Red Dead Redemption

This is simply a beautiful game, and it's provided more than a few moments where I completely forgot where the hell I was supposed to be going while riding over golden hills at sunset or through the desert in the middle of a nighttime lightning storm. It doesn't quite convey the loneliness of the real empty spaces, but does compress the essence of all the varieties of land and weather native to those parts into a few hundred miles ride.

A masterpiece not to be missed.

The sandbox formula is far from dead: with RDR is taking another step forward.

On a personal note, this reviewer has a new favourite of all time: see ya later, Ocarina... we had some good times.... [RDD is] NZGamer.com's first ever, and eminently deserving, ten out of ten. Play it until the credits roll. And then keep on going.

A single player game that keeps on giving, is as good as if not better than Grand Theft Auto IV and is as beautiful as a Hollywood epic.

The end of the game - and the outstanding epilogue - punctuates one of the most complete video game stories in a long time. The story will stay with the player for a long time afterwards - long after they get their hands on whatever the next ‘it’ game happens to be.

If this game's concepts seem even remotely interesting to you, head out immediately to your nearest game store and slap your cash down. The single-player story alone is more than worth the price of admission, and the multiplayer is truly unique and will likely evolve into something very special as the community continues to grow.

The game itself is absolutely spectacular...The sheer quality of Red Dead Redemption is evident right from the word go.

An unmissable game for any fan of the genre or great action adventures in general. We don’t often get masterpieces around here, but this is certainly one of those moments in time when gamers will look back more fondly on a dusty old six shooter than anything that involves jacking cars.

With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar succeeds in creating one of the most impressive open worlds I've ever seen in a game, and it's telling that -- even after playing for over 30 hours -- all I want to do is get back on my horse and gallop back into the wilderness.

The whole Wild West has been a huge missed opportunity for the video game industry, until now where we finally have a game that has put the Wild West back on the map.

The atmosphere is second to none, especially in regards to other games out there trying to wrangle the wild west. The characters, the world and the storyline all mesh perfectly to make an experience you wont soon forget.

It was a world I was gutted to leave, and as such stands among the best that PS3 has to offer. [June 2010, p.107]

They've grown up again, giving players a more mature role to play as a man fighting to save his family rather than for more selfish reasons, and layer the story with a bit of human condition which hasn't been well-reflected up until just recently in video games.

The sheer amount of stuff to seek out and do in this game makes it utterly enjoyable.

Red Dead Redemption feels like a new breed of sandbox style gameplay. In the place of flashy cars, provocative women and crazy weaponry is the historically accurate and enthralling realm of the Wild West.

RDR is a phenomenal game that stands out as one of the year's best. The utmost attention to detail is apparent in every aspect, and is something that no gamer should miss.

If you’re for the West, you will latch onto Redemption like an ornery rattlesnake. If the old West is of no particular interest to you, you still ought to find it difficult not to appreciate the incredible level of workmanship and depth on display here. It is a true opus. [July 2010 p.69]

Although this is said of almost every single new Rockstar product, Red Dead Redemption is arguably their best effort to date, if only because it distills all of the lessons they've learned from their previous titles into an engaging, expansive, and enthralling world. But the best part of Rockstar's open-world oater is its honest and open appreciation for the iconic Western genre. [Aug 2010, p.82]

It's a fantastic epic adventure and a title that belongs in every gamer's library. [Aug 2010, p.80]

Red Dead Redemption is the game that finally does the western it’s well deserved justice. The missions are varied, the characters awesomely crafted, the story is great and everything comes together as the best Sandbox ever. Rockstar’s lastest is just a must-have.

The game perfectly captures the expansiveness of frontier life and the gritty gunplay of spaghetti westerns, rightfully earning its place alongside the great Western films and the best Rockstar games. [Issue#206, p.86]

A momentous gaming experience; one that marries artistry with supreme design rarely seen. If there's a textbook on how to be referent to a classic genre while always pressing forward, Red Dead Redemption is the byline. Wonderful.

It's an artful take on a world long lost, an evocative paean to not only the Western genre but also to the beautiful expanse of the American landscape. Even better though is that under that remarkable feat is a game that's been refined and revitalised, setting the open world genre free and creating an experience that's quite likely to be one of this year's very best.

