It's kind of the "Free Bird" of video games. It's thematically thin, but just fatalitic enough to feel poetic. It's a cornerstone of modern American AAA games the way Free Bird is a cornerstone of 70s rock. Both a very much for Your Dad. And its legacy is ultimately tied to its vastness.

Just as Free Bird goes on and on and crescendos with a long guitar solo, so does Red Dead Redemption go on and on and then crescendos spectacularly... although crescendo is the wrong word. This isn't a game that leads to a big, violent set piece, but rather leads a series of quiet domestic chores as you reacclimate to life around the family farm. But in contrast to how loud much of the preceding game is, it feels a bit like a crescendo, like an inverted guitar solo.

I do wish this game wasn't so cartoonish. It feels like a game that could easily bare more of its soul. Red Dead Redemption 2 certainly comes closer to doing that. But here, just about every mission from after you leave Bonnie's ranch until you get back to Blackwater is filled with nonsense comic characters, with a few exceptions (Marshal, Landon, Luisa). Nothing wrong with having a sense of humour but in a game that's attempting to be as sombre and "authentic" as this is, the stereotypes just feel lazy and insecure.

Anyway. Good ending. I liked riding around the old west. And when I first played this I wasn't a very big gamer and it spurred 16 year old me on. I still have a poster of Bonnie on the wall of my old room. I don't know that I'll ever be able to NOT see through all of this game's warts.

São raridades como essa que me fazem gostar de video-game.

A maneira que é contada a história da gangue, do John, e de todo o resto é impecável. Me ganhou do início ao fim, o protagonista é muito FODA e os personagens são muito bacanas também.

O jogo tem várias missões badass, e uma soundtrack desgraçada de boa.
O mundo aberto retrata muito bem o decadente velho-oeste, e mesmo sendo um pouco vazio, é muito bacana de explorar.

E aquele final foi absurdo, colocou fim a um personagem que demoraria 8 anos pra ser superado.

"We die alone but we live among men"
Recomendadíssimo.
9/10
(Quero MUITO jogar o 2 mas é caro pra kct)

I genuinely hate Rockstar mission structure, it is a scourge of poor narrative pacing and game design that I hope whoever coined it first gets fired off a cliff. That being said, Red Dead Redemption is an alright time overall, mostly because when the narrative actually decides to hit, it does.

Red Dead Redemption is one part really weak open world with middling side stuff, one part gameplay that just barely passes, and one part great narrative poking fun at Wild West revisionism and revisionism in general that is somewhat taken apart by shitty pacing thanks to its meandering structure. That ends up all combining to make something cohesive and somewhat immersive, not really a match of gameplay and story because the mission mechanics undercut the freedom you can have (hey there's a NakeyJakey vid on this you should see for RDR2). But it works, at least.

I really do find however, that the story elements it offers are genuinely great and competent to be worth the venture. Rockstar's writing while not perfect does end up generally understanding and evaluating the culture and time period it works with, putting up heralded ideals of Wild West storytelling and then cutting its limbs, pointing out the issues of its supposed "freedom" as you go from Mexican war where both sides are narcissists, wanted lists that give no real glory, the old guard completely exploited by the police and government as capitalism decides the real truth. And even with all of that subtext, RDR still manages to bring out a last act that hits home with core family tenants. Again though, a lot of this is terribly paced, with a shitload of "do this favor for x so you can get to y, and then do another favor for x or maybe even y this time! And then after you've done this 5 times we'll actually continue the fucking story." It's grating, but I think the heart of it shines through over time.

Overall, it's an alright game where the positives while strong are cut under by the scope and structure it works with. It's fine, worth trying out at least but maybe not finishing. (6/10)

Sou incapaz de julgar qualquer coisa desse jogo.

Pode falar o que quiser da Rockstar, mas ninguém supera tecnicamente os caras. A partir do GTA 3, só lançaram pérolas que estavam, no mínimo, anos na frente de qualquer outro jogo da época. E mesmo hoje, 13 anos depois, não é nada fácil encontrar um jogo tão divertido quanto Red Dead 1, é loucura que ele ficou preso na geração xbox 360/ps3 e mais loucura ainda que ele saiu nesses consoles.

