The time flies ! Rockstar classic Red Dead Redemption is already 10 years old this year. It is quite rare to say that only one game represents the universe it addresses, and yet, for a long time, Red Dead was the only Western-type game to really convince players. Obviously, his successor Red Dead Redemption 2 managed to bring a lot more, but for many players, the first of the name remains their western video game of the heart. This thanks in particular to the story of John Marston, an ex-outlaw now repented, whose mission is to track down his ex gang mates.
John Marston’s story
Because this is the main reason for the success of Red Dead Redemption: a charismatic main character and a script serving him beautifully well. When he plans to end his life peacefully with his family, John Marston is forced by FBI agent Edgar Ross to track down all the members of his ex-gang. This forces Marston to complete a very dangerous quest which he obviously did not wish to carry out without this threat from the FBI. And finally, the poor guy ends up dying, at the very hands of this crooked agent Edgar Ross. The reason why Marston is now one of these emblematic characters of the video game, it is thanks to his deeply human side, which undergoes late the consequences of his past actions.. With this moral: “redemption is ultimately not possible”.
GTA Western
Besides the incredible storyline and the main character, Red Dead Redemption also stands out for its gameplay and the vastness of the open world portrayed by Rockstar. We move in meadows, mountains, deserts or even very typical cities of the period covered. The feeling of change of scenery is total. Finally, it really feels like being in a GTA with a historic dimension. The gameplay is quite similar to the open world that made the studio famous, except that the cars are replaced by horses and the AK47s by Revolvers or vintage rifles. Needless to say, it is a success, everyone now knows it.
Success and influence
Needless to say, faced with such a monument, the entire specialist press was unanimous: the 18/20 rained for many days. The game was even voted Game of the Year during the Video Game Awards, which will not surprise anyone. From a sales perspective, Red Dead did particularly well since in 2015, 5 years after its release, Take-Two was able to announce that the game had sold over 14 million copies. It’s less than a GTA game, but the Western side is less attractive to many players. So inevitably, with such success, Rockstar launched the development of a sequel with Red Dead Redemption 2, released in 2018.
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