The 5 Westerns You Should Watch Before Red Dead Redemption 2
After a few days John is good enough to start helping around on the ranch like any gunslinger who recently received a near fatal wound would. Before too long John is working with the US Marshalls and some other interesting characters. In the same vein as Grand Theft Auto, Openworldpilot officially announced John ends up doing odd jobs for these varied characters to help form an alliance for another go at Fort Mercer. This second attempt goes better, except in victory it turns out Williamson is a cowardly bastard who fled to Mexico. This seems bad, but this also means that Mexico is unlocked and border crossing was much easier a little over a century ago.
Red Dead Redemption was a blast, with numerous side quests, activities and just a big open sandbox world to play in. Great game mechanics and design made it fun, a great story is what made it memorable. The pacing of the story doesn’t ever hit any major lulls and the character of Marshton is sympathetic enough you end up rooting for him, since after all he’s a good guy who just wants to be back with his family. And in trying to get back with his family he ends up being jerked around by the government. After jumping through endless hoops from the government they betray him. The ending of Red Dead Redemption is one of the sadder endings in a video game. The true ending occurs in 1914, and while there is a shot at setting things right, it ultimately feels hollow and unsatisfying. This sounds like a knock against the game, but in reality it is a testament to how powerful the narrative of Red Dead Redemption actually was.
Ever hear of the legend of Lucky Luke? Yeah neither have I, dear readers. That’s probably because it’s based on a series of French comics dating back to the late 40s. As obscure as it is I’m surprised there are so many games based on the character. I grabbed one for my favorite console, the Super Nintendo, and was not impressed. It looks good (resembling the comic to a degree), but I wouldn’t call it exciting. Lucky Luke is slow as molasses in terms of walking and jumping, which makes platforming a needlessly hard challenge. Shooting is no better either. Worse yet, your objective is not clearly defined in a level. I don’t expect games to hold my hand, but give me a break. At least try to be decent to your play
When you reach a destination after traveling on your horse, before you actually embark or reach the waypoint to begin the mission (or speak with a character that might initiate a mission), bring up your weapon wheel to make sure that you’re carrying the equipment you intend to bring with you on the mission ahead. Whether that’s your trusty carbine repeater and a shotgun for those brutal gunfights, or a bow and tomahawk for stealthier missions, always check when you’re by your horse to make sure that you have the right tools for the job, otherwise you’ll find yourself at a loss and may not be able to (easily) return back to your horse before the mission is over.
Unsurprisingly there are a lot of light gun games depicting the Wild West. Revolvers are on of the most iconic guns out there, and everyone knows the best parts of any Western are the shootouts. It’s a natural fit for a video game, but unfortunately, most of these games are bad. Take Lethal Enforcers II for example. This was made for arcades back when developers thought it was a cool idea to digitize actors instead of creating new character sprites. This must have blown minds back then, but it looks like garbage today, and it doesn’t play any better. Lethal Enforcers II is just kind of boring. It may be hilarious especially when you look at some of the cheap costumes at play, see above, but laughter can’t fix all probl
Sweeping vistas, flowing rivers, and stunning mountainsides are all just a few of the spectacular sights and locations that you’ll find in Red Dead Redemption 2 , and seamlessly going between such varying locations and environments is astounding, other than the occasional (and small) frame rate drops I would get here and there. As the game takes the Van der Linde gang through snowy mountains, treacherous swamplands, and (eventually) deep into the heart of the big city, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a visual marvel on both a technical and artistic level, accompanied by a soundtrack that truly entrenches it in the atmosphere of the best Spaghetti Western films out there.
Part of what made Red Dead Redemption great was its characters. John Marshton was one of the better protagonists in a Rockstar game, which is not exactly a small feat given some of the other games they’ve put out. Giving up his outlaw life to be a family man after a bank robbery went awry, he maintains his tough exterior but seems to be making an honest attempt at being a decent human, even if doing so within the confines of the law is somewhat negotiable. The bar was set high enough with Marshton where the only thing I’m mildly worried about with Red Dead Redemption 2 is whether or not the new protagonist can match him. Aside from the lead there were numerous other characters. Nigel West Dickens was one of Marshton’s more entertaining companions. Dickens was a swindler and snake oil salesman if there ever was one, but he did assist John on a few occasions, even if it was painfully obvious John wanted nothing more than to pistol whip him.


