Review: Red Dead Redemption 2
A bit hypocritical perhaps, but at least two Uncharted games and one Gears of War game could use some serious updating. Both Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (2007) and Gears of War (2006) are horribly outdated compared to modern standards. It would be cool to see these games redone with modern gameplay and graphics. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (2012) was released on the PS Vita. Seeing it remade for PS4 would be sweet as pie. Personally, I’d love to see the collections bundled together ala Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Gears of War: The Locust War Collection would be so cool to have.
This seems nearly impossible seeing as we’re almost at the 10-year anniversary of the game’s announcement, but I feel fairly positive Final Fantasy XV might at least launch in Japan by the time 2015 ends. The fact that we’re getting a gameplay demo in 2015, the large amount of gameplay trailers released in 2014, and the fact that the English voice-overs are already done is enough evidence to suggest we’ll be playing Final Fantasy XV sooner than later.
Red Dead Redemption 2 has been hyped to hell and back as of last week, and while still not too much is known about the narrative that will be presented, I just can’t help but want another Rockstar tale that blows my mind. The ending of Red Dead Redemption might be one of my favorite endings of any video game ever. Until more is shown, though, I can only dream.
When you think of Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto is no doubt the first thing that pops into mind. They’ve built a multi-billionaire dollar franchise that has become a household name, but they’re a multi-studio company that has many properties in their catalogue. Midnight Club, Smuggler’s Run, Max Payne, State of Emergency, Bully and so many more, Rockstar is far more than just Grand Theft Auto. With that said, their third-person action adventure formula has worked for them in the past and so they’ve been implementing it into other titles, one for example would be Red Dead Redemption. Released over eight years ago, we dove into the Wild West like we’ve never done so before, with an Open world game beginner guide Open world game collectibles ripe for exploration, a compelling story with a loveable cast of characters and a cleverly-designed shooting mechanic. Here we are again, as Rockstar has created a more colossal and immersive game that puts it in a familiar territory, all while making feel like its own identity.
As for the main story, it’s entertaining but far from revolutionary. It has its highs and lows, the lows being the lack of development outside anyone who’s within the Van der Linde gang. You get to meet a plethora of characters through Arthur’s journey and yet most of them only appear in one or two missions, outside of a couple of exceptions. Red Dead Redemptions 2 moves at an incredible pace to the point that most people in the world are disposable and sometimes unnecessary, making me wish there was more of a focus on specific story beats as it’s spread too thin in spots. With that said, outside of the phenomenal core cast, what Rockstar does right is create exciting scenarios. This is something the company is known for, crafting well-designed and often comical heists that are sure to go awry. Whether it’s robbing a train or a stagecoach, or simply walking through town, each chapter has a handful of standout missions that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Granted, the other missions are mostly broken up into your standard affairs, but at least they’re kept lively thanks to Arthur generally being assisted by another member of the gang.
December 2014 was a terrible time to be a gamer. Not only did we have to contend with the buggy launches of DriveClub, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, but we also had to deal with Lizard Squad who sought to ruin Christmas for so many gamers. With no purpose or intent, Lizard Squad bombarded PSN and Xbox Live servers with DDOS attacks. This crippled PSN and Xbox Live throughout the month, but also on Christmas Day when thousands of new PS4 and Xbox One owners were unwrapping their consoles. These consoles need firmware update to properly function, something that can’t be done if the consoles can’t connect online. We hope that in 2015 this malicious group stays away from PSN and Xbox Live.
Grand Theft Auto V is out on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360, and the PC version launches in January. With that out of the way its time to head back to the old west. Rumors concerning one of 2010s best games have been circulating for a while now, and its about time Rockstar reveals Red Dead Redemption 2. We know its happening, and with all versions of Grand Theft Auto V out in the wild the time has never been more right. We may be waiting years for the game to finally hit store shelves, but better knowing now then being left in the dark.
Another couple of pieces on the collectible item list is the Broken Pirate Sword, complete with a stylish Tricorn Hat. To snag these items, you'll need to head just South of Saint Denis, to the small cluster of islands nearby. Keep an eye out for alligators as you search for an old and mostly destroyed boat that's washed up on the shore. Sticking out of the boat is--you guessed it--the Broken Pirate Sword, entirely usable as a melee wea