Red Dead Redemption

[synthesis]

I couldn't find another thread about this game, so feel free to merge if one's already been created.


In the more than 1,100 articles I have written for this newspaper since 1996, I have never before called anything a tour de force. Yet there is no more succinct and appropriate way to describe Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar rides again.

Background: My buddy went into the Army about six months ago, so I temporarily inherited his PS3. The GTA series has always been my favorite, mostly because I love shooting people but I'm too lazy to aim at them.

Make no mistake: RDR is the death blow to critics like Roger Ebert who claim that video games are inherently incapable of being art. The story, characters, dialogue, voice acting and concept are above and beyond any other game I've ever played - not that many, but still, it really is on the level of a Sergio Leone movie, a comparison I'm not tossing around lightly.

The visuals are incredible, of course, and there's some subtle political commentary, some obvious, as well - I want to let a few posts go by before discussing the plot, so as to not ruin it for anyone who wants to play it but wants to wait for the price go down or buy it used, as I did.

As art, it's better than the vast majority of movies and television today, even for people who normally snub the artistic value of video games, such as myself, mostly. It's not just that it would make a good movie. It's that it finally fulfills the artistic potential of video games as a medium. I don't even like Westerns, except Clint - I didn't even like Tombstone, and heretically, Peckinpah doesn't appeal to my ADD-addled aesthetic appreciations. Basically, you should really give it a try.

[/shill]

[Invincible Summer]

Make no mistake: RDR is the death blow to critics like Roger Ebert who claim that video games are inherently incapable of being art. The story, characters, dialogue, voice acting and concept are above and beyond any other game I've ever played - not that many, but still, it really is on the level of a Sergio Leone movie, a comparison I'm not tossing around lightly.

...

As art, it's better than the vast majority of movies and television today, even for people who normally snub the artistic value of video games, such as myself, mostly. It's not just that it would make a good movie. It's that it finally fulfills the artistic potential of video games as a medium.


Heard of Indigo Prophecy or Heavy Rain?

[synthesis]

Yeah, a friend of mine was telling me about Heavy Rain. I might try it out, if I can find it cheap, and see how it compares. Indigo Prophecy, borrowed it from a different friend, wasn't really impressed. Maybe it's just not my kind of game. As I said before, my primary goal in video games is to shoot people. And animals.

edit: I just read the Wikipedia intro for Heavy Rain. Again, doesn't seem like my kind of thing.


Heavy Rain's story is a dramatic thriller (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_%28genre%29) modeled after film noir (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir), featuring four protagonists involved with the mystery of the Origami Killer, a serial killer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_killer) who uses extended periods of rainfall to drown his victims.

Maybe it's that I grew up in Portland, but this kinda killed my interest. Rainfall? Are you fucking joking me?

[Tablo]

Maybe it's that I grew up in Portland, but this kinda killed my interest. Rainfall? Are you fucking joking me?
It seriously isn't as lame as it sounds. I swear.

[Invincible Summer]

Yeah, a friend of mine was telling me about Heavy Rain. I might try it out, if I can find it cheap, and see how it compares. Indigo Prophecy, borrowed it from a different friend, wasn't really impressed. Maybe it's just not my kind of game. As I said before, my primary goal in video games is to shoot people. And animals.

edit: I just read the Wikipedia intro for Heavy Rain. Again, doesn't seem like my kind of thing.



Maybe it's that I grew up in Portland, but this kinda killed my interest. Rainfall? Are you fucking joking me?

Yeah well if you want to shoot people, it's definitely not your kind of game. But IP and HR really re-define gaming. I haven't played RDR, but I doubt it can surpass the smooth blend of cinematic storytelling and in-depth gameplay that IP and HR offer. Those games are the epitome of how games can be just as meaningful as movies, imo.

[Pirate Utopian]

I fucking love RDR.

"Stop I'm Herbert Moooooooon!!!!!"