Excellent gunfights, strong characters and plenty of room for expansion makes Red Dead Redemption one of the best games of 2010.

Without being a perfect game, Red Dead Redemption is, in my personal opinion, Rockstar’s best effort to date. If it was a movie, it would certainly share the podium with classics like Unforgiven and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly as one of the best Westerns ever conceived.

With a world bigger than you can imagine dozens of random odd-jobs for you to perform and a story that keeps you hooked from beginning to end, Red Dead Redemption sets the standard for what games will judge themselves on in the future. Never has a game been this immersive in both randomness and story moments, and the visuals and sound only add on to the beauty the game encapsulates for every player.

When Rockstar teased fans in 2005 with a video indicating an upcoming PS3 release, fans took notice – sadly, it took nearly five years for the sequel – Red Dead Redemption – to hit the shelves. But believe me, it was worth the wait.

Red Dead Redemption is one of the most thrilling gaming experiences of all time. The expressive strength of the setting melds with a perfect gameplay, variety, and it's always funny. It is, without doubt, one of the great games whose name will be carved in videogame history.

Rockstar brings the GTA formula to the wild west with excellent results.

A must-play game. Rockstar has taken the Western to new heights and created one of the deepest, most fun, and most gorgeous games around.

You really can't afford to miss this one! It has set a new standard for sandbox games.

Rockstar's latest feels like an actual location rather than a movie set, and it's compelling, cohesive, at once familiar and yet imbued with a sense of slack-jawed wonderment. It's also absolutely unmissable.

Offers a vast amount of great things to do, seasoned by a non-trivial story and ends with a crescendo.

The extremely cool story and an embracing atmosphere will absorb you completely, and even though there are some small weaknesses, Red Dead Redemption knows how to tell a story. And after the single-player mode, the multiplayer still awaits you.

Red Dead Redemption is a fantastic game and arguably the finest Rockstar has ever produced. The production values are amazingly high, the gameplay is varied, challenging and nearly always a blast and the old West is as alive as any video game world yet seen.

Red Dead Redemption perfectly captures the essence of the old West, in a way Rockstar Games does best. Although they didn’t quite nail the Honor/Fame-system and some side missions tend to become tedious after a while, this is the best Western game I ever played and arguably the best game this year.

This is an outstanding game that tells a great story with memorable and occasionally laugh-out-loud-funny characters. Think about great moments that you remember from spaghetti Western movies, put them all into one 20- to 40-hour epic feature, and picture yourself in the starring role. Now you have some idea of what's waiting for you in Red Dead Redemption.

Red Dead Redemption is more than just some basic concepts with a new coat of paint. Standing on it's own two feet, with out comparing it to anything else from Rockstar's past games...(Because of course something years later sure as heck should be better.).....Red Dead Redemption is a stellar game.

Rockstar has outdone itself with this enormous Wild West inspired sandbox adventure. In a world where outlaws rule, John Marston is perhaps the greatest of them all, befriending a dazzling cast of characters for his own need. Revenge.

With some glaring glitches and some so-so mission design, I can't in good conscience give the game a 10; but make no mistake, this game is the cat's pajamas. Get it.

Red Dead Redemption performs very well on all fronts and has little to no mistakes. This game is a must have for fans of the sandbox genre.

'Red Dead Redemption' is a must buy. Every Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 owner should play this game (as long as they’re over 18 and not a member of PETA). The only reasons I can’t give this game a full 10 are the annoying glitches, connection issues and the lack of difficulty.

While there are some niggling bugs and occasional minor frustrations in the game, Red Dead Redemption gets so many things right that you’ll hardly even notice. Red Dead Redemption is the best Western game I’ve seen and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Red Dead takes a familiar recipe, adds a skilful blend of western elements, and the result is something really rather special. Easily the best Wild West game to date.

If the GTA style of sandbox gameplay set in the old west excites you at all, have no reservations about picking yourself up a copy.

As a fan of the Western, Red Dead Redemption hits its target squarely. Perfection may be impossible, but this game gets closer than most, and it sets a new standard for the Western game genre.

