The First Red Dead Redemption as the Perfect Gaming Western

On October 29, the original Red Dead Redemption will be released on PC. The game will support 4K resolution and high frame rate. In this article, we will talk about the main advantages of the project and its connections with classic spaghetti westerns.

Westerns in the gaming industry

In American cinema, Westerns are considered one of the most important genres. At the same time, games about the Wild West are released much less often than films. I recall the virtual shooting gallery Mad Dog McCree, the tactical strategy Desperados, first-person shooters from the Call of Juarez series, as well as the open-world action games GUN and Red Dead Revolver. The latter was developed by Rockstar San Diego, which would later release the Red Dead Redemption dilogy. However, there is practically no direct connection between them. With the exception of some Easter eggs, one can only note the Dead Eye mechanic, which allows you to slow down time and mark the points where bullets should fly. Externally, the use of this ability resembles scenes from the film "A Fistful of Dollars" by Sergio Leone. This is how the gunslinger Joe, played by a young Clint Eastwood, killed his enemies. The opening credits in red and black colors are taken from the same film.

The problem with all game westerns before the release of Red Dead Redemption is that they did not have a good sense of the Wild West atmosphere. Yes, the scenery in Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood and Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive looked authentic, but the projects themselves remained standard representatives of their genres. The same can be said about Red Dead Revolver. Only by 2010, Rockstar focused on attention to detail and made a project that cannot be called "GTA in the Wild West", as was the case with GUN, for example. Red Dead Redemption is, first of all, a western in every component, from the plot and atmosphere to game activities in the spirit of train robberies.

Red Dead Redemption Plot. Interactive version of the "Wild Bunch"

Red Dead Redemption 2 turned out to be a prequel to the first part. Therefore, in the original game you will find a continuation of the story of John, Dutch and Bill. By 1911, Marston was approached by the feds, after which he was forced to find all the members of the Van der Linde gang. The search for former accomplices will lead our hero to Mexico, where a civil war is raging. This plot almost literally repeats the events of the classic western "The Wild Bunch" of 1969. Another reference is the shootout in the square, where we took up a position on the roof. A similar scene was in the film. You can also note the parallels with the more modern film "The Proposition" of 2005, which raises the theme of family and the need to kill old acquaintances to save your loved ones.

If you liked the plot of the second Red Dead Redemption, you should also check out the first game in the series. You will find out how the story of idealistic criminals ended, how their dreams and aspirations were shattered by cruel reality. The story turned out to be adult cruel, and this is a huge plus for the project.

Red Dead Redemption Open World

Even by today's standards, the open world of the first part is impressive. There are no towers and outposts, as in Ubisoft games, or artificial restrictions on the hero's level, because of which you cannot get to a certain territory. For the sake of searching for treasures, hunting wild animals or completing numerous assignments, you are allowed to move anywhere. From time to time, you will meet strangers with their tasks. A chance meeting can turn into both an exciting adventure and a shot in the back of the head if you do not understand in time that you have been driven into a trap. Killing everyone in a row is not worth it, because the game has a reputation system.

Outwardly, the world of Red Dead Redemption looks as if we launched the official game based on the westerns of Sergio Leone or John Ford. Endless prairies, where cowboys ride horses, small towns with wooden buildings, stunning sunsets — before us is not a reliable demonstration of the realities of the early twentieth century, but rather, movie scenery recreated on the game engine.

Gameplay

If you played Red Dead Redemption 2, then you already know roughly what to expect from the first part. Cheerful shootouts using covers are replaced by adrenaline-fueled horse chases. From time to time, non-standard gameplay situations are offered, for example, the need to defend a moving boat or fire from a heavy machine gun. If you wish, you can diversify the passage yourself by completing optional tasks, hunting wild animals or playing poker.

Is it worth playing the first Red Dead Redemption after the second part

The plot, which we mentioned at the beginning of the article, is not the only reason to check out the original Red Dead Redemption. It is still a high-quality action game that plays great even 14 years after its release. Moreover, the first part is shorter in duration than the second, so the action in it is more concentrated. Filler missions are found, but much less frequently.

At the same time, it is worth admitting that in terms of quality of execution, Red Dead Redemption 2 is still better. But this is not a problem with the original game, but a demonstration of the development of Rockstar San Diego as a development studio. In the meantime, we recommend that everyone who missed it in 2010 check out the project.

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Have you played the first Red Dead Redemption? Or are you just planning to start playing on October 29? Share your opinions in the comments!