It's comprised of gunslingers, con artists, revolutionaries, and runaways, and developing relationships with these characters is a very fulfilling part of RDR2. In this sense, the title takes a real cue from shows like Deadwood. The gang is constantly running from trouble, meaning it regularly packs up camp and relocates to new territory. The people, not the place, take precedent. Returning after a mission to partake in songs by the campfire, reflect with folk on recent events, make food and financial contributions, and take care of housekeeping elements, like crafting, food, and supplies, consequently feels so much less arbitrary than it otherwise could. These aspects succeed in creating a real sense of community amongst the gang, which is only heightened as the campaign progresses. Crucially, too, there are seven other gangs to cross paths with, which means that gang work is a welcome on-going affair.