Personagens muito bem escritos, a narrativa não te deixa piscar, gameplay não cansa e mesmo depois de zerar você quer continuar jogando. O final do jogo é simplesmente genial. Pra quem está acostumado com o humor do GTA, chega até a ser estranho um jogo da Rockstar que se leva tão a sério, mas o resultado disso é incrível.

Além da história principal, as missões secundárias são igualmente cativantes, até arrisco a dizer que gostei mais delas do que as que tem no GTA. Já ouvi dizerem que "o mapa do jogo é vazio", mas sinceramente prefiro mil vezes mais um mapa "vazio" porém com a garantia de que cada coisa que aparecer pra mim, sejam missões, eventos aleatórios, atividades, etc. são de qualidade, bem escritos e realmente valem meu tempo de lazer do que um mapa Ubisoft-like: um trilhão de missões e atividades genéricas que poluem o mapa com ícones e aumentam artificialmente o tempo do jogo.

Enfim, falar que apenas recomendo não expressaria 5% do que realmente eu queria expressar. Estou ansioso pro Red Dead 2, que é de conhecimento geral que é de um primor técnico absurdo.

If you want to play this on PC, read the end of my review.

"People don't forget, nothing gets forgiven" is a fitting line to describe this game's narrative, one that is built around legacy. Legacy is what dictates the major players in Red Dead Redemption for the actions they take, whether it be in spite of, in retribution of, or to redeem themselves from. When finishing Red Dead Redemption, I came to understood the imperfect character of John Marston. He is similar in style to characters like Niko Bellic and Michael De Santa when looked at broadly. A flawed person trying to move on, but whereas Niko and Michael are drawn into crime by necessity, John is drawn into it by force for his wife and son. In such a way, it's pretty easy to empathize with him and go through the same feelings he does throughout the storyline.

The setting in particular only accentuates this. John as a character feels more grounded in the juxtaposition of a fairly realistic dying west filled with a cast of characters colorful in personality. The degree of difference between going from the beginning McFarlane Ranch, to the borderline industrialized Blackwater, or the untamed wilderness of Tall Trees is stark to the say the very least. The map has it's own sort of language. It provides further insight to the narrative without being a bit too on the noise. It is very easy to see what you'll encounter in Mexico when just visiting every city. In addition, the characters are made to a degree that they are almost caricatures and in some cases a biting satire, with some being a bit more obvious than the other. However, the dialogue executes it with a degree of earnestness reminiscent of the old 3D GTAs. It is unabashedly a spaghetti western, but the writing team has added a degree of percipience that you may not always find in those films.

Gameplay itself is good enough, as the main allure of this game will be the setting and narrative. The missions at first can be a bit slow, as with many Rockstar games, but once the second and third act come around there is a good variety to all the missions and the pacing ramps up quite a bit. In between, you'll have smaller things like challenges for exploring the world via picking plants, hunting animals, finding treasures along with some shooting challenges. The last few ones for hunting and shooting can get a bit tricky. There is also minigames like Poker, Blackjack, etc which can be a bit of a time sink if you get distracted. I found myself getting quite a bit into Liar's Dice and Poker. The AI in the former can get a predictable however.

For an older title the game still looks good apart from some frame drops and aliasing issues. Given the supposed troubled development it is unsurprising, but you might find yourself annoyed once or twice with it. Face models and the soundtrack are specific technical highlights. The soundtrack in particular fits this game like a glove, I really can't think of anything wrong with it. Face model capturing and expressions are little more natural than GTA IV, and the VA is superb with great performances present in even the most minute characters.

To say the very least, RDR is an incredibly engrossing game from start to finish. Every detail put into it is kept with a degree of genuineness unmatched within the generally limited western genre.

As of Nov. 22 2020, if you want to play this on PC you need a pretty decent computer and be willing to sacrifice random encounters, treasure hunting, and some traversal aspects when doing Xbox 360 emulation. I did this and played the PS3 version for stuff I missed out on. Unless you're fickle for these relatively smaller aspects i'd say it's worth emulating if you only have a gaming PC.

