Game Details

• Title: Red Dead Redemption
• Format: X360 & PS3
• Players: 1 - 16
• Genre: 3rd Person Action
• Price: £39.99 RRP
• Reviewer: Matthew Smail

Every now and then a game sneaks out which defies expectation. In a market saturated with also-ran FPS crap set in pseudo-realistic Modern theatres of war, Red Dead Redemption aims to rekindle gamers interest in the long forgotten (but once incredibly popular)'Wild' West of the late 19th Century.

It's an approach which has been tried before without much success. Whilst it is Redemptions true predecessor, the original XBOX title Red Dead Revolver shared little but the setting with its current generation lovechild and was hardly a huge hit. It's possibly for this reason that the industry showed very little interest in Redemption and it certainly snuck up on us here at PJ towers!

As a reviewer, it's diffult to decide which part of Redemptions' genetic material to focus on. Firstly, there is the Revolver link, which is tenuous but cannot be overlooked, whilst more relevantly, there is GTA IV. Back in about 2005 people were hoping that (simply because Rockstar were making it) Red Dead Revolver would be like GTA, but set in the Wild West. Unfortunately they were wrong. However, those hoping the same from Red Dead Redemption will be much happier.

Players tackle the lead role of John Marston; a sombre but not-entirely-charmless ruffian who arrives (somewhat mysteriously) from the East with a couple of citylovin' lickspittles in tow. Apparently these two 'Government Agent' types have a job for Marston and more or less mmediately following his arrival, John is gunned down and left for dead by the gang he used to ride with. As ever, this is the perfect opportunity for him to be rescued by a well meaning family who then go through the rather familiar motions of teaching us how to perform basic tasks such as moving, riding horses, shooting and the like. To be fair, Rockstar know the drill by now and the process is relatively painless; though sadly no amount of Tutorial minigames can save Redemption from its somewhat cumbersome Inventory, Menu and Weapon selection screens.

After not very long at all, I decided that Redemption is actually one of the nicest looking games I have played for a very long time. As far as detail is concerned, my knowledge of the Wild West can only confirm that Rockstar have got things absolutely spot on. A huge array of flora and fauna populate the dusty landscape whilst people go about their business in rustic, run down towns built (just as you imagined) along a single main road. Tumbleweed rolls about whilst across the distant horizon, heat haze is clearly visible.

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