[synthesis]

I suppose that the principal distinction is probably in the intended audience. Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy might be immersive and cinematic, but they target people who already play a lot of games and want to sit down for a long time and "experience" it. Red Dead Redemption is more immediate, and there is more material that would engage an art/movie critic who doesn't necessarily play a lot of video games.

I guess it just seems as though a film critic would play one of the first two and think it's a game with the pretense of being a movie. Red Dead Redemption is more of a movie that succeeds at being a game.

[synthesis]

I fucking love RDR.

"Stop I'm Herbert Moooooooon!!!!!"

The best thing about RDR is the similes:

"You're so drunk you couldn't hit the ground with your hat in three throws!"

"Some deck must be shy a joker, Ms. MacFarlane."

"You and West Dickens are so crooked, you could swallow nails and spit out corkscrews!"

[Pirate Utopian]

Bonnie MacFarlane was annoying as hell.

I liked the Mexican missions the best.

[Il Medico]

Best Characters in Red Dead:
Reyes
Irish
Westdickens

Also, is it me or does Jack just look evil. I play evil and John never seemed all that evil. But Jack, Jack just looks like a homicidal manic (which, under my guiding hand, he is).

[Pirate Utopian]

I tend to be good automatically, mostly because I dont want that shitty black evil horse to show up. Also because the perks are better when you're a good guy.

My favorite characters:
Landon Ricketts
Abraham Reyes
Nastas/MacDougal (their interactions made for good comic relief)
John himself
I liked most characters, except for Bonnie and young Jack, older Jack is fine.

[Il Medico]

I tend to be good automatically, mostly because I dont want that shitty black evil horse to show up. Also because the perks are better when you're a good guy.

Yeah, the black horse is shit (I call it ghost), so to solve this problem, I bought the deed for the Hungarian Half-Breed, so whenever Bella (my name for my Hungarian half breeds) dies, I just call up another one. And store owners rip you off, but you just rob and steal, so it isn't that big of deal. Plus, people run in fear from you, which is awesome. (and when you are John, the police in blackwater will talk shit about you.)

[Pirate Utopian]

I never played as evil John, but I was evil Jack for a while.

Evil Jack does say things like "Stupid lawman" when cops bump into him.

[La Comédie Noire]

The ending made me cry.

[Il Medico]

I never played as evil John, but I was evil Jack for a while.

Evil Jack does say things like "Stupid lawman" when cops bump into him.
Speaking of which, did you kill all of Ross's family in "remembering my Family'? I gutted his wife (front animation when you attack close with throwing knife) and fire bombed his brother. I shot Ross in both eyes, the mouth, and the heart. It felt so good. :thumbup1:

[Pirate Utopian]

I tied his wife to the traintracks and got a trophy for it. His brother was attacked by wolves before I could do something.

[synthesis]

Now that I've been shown how to do this:

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but the "first" ending - the last real mission - did actually make me pretty sad, since I thought that was all there was to it. It seemed tragic and unfulfilling, but it made sense at the time because of how almost all the Stranger missions ended the same way: with no real resolution, from the player's perspective. John Marston is one of the best protagonists of any game, ever; he's like Clint with a genuine conscience. Jack, on the other hand, still annoys me: "Work, you damn nag!"

Then I found out there was more to it. Shooting the shit out of Ross, then the game freezes on Jack, and the credits roll - that was so fucking satisfying. Jack's still not much of a real character, the same way John was, but I respected him more for it, for some reason. I don't usually read this much into video games, but it's still great to me.


Yeah, the black horse is shit (I call it ghost), so to solve this problem, I bought the deed for the Hungarian Half-Breed, so whenever Bella (my name for my Hungarian half breeds) dies, I just call up another one. And store owners rip you off, but you just rob and steal, so it isn't that big of deal. Plus, people run in fear from you, which is awesome. (and when you are John, the police in blackwater will talk shit about you.)

You actually name your horses?

