It is a normal day in the town of Valentine: the sun shines on the spur of the town’s people, the air smells of an old town. People stroll on their horses to the saloon to game – poker with a beer on the side – town folk gather around to see two men staring at each other. Both men stand far apart as they slowly reach for their holsters. One yells out “Draw!” Then, one of the men falls to the ground, his revolver shooting out smoke as the man who stood put it back on his holster.

The man shouts, “Who else wants to challenge me?” and the player is in the mood for some excitement, so they go up to the man and accept his challenge. The town goes quiet as they look at, ah, ready themselves for the draw. The man yells out, “Draw!” In a blink of an eye, the man’s gun flies off his hand and lands on cold, hard grass. The man screams in fear and runs away as the player stands there, twirls his revolver, and puts it back in his holster.

RockStar Games created a “funny” cowboy game called “Red Dead Redemption 2” on Oct. 26, 2018. Since then, this timeless class has been stuck in players’ hearts as one of the best Western games one can get their hands on, even to this day. From its amazing story to its satisfying gameplay and jaw-dropping realism, there is a reason that this old-time classic is still loved by many fans. 

Those unfamiliar with “Red Dead Redemption 2” should consider themselves schooled on this classic, and push themselves to try the game firsthand.

The story is, by far, the best selling point this game has to offer. ”Red Dead Redemption 2” provides an amazing portrayal of a dying generation losing itself to greed and need for power. What really makes the game hit way too close to home is how it encourages players to get connected with the amazing cast of characters this game has to offer. Dutch van der Linde is the leader of the van der Linde gang, and serves as a father figure to the protagonist, Arthur Morgan. Then, there is John Marston, who is like a brother to Arthur Morgan, having both lost their parents at an early age. When Morgan and Marsten are taken in by Dutch van der Linde, both become the first members of the van der Linde gang. 

The story is best played blind, so there will be no spoilers in this article. But know that going in without any preconceived ideas is really the way to play when it comes to a story like this – one gamers do not see every day.

The gameplay is a treat for any die-hard Western fan, or anyone that can get behind some gun play (in video game format, of course). There is a variety of weaponry the player can get their hands on by getting them from the main story to exploring the great landscape in the five fictitious U.S. States the game has to offer. Every gun provides a different kind of play style from which the player can pick: from the cattleman revolver that the player receives at the start of the game (an all-around with good fire rate and accuracy), to the Mauser Pistol, the fastest gun in the game (which comes at the cost of low fire power). 

The real selling point towards the gameplay is that, to make the player feel as though they are in a Western film, the player has the ability to use “Dead Eye” in which time slows down, allowing the player to paint their enemies with red Xs to indicate where they want to shoot before unleashing a hell-storm of bullets in just a blink of an eye. All the while, the enemies topple to the ground, not knowing what just happened. Even better, the player can choose from two different firing styles, from aiming with the iron sight to making sure Arthur Morgan hits his shots to quickly drawing the gun and fanning it when the enemy least expects.

No other game can compare when it comes to how accurate the realism in “Red Dead Redemption 2” is. Every action in this game that the player makes will – 99% of the time – correlates with realistic results. The game makers provide a prime example of this realism by letting Arthur Morgan grow both his hair and magnificent beard in just a few days if it is not regularly cut. 

Few games can get the visual of fire spreading right: similar games might feature a fire that just appears and disappears after igniting a Molotov cocktail. “Red Dead Redemption 2” takes it a step further, allowing the fire to spread in real-time, depending on what surface the Molotov lands on – instead of disappearing in just a few seconds. 

Realism can really hit players hard, depending on the actions they take. For example, if the player decides to be dishonorable and kill a random man for no reason, there is a chance, after coming back to the town, that the wife of the man the player killed will come up to to the player’s character in the game and yell at them for the inhumane act the player committed. But, if the player prefers to be honorable, giving a man medicine for a snake bite, for example, the player can come back to the town near where the man was bitten and find himself sitting on a bench, chatting with a friend who would gladly let the player buy anything they want and put it on his tab as repayment for saving someone’s life.

Overall, this game has a lot to offer. Gameplayers should not balk at the $60 price tag, as “Red Dead Redemption 2” has a lot to offer, from its incredibly written storyline to the fast gun play, to the immersive realism this game boasts. “Red Dead Redemption” has it all, so long as the player does not mind a bit of horseplay. 

Not to mention, this masterpiece goes on sale on some occasions on Steam, so it does not hurt to put the trigger and give it a try.

And remember to stay safe in the Wild West, and especially avoid the lumbago (it is a serious condition).