Red Dead Redemption is developed by Rockstar as a follow up to the 2004 hit game, Red Dead Revolver. Set at the turn of the 20th century, it's a western epic when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. The story follows John Marston, a former outlaw, taking you on a great adventure across the American frontier.

Playing as the reformed outlaw John Marston, Red Dead Redemption really brings a feel for the essence of western life as you are immediately thrown into a thrilling story of revenge. John Marston has been blackmailed by the government and his family threatened, forcing him to search out the members of his former gang.

Red Dead Redemption uses the Euphoria game engine -the same as for GTA IV - but they clearly were able to improve on the graphics. The reactions of the AI, the scenery and environment are meticulous and detailed enough to draw you into the story line.

Rockstar transformed this game into a sandboxing free roam game just as they had done to the Grand Theft Auto series. Even though the game is set in the west rather then the present, you still feel like you’re playing in a GTA series. The sandboxing allows you to do whatever you want; with this total freedom you are permitted to do anything, but criminal action can, of course, come with a cost such as getting a bounty on your head or losing honor points.

The sandboxing will always keep you entertained and this is one of the most attractive qualities of the game. Even if you get bored on single player you can always hop onto free roam multiplayer or even compete against other players in gang shootout

A great feature of the game was the random events which could occur at the most inconvenient times and were both a blessing and pain. These events could range from a store being robbed and you would have to chase the thief to a person being attacked by a dangerous animal such as a cougar. Helping those in need could earn you some extra cash or fame, which is a very important thing to have when committing crimes.

Speaking of committing crimes, whether intentional or not, you really have to watch your ‘wanted meter’ or you’ll wind up in jail. Fleeing the scene will remove John from the immediate danger but the chase will still continue with bounty hunters hunting him down

At times you could notice minor glitches – not enough to have a negative effect on the game but it can sometimes take away from the realism of the game. At times your horse could dart in different directions if you headed towards the face of a cliff. It’s likely aa safety measure so you don’t accidently leap off the cliff. Then again, what if you’re really trying to run off the cliff? Then it can get a bit annoying to see John’s horse continuously bounced away by an invisible barrier. Another issue was that John’s horse could sprint at top speed and, when dismounting, then he and his horse would instantaneously slow down from a sprint to a mere jog.

Before the release date, Rockstar Games has already announced three downloadable content packs, with the first one ‘Outlaws To The End’ Co-Op Mission Pack available for free. The ‘Outlaws To The End’ Co-Op Mission Pack features six all-new multiplayer missions full of outlaws, epic gunfights, and revolution for 2-4 players. The ‘Outlaws to the End’ Co-Op Mission Pack offers additional multiplayer XP rewards and brand new Achievements and Trophies to unlock.

The games storyline was excellently executed, although near the end there were a few petty tasks that needed to be completed I was highly surprised by the ending. This is surely one game that you will find yourself continually coming back to.

Red Dead Redemption is developed by Rockstar as a follow up to the 2004 hit game, Red Dead Revolver. Set at the turn of the 20th century, it's a western epic when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. The story follows John Marston, a former outlaw, taking you on a great adventure across the American frontier.

Playing as the reformed outlaw John Marston, Red Dead Redemption really brings a feel for the essence of western life as you are immediately thrown into a thrilling story of revenge. John Marston has been blackmailed by the government and his family threatened, forcing him to search out the members of his former gang.

Red Dead Redemption uses the Euphoria game engine -the same as for GTA IV - but they clearly were able to improve on the graphics. The reactions of the AI, the scenery and environment are meticulous and detailed enough to draw you into the story line.

Rockstar transformed this game into a sandboxing free roam game just as they had done to the Grand Theft Auto series. Even though the game is set in the west rather then the present, you still feel like you’re playing in a GTA series. The sandboxing allows you to do whatever you want; with this total freedom you are permitted to do anything, but criminal action can, of course, come with a cost such as getting a bounty on your head or losing honor points.

The sandboxing will always keep you entertained and this is one of the most attractive qualities of the game. Even if you get bored on single player you can always hop onto free roam multiplayer or even compete against other players in gang shootout

A great feature of the game was the random events which could occur at the most inconvenient times and were both a blessing and pain. These events could range from a store being robbed and you would have to chase the thief to a person being attacked by a dangerous animal such as a cougar. Helping those in need could earn you some extra cash or fame, which is a very important thing to have when committing crimes.

Speaking of committing crimes, whether intentional or not, you really have to watch your ‘wanted meter’ or you’ll wind up in jail. Fleeing the scene will remove John from the immediate danger but the chase will still continue with bounty hunters hunting him down

At times you could notice minor glitches – not enough to have a negative effect on the game but it can sometimes take away from the realism of the game. At times your horse could dart in different directions if you headed towards the face of a cliff. It’s likely aa safety measure so you don’t accidently leap off the cliff. Then again, what if you’re really trying to run off the cliff? Then it can get a bit annoying to see John’s horse continuously bounced away by an invisible barrier. Another issue was that John’s horse could sprint at top speed and, when dismounting, then he and his horse would instantaneously slow down from a sprint to a mere jog.

Before the release date, Rockstar Games has already announced three downloadable content packs, with the first one ‘Outlaws To The End’ Co-Op Mission Pack available for free. The ‘Outlaws To The End’ Co-Op Mission Pack features six all-new multiplayer missions full of outlaws, epic gunfights, and revolution for 2-4 players. The ‘Outlaws to the End’ Co-Op Mission Pack offers additional multiplayer XP rewards and brand new Achievements and Trophies to unlock.

The games storyline was excellently executed, although near the end there were a few petty tasks that needed to be completed I was highly surprised by the ending. This is surely one game that you will find yourself continually coming back to.