Red Dead Redemption (PS3)

“This is probably the best 'wild west' game I've played. There's lots to do and lots to explore, and the sheer attention to detail is just plain ludicrous. It's one of those titles that should be forever revered in gaming history as one of the...”

“This is probably the best 'wild west' game I've played. There's lots to do and lots to explore, and the sheer attention to detail is just plain ludicrous. It's one of those titles that should be forever revered in gaming history as one of the greats. It's almost no surprise - we're talking about a Rockstar game.

What I liked:
- Superb in the graphics' department - the environment is rich and detailed, as is pretty much everything else, down to smoking gun barrels in pitch black darkness and minor muzzle flashes.
- Great soundtrack.
- Gameplay is just amazing. An open-world experience with a staggering amount of options, ranging from duels and shootouts to hunting and skinning animals, capturing and breaking horses, collecting bounties, playing poker, watching in-game films and much, much more.
- Attention to detail in every department.
- Fantastic (Rockstar-grade) story.

What I didn't like:
- The Euphoria engine - whilst it is one of my favourites - is still somewhat experimental. There's rarely an issue here, as it certainly has been improved since its use in the Force Unleashed games as well as Grand Theft Auto IV, but occasionally your character might stumble about like a fool for several minutes, and this has the potential to occur at inopportune times. Most of the time it's hilarious though, and as I said - the engine has improved drastically since last we saw it.
- Playing as John Marsden's son at a certain point is somewhat of a huge downgrade.
- Dead-Eye system can take a great deal away from the difficulty of the game; there's also a minor loss aesthetically in terms of realism and immersion.”

“My first reaction to Red Dead was that it was something familiar, but also a breath of fresh air. It felt like Grand Theft Auto IV, but I was riding horses and hogtying bad guys. The f-bomb didn't rear it's ugly head every 5 seconds and the NPCs...”

“My first reaction to Red Dead was that it was something familiar, but also a breath of fresh air. It felt like Grand Theft Auto IV, but I was riding horses and hogtying bad guys. The f-bomb didn't rear it's ugly head every 5 seconds and the NPCs seemed like mostly decent folk, save for the creepy ones. The game is beautiful, the controls are solid, the story is well done, the main character is believable...everything fits. Everything works. A great title!”

“Pretty much perfect 10.”

“Pretty much perfect 10.”