Review: Red Dead Redemption 2

The stables available in-game can allow you to have up to three other horses in addition to your "main horse" that you have with you out in your travels, so don't forget the important of strengthening your bond with your horse to maximize its potential.

When you think of Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto is no doubt the first thing that pops into mind. They’ve built a multi-billionaire dollar franchise that has become a household name, but they’re a multi-studio company that has many properties in their catalogue. Midnight Club, Smuggler’s Run, Max Payne, State of Emergency, Bully and so many more, Rockstar is far more than just Grand Theft Auto. With that said, their third-person action adventure formula has worked for them in the past and so they’ve been implementing it into other titles, one for palworld major update release example would be Red Dead Redemption. Released over eight years ago, we dove into the Wild West like we’ve never done so before, with an open world ripe for exploration, a compelling story with a loveable cast of characters and a cleverly-designed shooting mechanic. Here we are again, as Rockstar has created a more colossal and immersive game that puts it in a familiar territory, all while making feel like its own identity.

With enough time and bonding, you can even unlock more advanced riding tricks and techniques, such as rearing, drifting, and a quick turn ability. Where cars and other vehicles in Grand Theft Auto are fairly disposable, Red Dead Redemption 2 creates a more genuine relationship between the player and their horse, and given that I had a few close calls with my own horse, Marble, out on the road that almost led to its death, I would have been heartbroken at his loss if that happened.


Now, who doesn't love a good video game dog? It seems that over the last three years, companion canines have become a growing trend that players absolutely love. Dogmeat from Fallout 4 was the latest example of how fulfilling it is to traverse a large open world with a loyal dog by your side. The trailer didn't necessarily show any indication that you could own a dog, but it did make a big deal about animal interactions in the scene from inside a very muddy town that included a scruffy dog barking at a pack of vultures. Though Rockstar hasn't necessarily dived into party member, mechanic role-playing games, it doesn't mean they'd never included it in their games. Don't be surprised if there's a portion of this game dedicated to your relationship with a dog. Heck, Rockstar has even gone as far as to create entire missions centered around Franklin's pet dog, Chop, in GTAV . There's always h


One of the spookier finds thus far has been the discovery of a woman chained inside of an outhouse. She's been disfigured and continues, with apparent difficulty, chanting off numbers in a specific order. If you'd like to see or hear her for yourself, you can head to the Braithwaite Estate. On the outer edge is the outhouse with the inmate in question. What's her story? What do the numbers lead to? Is she locked in there for good reason? Or is it simply because she's differ

When you hold the "Focus button" (L2 on PS4), Arthur will be able to interact with virtually any other human or animal he comes across and has a variety of ways that he can engage with them; typically, that involves an option to greet them, rob them, antagonize them, and more depending on the context.

Getting back on topic, the problem with the controls is that they can be overly finicky. For example, mounting your horse and strangling a nearby pedestrian are assigned to the same button for whatever reason. Same goes with interacting with an item on the ground and say vaulting over a railing to your death. Throwing dynamite while in cover can also be hazardous as more than often it found itself on the cover in front of us. In addition, dealing with a horse is the biggest pain in the ass than anything else in video games and Red Dead Redemption 2 is no exception. The difference between this and Grand Theft Auto is that your vehicle won’t run away when it hears gunfire, ensuring you fail a mission when you need him. The physics can be a little wonky, too, as we had multiple instances where the horse could easily make a small dip or go over a rock, but instead decided to trip over its own feet, dying in the process once in a while. We even had an instance where it ran into another rider while in the cinematic camera angle (which allows you to put the controller down as the horse gallops to a set destination), something the recipient of the crash was not too happy about. Finally, I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to assign the run button (tapping X) to the horse, but there has to be a better way. As you can see, I’m not a big fan of horses in video games, as it consistently feels like you’re fighting with them, which doesn’t help with the already finicky controls.


And what do you know? There was actually something to find. Up on Mt. Shann, a little searching will reward you with a find big enough to make any archaeologist jealous. A massive skeleton lies solitary among the snowy mountains, begging the question: Is that really the end of the hunt? Or is the truth still lurking somewh