The Van Der Linde Gang in Red Dead Redemption 2 is comprised of numerous walks of life with people of all different backgrounds, criminal records, and past traumas. Dutch may be the group's leader, but many feel Hosea Matthews is the man who held it all toget

I don't think those are the main issues, but I feel like their presence in tandem with the poor reception of Red Dead Online has a lot to do with the game's relative silence. I was among the few who were excited beyond belief to relive my own childhood: the allure of being a bandit once again with my pals online was too much to bear. But, upon arrival, I immediately felt Red Dead Online was lacking in a multitude of facets. With all these varying intentions converging, Red Dead Redemption 2 became an out-of-place mixture that couldn't tell the difference between complicated and simplicity. Intending on making the game feel as real as possible, Rockstar also made it far too and time-consuming and complex to do anyth

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a masterclass in character-driven storytelling. With this sequel, Rockstar created a band of memorable characters and personalities that all clash together perfectly. This being the wild west, there are going to be characters we both love and loa

Shepard might just be the friendliest space captain out of every major science-fiction franchise. On top of helping out her immediate friends, she gains the trust of a telepathic alien hive mind, gets the Geth and the Quarians to set aside their differences and agree to a truce, and even manages to earn the respect and admiration of a race of war-torn lizard people like the Krogans. She's so cool that everyone even sets aside a random day to just hang out at the Citadel and party with her before they have to fight off the evil sentient spaceships that want to kill everyone. If she's the kind of person that makes you want to postpone the apocalypse to drink some shots with her, then it's probably safe to say she's a pretty likable badass. Unless you're a reporter, that is.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the oldest member of the Van Der Linde gang also happened to be the resident bookworm. Hosea loved reading and had an appreciation and love for crime novels above all e

You'll be hard-pressed to figure out what you're missing in Red Dead Redemption 2 . The main storyline could be complete and you could have wandered about the wilderness for hours, but you're sure to find something you previously missed. There are so many encounters waiting beyond the horizon. No icons on the map will guide you to every little moment. Make your own moments. And the shroud of uncertainty that blankets what you should do next is thrill

There are some video game villains so charismatic that we love to hate. Then there’s Micah Bell, a conniving, snake-like character that we absolutely despise. From the very first time we’re introduced to Micah, we already loathe

The Mafia series is a collection of games that follows different protagonists as they rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld and fall through them. The first game follows Tommy Angelo who finds himself caught between two warring mafia families. The second follows Vito Scaletta as he tries to repay his father's debt, and Mafia III follows Lincoln Clay on his quest for revenge against a mob fam

Most games maintain a steady stream of information that floods the screen. Little markers delineating new destinations. A compass to coordinate movement with your position on the map. Reminders for the quest that you're undertaking. Indicators of health, stamina, or any other status that might be necessary. Everything is designed to assist the player and ensure that you're not lacking context. Red Dead Redemption 2 throws that out the window. You're going to die. You're going to get lost. That's part of being in the Wild West. Get used to it. And that perilous freedom means so much in an open-world g

Similarly, Red Dead Redemption 2 seems to fight its own nature. Perhaps, more accurately, I'm constantly fighting my own nature as a gamer while playing it. Small mishaps always pulled me out of the game, like bumping into pedestrians in Saint Denis would automatically get me wanted, which obviously turned into bloody shootouts every time. The serious nature of the Game interviews and its story belied no actual seriousness when presenting topics of immense depth. Rockstar's attempt at making one of the most realistic games falls flat due to awkward button placement, cumbersome menus, annoyingly constant random events, and a slowly-paced st

Plenty of games have incredible graphics. Open-world games especially can be some of the most engrossing to move through and study the surroundings. But no other game that I know of has a Cinematic Camera. And they wouldn't need them, necessarily. But Red Dead Redemption 2 wants you to forget that it's a game. Which is possible. Because the environment is drop-dead gorgeous. When you play an open-world game, you usually want to explore because there is a host of tasks left undone that you want to finish. But Red Dead Redemption 2 asks you to seek out the undiscovered, with a slack jaw at the beauty around