I never expected Red Dead Redemption (both 1 and 2) to be one of my favorite games by Rockstar, and how both games feel more like an emotional experience yet a journey at once. It was a bit difficult to familiarize myself with the gameplay mechanics since I was used to RDR2's, but it's very similar to GTA IV's gameplay except it's more revamped. The immersion is outstanding as always, though the pacing may be a bit odd (not as slow as RDR2) but gets better as the game progresses. Being a sequel to RDR2 and released before the game, it's impressive how RDR1 has the emotional depth that RDR2 established throughout. The characters that reappear, the references (either indirect or not), and impactful dialogue that parallels both RDR1 and 2.

Still can't believe it took me 2 days to finish the game, and it was worth it! Can't imagine what it would've been like if I played via PS Now.

Red Dead Redemption foi uma experiencia incrivel, desconhecia td sobre a obra exceto pelo final q ja tinha visto na internet.
Esse jogo me fez conhecer o universo de RDR e eu sei q o segundo game é considerado um dos melhores da história e algum dia irei jogar pq foi mt foda esse final de jornada do John.
>> Game finalizado com 100%, n pretendia fazer mas consegui ( oq me deixava com pé atrás era de fazer os desafios pq alguns eram bem dificeis ).

>> Prós
• HISTÓRIA : A história podia ser um pouco mais longa mas n deixa de ser foda, o universo de RDR é incrivel.
• JOGABILIDADE : O artificio do Dead Aim é bem interessante, demorei pra perceber q dava pra usar isso. Os controles no geral são bons tbm.
• PERSONAGENS : John, sua antiga gangue, seus familiares e certos secundarios ( tipo o Strange Man ) são incriveis personagens.
• MISSÕES SECUNDARIAS : Algumas missões secundarias são bem divertidas e outras bizarras.
• TRAJES : Alguns dos uniformes era bem bacana msm alguns sendo bem chatinhos de conseguir.
• JOGOS : Alguns eram bem divertido de passar o tempo, tive q completar todos pra fazer 100% ( e digo q o mais irritante foi o da ferradura ).
• POKER : Só queria aprender pra conseguir a conquista e eu nem sabia como jogar, ent pesquisei as mãos e fui aprendendo aos poucos e no final foi oq me prendeu depois de zerar o game, acabei jogando só com o Jack pq deletei sem querer o save com o John.
• ESCONDERIJOS : É bem legal de fazer essas "raids", curti mt a de Timbleweed e Gaptooth Breach.
• ANIMAIS : Achei engraçado quando aparecia os ursos.

>> Contras
• Nenhum.

>> Perso Favorito = John Marston.

>> Capítulos
• NEW AUSTIN = 4/5
• NUEVO PARAISO = 3.5/5
• WEST ELIZABETH = 4/5
• MARSTON RANCH = 4.5/5

História espetacular, personagens muito bem construídos, mas com alguns clichês que quem jogou jogos da Rockstar já conhece, a ambientação aqui é impecável, tudo parece muito vivo, ainda mais para um jogo de mais de 10 anos.

Algumas missões são interessantes, outras realmente são cansativas mas devido aos tremendos bugs e glitches que me fizeram reiniciar várias vezes.

A jogabilidade aqui é meio pesada, a mecânica do cavalo é muito ruim, quando você mais precisa dele ele desaparece ou simplesmente respawna 2km a frente e demora mais 2 para chegar a onde você está.

Aqui não precisei me preocupar com munição ou armas, o que deixa a trajetória mais dinâmica, fui precisar investir em armas e munição quase no final do jogo, onde as missões com ordas de inimigos aparecem.

A trilha sonora é boa mas ela toca em momentos estranhos, certo momento tocou uma música sombria em um momento que não parecia casar com a situação.

Tem muita coisa para fazer, mas mesmo assim o jogo é um pouco vazio, o dinheiro que você ganha é mais pra comprar abrigos que permitem você salvar o jogo, o que economiza longas e longas jornadas a cavalo, algo que você vai fazer 97% da jogatina.

