The history of the Red Dead series or why Red Dead Redemption is one of the best games ever (Topic)

Surprising fact: Red Dead Redemption 2 marks the title of one of the most anticipated games of recent years, despite the fact that in the Red Dead series itself there were only two releases. The first is a niche western called Red Dead Revolver, which even old-school players will hardly remember now. The second is the same Red Dead Redemption, but even with more than 10 million copies sold and the highest press ratings, the game is not very well known to a wide audience in USA because of its console fate. So we decided to fix this annoying flaw and tell the story of the Red Dead series.

Red Dead Revolver (2004)

The origins of the Red Dead series takes place in the early 2000s and the bold decision of Capcom, who decided to try their hand at an American western. Japanese developers' tentacles seeped from all the cracks, and at first the game sported the familiar trappings of Asian games, including fantasy characters and flying cowboys. Listening to the voice of reason, Capcom decided to direct the project in a more realistic direction and almost completely transferred the creation of Red Dead Revolver onto the shoulders of American developers from Angel Studious.

In 2003, Capcom stopped believing in the promise of a western and closed development, but this was just a new beginning for the Red Dead series. The game rose like a phoenix from the ashes following Rockstar's decision to buy out the rights to the game in December 2003. Rockstars had only 6 months left to bring the game to its own quality standards and deliver a project worthy of gamers' hard earned shekels.

The final version of Red Dead Revolver turned out to be extremely far from what we are used to seeing in the Red Dead Redemption game. Instead of an open world - linear action in tiny locations and even the plot does not overlap with Dutch's gang, but offers completely different characters. But there are also common features. First, the setting of the times of the sunset of the Wild West. Secondly, the concept of duels. And thirdly, the "Dead Eye" system, which allows, in slow motion, to mark the points of hit of bullets on the enemy for the purposeful transformation of the foe into a sieve.

Does it make sense to play Red Dead Revolver today? Of course, but only if you are a fan of western surroundings, have heard about the talent of such composers as Piero Piccioni and Ennio Morricone, are not averse to seeing another story about a family vendetta and you are not allergic to cloudy textures. Unless we advise you not to fool around with a console emulator, but pay attention to the official remaster of the game, which was released on PlayStation 4 in 2016.

Red Dead Redemption (2010)

Even if the first RDR of 2004 was released and did not receive rave reviews from critics, the game brought income, which means the sequel was only a matter of time. For the first time they talked about the game in 2005, but had to wait another 4 long years, until in 2009 the Rockstars presented the first trailer for Red Dead Redemption. There is no trace of the previous budget version of American Westerns. Rockstar decided to accumulate all their skills in creating open worlds, expanded the familiar gameplay concept of GTA and multiplied their talent on a budget of tens of millions of dollars.

You probably know the bottom line yourself. Red Dead Redemption has received record critical ratings, and on any gaming forum there is a layer of gamers that tirelessly add RDR to the next tops of the best games. So what attracted the western? Oddly enough it sounds, but, ahem, sincerity. Wait, don't rush to smash your forehead with a facepalm and close the article, let me explain.

Red Dead Redemption consists of hundreds of unique and talentedly told stories that make you not only feel the world, but also feel that it lives and breathes separately from the player. 8 years ago, the world of the game was truly innovative, because for the first time not a player is looking for adventure to their fifth point, but they are finding it. Even just stopping at a crossroads, you will definitely become a witness of a cowboy chase, they will try to rob you, or an old woman with a cry will run up and ask for help.

Even such trifles as travel camps have been taken into account. You will surely meet them on the prairies of the Wild West, but there is no reason to send wanderers to the Almighty, discharging the drum of the faithful Colt into their carcasses (although this scenario is not forbidden). You can simply join the fire and listen to the tales of seasoned cowboys. About a humanoid monkey in the mountains, about the sheriff's atrocities and eternal lamentations in the style of "it was better before." The abundance of such moments in the Red Dead Redemption game will probably be missed by most players, but they make them believe in the reality of the world around them. As they say, the devil is in the details.

Another point is the plot. The RDR script is far from the usual GTA freak show. Red Dead Redemption shifts its focus to a tragic, somewhat meditative story. And again, the central engine of the plot is the theme of saving one's own family, which regularly touches the living. The murder of each of the Van Der Linde gang members turns into a real drama, and the dying monologue of Dutch (the one under whose leadership we will play in Red Dead Redemption 2) can rightfully enter the gold box of quotes in the gaming industry.

Enough words, better listen to the soundtrack of Red Dead Redemption. These 4 minutes will allow you to feel much better the melancholic atmosphere of the game and the very "soulfulness" than lifeless lines of text.

Otherwise, Red Dead Redemption is the benchmark open-world game with arguably the best animation in game history. The physics engine of Euphoria works to its fullest and makes sure that the characters react realistically to each bullet hit: backing to the side, grabbing at the affected areas on the body, or automatically grouping when falling. It is this moment that turns the shooting in the game into a cinematic western, competing on equal terms with the best works of Hollywood. Perhaps worse graphics.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

So we got to the most important project of this year. The game will try to develop in depth all the developments of the first part and demonstrate "the most realistic open world in the history of games." You can find out more in our preliminary review. But whether Rockstar, in its only game in the last 5 years, can once again recreate the prairies of the Wild West, which are as beautiful as they are cozy, and at the same time make a universally recognized hit from the Red Dead series, we will be able to find out very soon. Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released tomorrow.

The Topic of Article: The history of the Red Dead series or why Red Dead Redemption is one of the best games ever.
Author: Jake Pinkman