Within two months, COVID-19 took hold of our 2020 plans and fed them into an incinerator.
Whilst others indulged in the many fitness challenges of Instagram in a bid to show how awesome they are, I decided it would be a great time to revisit Rockstars: Red Dead Redemption 2.
A game of unparalleled proportions, it is a beautifully stylized adventure, complimented with amazing landscapes and open plans (especially comforting whilst in lockdown). Reminiscent of 1960's sergio-esk cinematography, it was great to step back into the old west and continue Arthurs adventures. A great story layered with superb voice acting, Red Dead Redemption 2 lived up to the expectations set by Rockstars' unrivaled reputation. As I played the game again I remembered how gripping the story is and how invested you become in the characters that share adventures with you along the way.
I must admit the western genre is something I’ve always had a soft spot for, watching spaghetti westerns late at night with my father and later going through the entire Sergio Corbucci catalogue with my oldest brother (the original Django, The Mercenary, Compeneros just to name a few).
After completing the game I was pleasantly surprised that the online component has changed since I had first played it, the create a character function has increased enormously. Originally any character you made closely resembled a hillbilly Matt Damon with learning difficulties. They have since fixed this, you can still make your character look ridiculous but you now have the option to make a mean or handsome villain also.
You now have several options of what your online characters role is for the great outdoors, Moonshiner, Bounty Hunter, Trader or Collector. I suspect that Rockstar is trying to go for more of a MMORPG approach to this but it has had mixed reviews, I for one have no problem with this and have been enjoying the online aspect so far and to be honest I'm just happy I can meet up with my friends to play Poker online.
If you haven't played the game in 2020, it is still very much worth your time (which some of us have a little more of these days). Though if you find no stimulation in riding around on horseback robbing trains, hunting, getting attacked by wild animals or saving damsels in distress - then this one might not be the game for you. With next-gen consoles just around the corner, it's a great opportunity to revisit the pure potential of what the current consoles are capable of when pushed to the edge by the team at Rockstar. We can only imagine what they have in store for us moving forward with GTA 6.
So put on your holster, choose a sturdy horse, and get out on the open plain... or you know pick up a discounted copy from your local game shop *cough*.