Is this a better game than GTA? Technically, atmospherically, visually: absolutely. Narratively? Too subjective to call. Will you enjoy it more than GTA IV? That depends on how much you like the setting.

Red Dead Redemption is a triumph and although not entirely devoid of an assortment of little flaws and annoyances, it’s still one of the best of the generation.

It’s an original, varied and faithful rendition of life on the frontier, filled with the kind of quality and eccentricity that we’ve come to expect from Rockstar, and stands on its own merits as one of the best games on PS3.

It’s not quite perfect, and at times it can be repetitive, but the developers do so much right here, it’s easy to forgive the miscues. There is simply no excuse to miss out on a game this good.

It's enough to make you want to start chewing t'baccy and eating jerky, if you don't already. [Issue#193, p.90]

Red Dead Redemption is the best you could expect from Rockstar: a deep and lasting experience crowded with interesting characters and appealing missions. Where the title falls short is when it comes to facing the GTA IV legacy: you won't find innovation, if not in the beautiful environment. Still, a title you don't want to miss if you love either western setting, Rockstar titles or free roaming with a deep background.

Red Dead Redemption is a masterpiece. This game is the perfect example of how a developer should work to create the best atmosphere and to represent a beautiful historical situation. The graphics, the gameplay elements and everything else is at top level. Buy Red Dead Redemption, now!

It offers the qualities we've come to expect from Rockstar in abundance, but just slips up short of GTA IV in delivering an experience that transcends the remit of a video game. Not quite a genre-defining experience, but one that offers a whole heap of entertainment for your money.

With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar simply took the best from GTA and put it in the far west universe.

GTAIV’s modern weapons spit bullets like angry hornets until a health circle depletes; here, lives end in uncompromising fashion. For the western aficionado, it is viciously accurate; for the fan of wanton sandbox carnage, it is comically frank.

Without a doubt, Red Dead Redemption has been worth the wait. The finesse of the final delivery and the richness of the world is awe-inspiring and will keep you thrilled from start to finish.

In Redemption, Rockstar have succeeded in taking an over-subscribed genre and realizing it with such atmosphere and boundless possibility that it fluently captures the thrill of the Wild West, and with that they’ve taken the Red Dead franchise into the big league, proud to stand alongside the best work they’ve ever produced.

If you look at the main game, Red Dead Redemption isn't the best. With rock-bottom difficulty and an inane plot, grinding through John Marston's adventure is a tiresome experience. However, it's one of the best sandbox games ever released.

Gorgeous and feature packed, it's the new benchmark of open world adventures and a must play for gamers with itchy trigger fingers.

For all its achievements in aesthetics and game structure, perhaps the most significant feature of Red Dead Redemption is the way Rockstar has invested the experience with such a sense of nostalgia and poignancy, by stripping the open-world back to an era in which the telephone is the height of technology, an era which, in all its naivety, doesn’t yet realise how fast the tide of progression and modernity will be.

Red Dead Redemption has its problems, and they are a shame. Thankfully, the game's heart and all the underpinning elements come together in such a way that you'll happily forgive the odd transgression as you gape at just how complete this world is.

It gives players a satisfying, open-world experience – those who want to follow the main story can do so in about 15 hours, while the completionists will have a field day with all of the side missions and other items added into the game.

Rockstar does it again. Delivering a great game we mean. Red Dead Redemption has the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto, but situated in the Wild West. Go with John Marston through an exciting adventure in a great environment full of details. Besides some collision detection problems and many glitches/bugs Red Dead Redemption is a great game.

Better then many movies! Finally we’ve got a proper western game without any clichés and yet with all ingredients a right western must have. [Issue#192]

Perhaps the best western-themed game yet. Red Dead Redemption is ambitious but it gets all the important details just right.

Red Dead Redemption is much easier to describe than the complex predicament of its principal character. "Grand Theft Auto 4 meets Wild West" – and this is it.

What Red Dead Redemption does best is allowing players to do whatever they want, whenever they want in a setting unlike any other.

Rockstar's skill in creating a believable, functioning world with a distinct, coherent and consistent atmosphere is peerless. The broad-brush vision is masterful.

Red Dead Redemption is a strong entry in the sandbox genre and a promising opening chapter from Rockstar San Diego.