Aged like fine wine.
By Ameer Ammar
GAMEPLAY:
This is where some controversial criticisms arise from me, going for 100% for RDR1 wasn’t difficult which I am thankful for but it really highlighted how much this game lacks in depth, it is far more arcadey than RDR2 which does result in a far more action packed fast paced experience but it ends up accumulating in an issue where RDR1 quite literally doesn’t have much going for it outside of shooting things, make sure to play on “Expert” aiming otherwise the game plays itself.
Gathering herbs is useless outside of challenges and selling them for pennies, hunting is quite bare bones and is also useless outside of challenges and selling due to the game lacking any crafting systems.
Breaking horses is useless because you can respawn the war horse infinitely as well.
Also the arsenal of weapons has an issue where it is very much a linear progression, there’s absolutely 0 reason to ever go back to an old weapon you had because the next one is objectively better than what’s before.
I am thankful the challenges are nowhere near as tedious as RDR2’s THANK GOD.
I know these criticisms are kinda pointless considering RDR2 fixed them all and RDR1 pioneered most of these mechanics into becoming common in open world games but they’re worth bringing up, That’s not to say RDR1 is a boring experience in a way, this game is an absolute blast but the existence of RDR2 does hinder the gameplay experience, that’s why I always say play this first then 2.
Music:
FINAL VERDICT
STORY:
This tale is iconic in the gaming world and for really good reason with John Marston as one of the greatest protagonists. A man motivated by a singular goal to save his family, his sense of humor, voice acting and whole demeanor is just nothing short of badass, and it is insane how much RDR2 added to how we perceive this story, Making the hunt for Bill, Javier and especially Dutch so much more personal now that we know how these people were before all of these events. The journey through New Austin, Mexico, and West Elizabeth is unforgettable, with a strong cast of side characters. And I can’t end without mentioning the groundbreaking ending which was mind blowing to me, no game before that I had played ever had the guts to kill its protagonists then continue the entire post-story playing as a different character, cementing RDR1 as one of the most unforgettable games ever.
The music in RDR1 deserves a huge special mention, this is one of the greatest western soundtracks ever conceived, From bangers like “The Shootist” to iconic ambient tracks like “Born Unto Trouble”, As ActMan said, of course two guys named Bill and Woody would make the greatest western soundtrack of all time, and yes I like this OST more than RDR2’s, by a lot.
Open World:
It is 14 years old and has more detail, life and things to find than most modern games, I think that says enough.
I adore RDR1, this game is a masterpiece and a no brainer for anyone to purchase, the PS5 port is good enough so if you haven’t played this game before, BUY IT. Ideally on sale since 50$ is a lot for a game this old.
Red Dead Redemption - 10/10 - MUST-PLAY