Aliás, aqui vai uma dica, antes de fazer QUALQUER missão ou secundária, de um jeito de salvar próximo ao local da missão. Vai te poupar muito tempo, fora que nem todas as missões tem checkpoints.

Outra mecânica que me incomodou foi a questão dos duelos, eu simplesmente não entendi como acontece, e não gostei, tanto que desisti de duelar quando era opcional.

Uma outra coisa bacana são os eventos aleatórios, muitos são interessantes, mas ainda aqui isso não funcionou bem. Várias vezes eu nem tive tempo de recuperar um cavalo roubado ou porque ele decidiu se jogar de um penhasco ou porque meu cavalo ainda não chegou até mim.

Tirando essas situações, a imersão é incrível, você quer viver aquilo ali e saber o que vai acontecer.

Returning many years later because at the time I thought it might be a masterpiece for its incredible sadness as a thing in its own right, and for its advancements within Rockstar games' linear history (if this is indeed 'GTA with horsies'). GTA IV pared back the 'scope' of San Andreas which was frankly too big for its own good (according to its detractors), shooting instead for a world which was living, breathing, and, crucially, inhabited (where SA was 3-4 cities surrounded by hills and (both intentional and unintentional) ghost towns). Red Dead proved you could have it both ways — when playing it feels lonesome it's thematically lonesome (rather than forgotten by devs) — there's enough variety in the environment that everything feels significant, and if that's not enough then the NPCs and animals found in the wild acknowledge the player's presence, whether through fear or violence.

My issue with it then was that everything post-Fort Mercer disappeared in a haze and then it was over. I've tried to pay attention to it this time in order to account for lost time, and what happens is that after Fort Mercer, Red Dead actually does become something like Grand Theft auto: Horsies. The landscape becomes secondary to the action or to advancing the plot, and all is lost in a blur of cutscenes, quirky NPCs, fighty-bits, and however much John Marston protests "I'll only help you if you advance the plot for me," (thus contextualising the fighty-bits) decentralised activity making for a sort of action-game lobotomy. This becomes incredibly obvious having 'completed' Mexico, riding (if, as you should, one refuses to fast-travel) through those war-torn deserts to the familiarly barren Rio Bravo/Cholla Springs, and stopping for a second in the prairie of Hennigan's Stead where the formative bits of Red Dead played out: in a silent introduction our hero is coerced into enacting a revenge that he does not believe in, where we think he will show off his ability to enact said revenge but is instead overpowered in spite of his stoic-cowboy verbalising, where he then wakes up in a shack on some prairie thanks entirely to the kindness of strangers, removes himself from his bed, and shoots rabbits and shit in the thickened and tender time of the prairie.

The body is a tomb and the body is vulnerable — in spite of the metaphysically astounding skies (the way different types of light effectively re-paint the entire world as it occurs in real life: from the harsh sun of midday where the game plays prickly, to the diffused magic hour where one moves slower) and weather (the storms with the power of a JMW Turner), Marston walks down the stairs one at a time. If I could write for shit I would write 100 pages on John Marston walking down the stairs one at a time and what this means experientially for the player, but these non-sentences will have to suffice: because the character is 'trapped' in this situation (depersonalised revenge on those who mean something, personally) and the player is trapped with him (as him?), the tragedy is gut-wrenchingly fatalistic. The body is a tomb, the revenge is hollow, the fights are both confusing and dissatisfying (almost Peckinpah-esque), and the videogame medium has been used for this anti-western in a way that is distinct to the videogame medium — it's embodiment as punishment. The painterly dimensions and cross-media references (Rockstar's pop culture regurgitation and the fact that most 'westerns' we admire are samurai films re-tooled as examinations of the values and tropes of the western previous) are worthy of critical discussion and admiration, but the way the game plays as a game (kinaesthetically) is where the ineluctable art lies. Even when one was not flying in GTA there was a forward momentum and impression that the body could transcend the world-as-prop. The best one can do in Red Dead is shoot birds from the sky, to bring what is up there down here with us. Whether one agrees that the landscape is the protagonist or not, it is sublime in the Schopenhauerian sense (i.e. not just beautiful skies) — it reminds again and again that the player is trapped in it, that it cannot sustain her, and that it will outlive her.

