I remember when my Dad brought home my first PlayStation, along with Final Fanstasy VII. I was so excited to be clutching that monster case containing 3 discs. In a world where discs are becoming a thing of the past in favour of digital downloads, it seems crazy to think that any game created after 2010 would need anything like. This was not the case for L.A Noire on Xbox 360. Rockstar had put a lot of effort into their facial technology for this game, which was groundbreaking at the time, and it meant that actors would act scenes from the game to give a realistic feel to interviews in game, allowing us to judge their responses based on facial movements. This amount of data meant that the game had to span three discs on the Xbox format as they could not hold it on a single disc, unlike PlayStation who adopted the Blu-Ray disc format. Gamer’s became upset with having to swap discs throughout the game, questioning whether this technology was worth spending mass amounts of money on when facial animators could have done a similar job. We all enjoy a smooth running game experience and this is exactly what Xbox players didn’t
For quite a while now, Rockstar games has been a household name, famous for bringing some of the biggest and best games to our consoles. Originally created as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar NYC was founded in 1998, now with 10 subsidiaries of its own. They boast a wide array of games, such as the Red Dead series, Grand Theft Auto series, Max Payne and L.A Noire . Rockstar have never been afraid to push the boundaries of social acceptance, willingly throwing obscene game-play, sexual content, offensive themes and Bennett new Skin just outright violence into their games. It’s safe to say the majority of us lapped it up and continue to do so today, as Rockstar’s games continue to offer an experience unlike any others. They have managed to create multiple worlds, with Red Dead and GTA at the forefront. Even though they are miles apart chronologically, the experiences are some of the most enjoyable on the mar
Perhaps the most defining characteristic of the Wild West is the vast amounts of wildlife that call it home. Red Dead Redemption did a great job of introducing this by giving players the opportunity to hunt (or get hunted by) animals like bears, coyotes, and wild boars. It would be amazing to see Rockstar expand upon this feature. Imagine the player not only being to able to bait a falcon, but then be able to train it and help the player hunt and explore. Maybe the player could also break in unorthodox animals to ride, like a moose or buffalo. Or instead of just coming across a black bear or two, get to see a large sloth of them moving across a meadow knowing full well if they sense you, you’re d
However, some of these stores are hiding more than they seem, as some of the in-game shops and locations may be hiding illegal businesses for you to discover and take down. While you can look around the stores themselves for any illicit business that may be going on, look for things like locked metal doors to get a hint that the business you are entering may be hiding something, which could potentially be to Arthur’s gain.
For such a stoic man, John Marston, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption , was a bit for a clutz. Despite being a frontiersman that should’ve been adapted to the rough terrain of the West, players found their character stumbling around like a drunken fool at the slightest notion of uneven land. It didn’t seem like John Marston had much ability to explore anything other than flat firm ground. Getting a player character that can climb up can ledges and swim across rivers would make for a much more realistic Western character, ready to take on whatever the terrain throws at them. He doesn’t need to have Assassin’s Creed style free running, jumping from tree to tree like a flying squirrel, but a bit more natural movement and flexibility over what terrain the player can traverse would make for a better character and experie
Unfortunately, GTAV felt a little too cliché. This is where I get nervous that Red Dead Redemption 2 might lean too heavily on certain tropes. I would much rather see an American western tale that resembles a classic, opposed to a film that has been rebooted as of this year. I do not need a game with big set pieces, explosions and more ammunition falling than the leaves on the trees. I’m going to make one more recommendation of the west I envision opposed to the west presented by Hollywood: the Lonesome Dove series puts on the glitz of western tropes while also doing a great job explaining how people lived at the time. This is more in the style that would be preferred in Red Dead Redemption 2. A game where cowboys are cowboys, people are living by the land they’ve settled and getting along fine with the natives. Yes, there were some bad Tribes, but mostly few and far between.
Both Red Harlow/John Marston fit the narrative perfectly; both were men born of the west and knew only a certain way of life. This solidified their stories even more. While Red Harlow sought to seek out the killers of his parents, John sought out closure for a life he had perpetuated on to himself. These stories have western tale written all over them and succeed by showcasing these separate tales in realistic ways, while still playing in to the western tropes people know and love. While there were some bigger set pieces show casing these tropes, i.e. certain shoot outs, they kept the west relatively tame. Especially Red Dead Redemption.