4/5 ★ – FarnySeals's review of Red Dead Redemption.

Red Dead Redemption feels borderline apocalyptic, at least for the old West. Crooks, liars, drunks, and killers are all that remain in the wild, it feels in line with Rockstar's writing style at the time, but in relation to its prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, it creates a bleak portrait of the game's world. The whole thing is bleak as everyone in power is shown to lay down the corrupt basis for the modern, post-industrial America that oppresses so many people today. As a game, Red Dead Redemption certainly feels barebones. Rockstar's classic shooting range style gameplay is the same as it always is, with the addition of some incredibly satisfying old Western guns, and the missions don't go beyond riding somewhere and shooting a bunch of guys. On top of that, a lot of the world is empty, though its to be expected for a game set in the Wild West. At the very least, there are plenty of challenges to complete by hunting animals or conqeuring gang hideouts, but some of these tasks and random events tend to get a little repetitive. Regardless, Rockstar knows how to use their style of game to deliver a masterful story, with dialogue between people on different sides of a coin, highlighting different perspectives for John Marston to weigh on or fight back against. This is paticularly notable in the Mexico section of the game as you balance between the rebels of Mexico and the government, though Marston's centrality in the situation highlights both his character flaws, but also the flaws behind each side of the battle. Many people doubt Marston as a character due to how so many characters assume he's dumb. I've even heard people think this is a game simply about revenge, but I find that despite his lack of common sense, Marston is shown to be aware and intelligent about the world around him. He's clearly had a lot of experience and it shows in his comments about the changes in the world. He's deeply empathetic and you can't help but feel pained by the fact he's forced to confront his past by those who are always working against him. I have a lot of nostalgia for this game as well as the incredibly fun and pulpy DLC, Undead Nightmare, a kind of DLC which is certainly rare nowadays, so despite the game's overall flaws and the admittedly still fun repetitiveness, I'll always have a soft spot for John Marston over the objectively better Arthur Morgan. The ending hits hard everytime, making you wonder if it'd be possible to change what happens, but it just isn't that simple.