This cosmic insignificance is acknowledged and worked with in the early game, killing rabbits, herding cattle, and attempting to use in-game markers rather than the inexplicable horse GPS. As a build-up to a doomed stand-off, the game is perfect. One could certainly account for the blur of violence, narrative sub-plots, and ends-driven travel that begins at the 33% mark by pointing out that the further the character returns to his 'old ways', the less he gives a shit about his sublime insignificance, shooting rabbits, ascending/descending the stairs step by step, etc, and the more he welcomes the psychosis of ends-driven ultraviolence. But three things in particular stand in opposition to this: the fact that the player is 'welcomed' to Mexico with a forced on-the-rails twitch-game massacre (in stark contrast to the game earlier asking the player to consider every life they might take), the late game where Marston receives his payment (and the prairie-like 'every little thing matters' nature of the early game returns with it), and the ending (whose tragedy/fatalism/etc is reinforced or even resurrected by the return of the aforementioned prairie-style gameplay).

Red Dead Redemption is bookended by folk tragedy and low-key non-heroics brought about by a body that cannot help but react to every single rock, tree, patch of grass, drop of rain, sunset, staircase. What happens in the middle is one of the downsides to creating something expensive when success is measured by financial returns, and the way to guarantee said returns is to imagine the dumbest possible audience. There's enough to argue the case that Red Dead is one of the more thoughtful, fatalistic masterpieces of the medium, but the concessions it makes to fulfil its obligations to an imagined audience who want GTA: Horsies are difficult to ignore.

Red Dead Redemption II was a game that changed how I viewed video games. I was only just starting to understand the idea of games being an art form thanks to the Metal Gear Solid series, but playing a painstakingly crafted game that featured a well written, expansive, and emotional story and a living, breathing open world that was filled to the brim with things to do made that concept obvious. It's a masterstroke of a game that I've been playing regularly since the day it came out, but despite how much love I have for it, I've always wished that I had started with the first game in the series. I mentioned finding a copy of Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days at a CeX in in my review of that game, but I didn't mention how I bought Red Dead Redemption as well.

Rather than being a sprawling revisionist portrait of America like its sequel turned out to be, Red Dead Redemption feels and plays out more like a spaghetti western, as the gritty, dirty visuals and emblematic music feel like something out of a Leone or Corbucci film. One of the main themes of Red Dead Redemption is how America defines "civilization" and "savagery", as the ruthlessness of the game's government makes them no different from the outlaws and Native Americans that that they claim are the true threat to civilization, with the latter group being victims of their genocidal violence on a massive scale. Despite the game's title, John Marston's past and how it haunts him makes any chance of him redeeming himself impossible, and all you can really do is just have him do the best that he can as he watches the Old West that he always knew die right in front of him. The story is straightforward in its structure, cinematic in its execution, and complex in its themes, and the result is a brilliantly told, tragic, and unforgettable game that explores and blends many loaded topics with ease.

Aside from being incredibly well written, Red Dead Redemption is also a very fun game. The guns, horse riding, and especially the Dead Eye mechanic are satisfying (although they obviously aren't as fine-tuned as what is present in the sequel), and the game's missions often feature explosive and fun set pieces that make use of the game's many items and weapons. Exploring the huge open world is especially fun, as New Austin, Nuevo Paraíso, and West Elizabeth are all chock full of sidequests to complete, minigames to play, and gang hideouts to shoot up, and the random encounters with people in trouble even makes simply getting from point A to point B feel eventful. The score by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson is incredible, and the use of Far Away by José González led to one of the best and most beautiful moments I've ever experienced in a video game. The issues that I had with Red Dead Redemption were ones that all got fixed in Red Dead Redemption II, and while it isn't necessarily this game's fault that its sequel improved on it in every way, this was still what held me back from considering this game to be one of the very best. Even with that in mind, Red Dead Redemption is still a phenomenal game with a lot to offer, and since the copy that I picked up came with Undead Nightmare, I'll be playing that soon.

I'll never not think of Red Dead without thinking about my dad.

