Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) Review

The original Red Dead Redemption has been remade for the PS4 and it is available for the PS5 so I do eventually want to play through it. So I decided to use this as an excuse to replay Red Dead Redemption 2 and give it a review so here it is. The premise of the game shows the origins of the Van Der Linde Gang and how the members are on the run from the government and from the world of industrialisation. 

Characters

There are so many characters in Red Dead Redemption 2, that I will not have a chance to go through them all but just know that everybody is fantastic. The main protagonist Arthur Morgan played by Roger Clark is one of the greatest characters I have ever seen in any medium and it is a true pleasure to play as him. Clark gives an amazing performance and records an insane amount of lines for the game. The character has true development and I got so invested in his character and it was a real joy to play as Arthur. 

Reprising his role from the first game Benjamin Byron Davis plays Dutch Van Der Linde and this is also an amazing performance. If you have played the first game then you know where he goes but that doesn't make it engaging to watch this characters development over the stage of the game. Davis voice acting here is phenomenal and makes this one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. 

Rob Wiethoff also reprises his role as John Marston from the first game and even though he plays a smaller role then he does in that game, the use of his character is great. The relationships between John & Arthur and Dutch & John really drives this game and is the cornerstone on things that are great for this game. 

This game also has one of the most despicable characters ever created in Micah Bell played by Peter Blomquist, this character is sneaky, violent and untrustworthy but I can't help but love the delivery of his character and how Blomquist delivers his lines to really make you love to hate Micah and it is amazing. 

As I said at the top, all the characters are fantastic. Sadie, Charles & Hosea are some that really shine but I really mean that everybody is great and gives really strong performances. 

Story

The story is brilliant. There are these group of outlaws that do bad things but you can't help but care about their goals and wanting to see them succeed. The main characters have fantastic development and there is so many good things here with a great ending. There is an epilogue for the game and I actually enjoyed playing it, it isn't as great as the main story but it bridges the gap between the two games really well and I am glad it was there. 

Side Content

There is so much content here that it is insane. Arthur meets many interesting people as he ventures to different parts of America in this game and the majority always want some help and they are pretty much all interesting and fun people. They are fun and provide many different activities to do and some actually contribute to the main story and the character of Arthur. 

Gameplay

The gameplay is brilliant, the gunplay is very exciting. You get access to different types of weapons during different missions and it is very fun to choose what you want to use. The Dead Eye Mechanic is brought back from the previous game and it can change your situation so fast if you are struggling in combat. The hunting and fishing mechanics are also fun and makes things that could be tedious be pretty fun. 

Graphics

The graphics for this game is amazing. The cutscenes seem lifelike and despite being a previous gen game it looks brilliant. There is so much attention to detail for the characters, locations and weapons and it just raises everything up a bit. 

Overall

Overall, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic game and one of my favourite games of all time. I have put almost 400 hours into this game in my life and it deserves every minute. It is a true open world experience and one that can't be missed by gamers anywhere. 

Rating - 10/10