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Blog entry by Iola Leppert

The 5 Westerns You Should Watch Before Red Dead Redemption 2

The 5 Westerns You Should Watch Before Red Dead Redemption 2

Unsurprisingly there are a lot of light gun games depicting the Wild West. Revolvers are on of the most iconic guns out there, and everyone knows the best parts of any Western are the shootouts. It’s a natural fit for a video game, but unfortunately, most of these games are bad. Take Lethal Enforcers II for example. This was made for arcades back when developers thought it was a cool idea to digitize actors instead of creating new character sprites. This must have blown minds back then, but it looks like garbage today, and it doesn’t play any better. Lethal Enforcers II is just kind of boring. It may be hilarious especially when you look at some of the cheap costumes at play, see above, but laughter can’t fix all probl

You'll find plenty of different stores throughout Red Dead Redemption 2 worth exploring, including the general stores for your all-around needs and goods, gun shops to upgrade and maintain equipment, and more.

women-woman-seniors-senior-women-care-human-grandma-old-fold-thumbnail.jpgAs much as there is the draw to get through the story missions as quickly as possible, don't be afraid to take some time in between missions to let yourself be immersed in the rich world that awaits you in Red Dead Redemption 2 , such as exploring towns like Valentine or the big city of Saint Denis. Likewise, get the most of your Western experience by playing a round of poker at the local saloon or take in a vaudeville show when you have some down time, or interact with the rest of the Van der Linde gang back at camp to complete side activities with them.

When you hold the "Focus button" (L2 on PS4), Arthur will be able to interact with virtually any other human or animal he comes across and has a variety of ways that he can engage with them; typically, that involves an option to greet them, rob them, antagonize them, and more depending on the context.

Though the heist is intended as a way for Bishop to ride off into the sunset and leave his former life of crime behind, a turn of events ends up revealing that the heist is a setup by Bishop's former partner in crime - a turn that certainly echoes that of John Marston's later circumstances in the original Red Dead Redemption .

The third movie gets a lot of flack, but I love it. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for this Sega Genesis game. First of all, it's oddly dark. That screenshot isn't washed out either. In fact, I had to brighten it up to make it look like that. Gameplay wise it's a series of time challenges to prevent disasters in time. The first mission is to prevent Clara from falling off a cliff. It’s basically a game of memory since there's a cheap obstacle literally every few seconds. Back to the Future part III has a weird sense of humor about it that I admire. Even though the game is awful, it’s kind of something you need to see to believe. Just don’t play it yours

Part of what made Red Dead Redemption great was its characters. John Marshton was one of the better protagonists in a Rockstar game, which is not exactly a small feat given some of the other games they've put out. Giving up his outlaw life to be a family man after a bank robbery went awry, he maintains his tough exterior but seems to be making an honest attempt at being a decent human, even if doing so within the confines of the law is somewhat negotiable. The bar was set high enough with Marshton where the only thing I'm mildly worried about with Red Dead Redemption 2 is whether or not the new protagonist can match him. Aside from the lead there were numerous other characters. Nigel West Dickens was one of Marshton's more entertaining companions. Dickens was a swindler and snake oil salesman if there ever was one, but he did assist John on a few occasions, even if it was painfully obvious John wanted nothing more than to pistol whip him.

Aside from these characters that will lead you down interesting side paths in Red Dead Redemption 2 , you don't necessarily have to limit your interactions with other NPCs in the world to just those that might be part of a story, as you can interact with any other person or animal in the game. Whether you greet them, rob them, or antagonize them, take the time to see what interesting quips, stories, or tales that the different folk you'll meet around town might offer, and see what sort of surprises they may have in store for you.

Red Dead Redemption is simply one of the best games available for the seventh generation consoles. It did receive a zombie-themed expansion pack called Undead Nightmare, which was a fun novelty but didn't resonate the same way the base game did. The Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Bigfoot reference was rather humorous, though. It clearly uses the Grand Theft Auto games as a template but ends up finding its own identity through the setting, characters and storytelling. Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most highly anticipated games of 2018, and with the quality of its predecessor, it has big boots to fill.

Unfortunately, one key component to Red Dead Redemption 2 I have difficulty getting into is the controls. The controls are similar to the typical Rockstar Open World Games strategy world formula (at least Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption), with a thousand different actions being assigned to a handful of buttons. This is a mechanical marvel with all the different systems at play, from gunplay, horseback riding, hand-to-hand combat, character interactions and so forth. Controlling Arthur feels loose and stiff at the same time, something I can never put my finger on, and I have a difficult time determining if it’s a good or bad thing. Sometimes it can be frustrating, while other times it can lend to the charm of the game. The gunplay is still top notch, though, with each of the old rifles, pistols and shotguns feeling authentic and enjoyable to fire, especially with the Dead Eye skill. There are a ton of different weapons to obtain, all of which are need to be properly maintained, which somewhat ties into the survival aspect of the game, such as maintaining food intake for both you and your horse.

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