My dad and I have always had an odd relationship. I don't think we just ever really clicked with how to hang out or talk to each other all that much and, looking back, a lot of that would be on me. The only times we would directly hang out or bond, just the two of us, would be when he watched old westerns on TV and I'd join him, or when he would try to play Fifa 99 with me on the Nintendo 64. I always loved watching westerns with him and wanted to play more games with him, as it's the only activity I was really interested in a majority of the time, but a gamer my dad is not.

Then one day, on the drive into school, he said he had a surprise for me. He picked out a copy of Red Dead Redemption from his car door pocket and handed it to me, said he saw an advert on TV for it and how it had great reviews, and how he thought I would like it. I think it was his way of trying to bond with me. To say I really appreciated it at the time might be an overstatement (I was a shitty teen and really dislike the person I used to be, I hope I'm better now) but looking back, it might have been one of the best gifts I've received. Wish I could go back and give him the appreciation that gift deserved - only realising all of this now really. Going to give him a big thanks when I see him next.

I absolutely fell in love with the game and have loved it ever since. I love you, dad. Maybe I'll have finished RDR2 before I see him next!

It's been 12 years since I've played this game, and it still holds up as one of my all-time favorites all these years later.

This is still one of my favorite stories in gaming. John Marston is an incredible protagonist, and his journey of self-reflection, regret and redemption is so well executed. Rockstar created one of the best worlds in video games with this game--getting to roam around the Wild West, acting out cowboy shit, was and continues to be so damn fun. The characters are all well written, and it never felt like a chore hopping around from one character quest-line to the next because they were all entertaining in their own ways.

The game has aged a little less gracefully in some areas--the movement is still fairly janky, and the combat system leaves a lot to be desired in terms of mechanical depth (especially if you have aim assist on), but they're minor gripes compared to how incredible I think this game is.

I'm not the biggest fan of western/wild west settings in media (books, movies) but Red Dead Redemption broke that sentiment by providing one of the best gaming experiences of its generation.

Yes, on a surface level this is GTA with a coat of western setting. However, as you play the game you soon realize that the production value of this compared to previous GTA games is much higher and that the world itself was perfectly created to fit the time and setting.

Like any Rockstar game, Red Dead is littered with content ranging from your main missions, side quests, collectibles, etc. Graphics are incredible considering the hardware it was made for, providing stunning topography and environments that pertain to the western setting, as well as vegetation, wildlife and weather effects that add to the experience.

To top all the previous compliments, the story is very interesting and builds up nicely as you progress throughout the game. Overall, this is a must-play if you are into open-world games.

it's no red dead redemption 2, but few games are. this is still a lot of fun, and a great little game to have on switch. honestly this feels like what a handheld version of red dead 2 would be like.

everything is scaled back here. all the pros and the cons. makes for a much more agreeable, but ultimately less ambitious game. story was still the highlight, but was more of a great videogame story than the industry leading work of it's sequel. also did not really care for much outside of the main story. can't say why tbh.

ultimately, riding around sun&kissed vistas on horseback and shooting people is just fun, and this will always be true. thus this game is fun. thank god they gave this concept a second go in the sequel. so many of these good ideas become great ones when rockstar gives them a good refinement.

also runs incredibly on switch. honestly among the console's best looking games which is kinda sad.

Cowboy man goes around the west meeting silly folk who only hinder his hunt for
his 3 evil ex-boyfriends

Anyways, game is fun to cowboy in. I think on my replay the story just isnt much strong untill the 3rd act where it starts to pick up more. Writing and acting can feel really basic and dry here and there. Some mechabics just felt weirdly tedious, like why if I wanna fast travel do i need to setup camp outside a town. Why cant i just go to the map and say "fast travel here". Instead i have to fast travel to specific towns or open my map and place a waypoint AND THEN set up camp to fast travel.

Its fun to play cowboy though and theres some fun weapons and tools you can use to just be silly and play cowboy with. John Marston is also a very cool cowboy man who just wants to see his family again. He can a little ruff but inside he may have a good heart? He is trying. I like riding horses so i can lasso people and drag them behind me like the maniac I am. What? Im sane partner.

game is a good time tho, with an easy 20 hours to beat