[Il Medico]

You actually name your horses?
Yes. The first horse you get (the yellow Kentucky Saddler), I called Felgio y Yellow. He survived for like ever, but then died via snake, right after a huge shoot out with a posse. Then I got an awesome brown horse I named La Medera (I found him in Mexico), he got hit by a train during a mission (I accidentally whistled for him and he ran in front of the train:crying:) Then I got Bella, who died via ninja bear. I bought the deed and now Bella is my horse for ever. (I also got an american thoughbred I called Blackie (died by Khan), and of course the shitty horse called ghost, i usually shoot him when he show up and skin him.)

[The Red Next Door]

Its an alright game.

[Raúl Duke]

My roommate told me that when I get back to Florida I got to play this game (which he has for xbox)

[bcbm]

such a good game. after the macfarlane ranch missions i don't think i touched the story again for like... eight hours

[Pirate Utopian]

Speaking of stranger missions. The strange man from I Know You is the grim reaper.

[Il Medico]

Speaking of stranger missions. The strange man from I Know You is the grim reaper.
I thought he was the devil. Meh. Also, notice that the place you last see him is where John is buried.

[Pirate Utopian]

Yeah.

I think that more games should have deadeye, I swear if I had a few more seconds I could have made John Marston survive.

[Il Medico]

Yeah.

I think that more games should have deadeye, I swear if I had a few more seconds I could have made John Marston survive.
I doubt it, but I did get to kill two suit dudes and an army dude.

[synthesis]

I thought he was the devil. Meh. Also, notice that the place you last see him is where John is buried.

I thought it was pretty clear that he was supposed to be God. He says he's an accountant, and when John Marston shouts at him, "Damn you!" he says, "Yes, many have." That part actually gave me the chills.

[Il Medico]

I thought it was pretty clear that he was supposed to be God. He says he's an accountant, and when John Marston shouts at him, "Damn you!" he says, "Yes, many have." That part actually gave me the chills.
God tempts people with sin?

[synthesis]

Well, yeah. I think that's implicitly the point of the "free will"/"soul" thing. Also, this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_%28Biblical_figure%29), kind of.

[Il Medico]

Well, yeah. I think that's implicitly the point of the "free will"/"soul" thing. Also, this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_%28Biblical_figure%29), kind of.
The Devil was still the tempter/curser in the Job story, just God 'allowed' it to happen.

[Uppercut]

It is wrong to find it hilarious to barrel through towns in a wagon and fuck everyone's day up?:confused:

[Il Medico]

It is wrong to find it hilarious to barrel through towns in a wagon and fuck everyone's day up?:confused:
I commit a crime, get a posse after me, then go to my music in my Playstaion,
I put on this song on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gLTQ2Y2I1Q

Turn around, ride through Them, shooting all of them dead, then back though the town Shooting everyone. (Or if I am in Thevies landing, just ride through the town) FUN!:D:thumbup1:

[Pirate Utopian]

I thought it was pretty clear that he was supposed to be God. He says he's an accountant, and when John Marston shouts at him, "Damn you!" he says, "Yes, many have." That part actually gave me the chills.
Yeah but people dont say "Damn God" they say "Goddamn" as in telling God to damn something not damning God itself.

Based on this line I'd say he's either death because people who lose somebody will curse death or the Devil who is damned all the time and got damned out of heaven.

[bailey_187]

this games shit. why the fuck would i want to ride a horse in an empty desert with a shitty rifle.

[Pavlov's House Party]

i played the game for like 2 weeks when i was in a cast and never saw a fucking snake the entire time, except for once when i threw a stick of dynamite at someone and it blew one up

i also have a problem with zooming in with my gun to get a better look at something and then having the auto-aim go right on some fucker next to me, making everyone in town pull out their fucking guns

[Il Medico]

i played the game for like 2 weeks when i was in a cast and never saw a fucking snake the entire time, except for once when i threw a stick of dynamite at someone and it blew one up

i also have a problem with zooming in with my gun to get a better look at something and then having the auto-aim go right on some fucker next to me, making everyone in town pull out their fucking guns
Fun thing to do, pull out you gun, then get drunk. Then you stumble around with your gun waving around, everyone pulls out their guns and points them at you. It is really quite funny.

[mykittyhasaboner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXqnqQSabfw