Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Game Review

(Disclaimer: This is a retrospective review. When I have not completed the game I am currently reviewing or if I have nothing to review I will be posting a review for a game I have already played in the past.)

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is the ninth full game in the Call of Duty series, and this is the root of its problems. Since the beginning, I have been a fan of the Call of Duty games. I got to play Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2 on the PC back in the day, and many would argue that Call of Duty 2 is one of the best first person shooter games to ever be made. The emotions of scaling the cliffs at Pointe de Huc during D-Day in Call of Duty 2 was one of the most heart pounding moments in the beginning phases of my gaming experience. One of my most cherished achievements at that age was beating Call of Duty 2 without the reticule being turned on. May sound like a minor thing to you but to me it was pretty awesome.

The heart of the problem that the more recent Call of Duty games is that they have not been too willing to change-up the formula. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of my favorite games because it took both a leap in leaving World War 2 behind for the modern-day as well as having strong characters and an engaging story.

Black Ops 2 takes the “leap” into the future, but does nothing else substantial. Even the leap ahead in time is half-hearted, because its seems like every other mission takes place back in time after the original Black Ops. The game can’t decide what it wants to be, a futuristic shooter or a historical one. Going from futuristic weapons to older ones can be a bit jarring at times as well. For someone like me though, who is a little bit of a gun nut, I appreciated the older weapons more because I knew better what they were and what situations they worked best in.

AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE, STOP PUTTING THE XM8 IN “FUTURE” GAMES!

For those who don’t know, the XM8 was one of several weapons that were involved in a program to find a new gun to replace the aging M-4 in the US Military. The weapon has a futuristic look, so many assume that it’s pretty cool. Since it was introduced, it seems like every game set in the future has it, but they fail to realize that the weapon didn’t win the contract! This is NOT the gun of the future! If you want to put your game in the future, put the HK 416 in it.

The HK 416 has been the weapon that’s been the most well received to succeed the M-4, not the XM8. When a “future” game has this beauty instead of the XM8, I’ll be a little happier.

Anyways, back to the review.

The combat in Black Ops 2 passes. It seems like the same gameplay we’ve had for years, just with nicer graphics. Here’s the thing with first person shooters, you need more than a gameplay mechanic to make a good game. Each FPS that’s been made basically plays the same, so it’s the story and characters that set them apart (See Halo 4). Black Ops 2 has neither strong characters or an engaging story. The characters in Black Ops 2 are shallow and seem kind of copy-pasted from other games. One of the members of your squad in the future names Section (dumb name) is such a stereotypical white guy gung-ho for America and freedom that I thought to myself, “This guy is going to betray us, there’s no way that he is really this shallow.” Was I right… Nope!

There is a character in your squad who does betray you… and to give minor spoilers, IT’S THE ONLY NON-WHITE GUY ON THE TEAM! I mean, come on guys! I know that something like this is easy to look past but when you really look at it it’s pretty sad. Also the main villain is such a stereotype that it’s laughable. I did find it ironic that the organization that was presented as the “bad guys” could be argued as the Occupy Wall Street of the future. I found this interesting, but not a very daring form of storytelling. I feel like the developers just picked up a newspaper when they got their coffee on their way to work, read it, and based the game off of what they read.

To me, the most compelling part of the story was the parts set in the past. The members of your team had already been sort of established and the missions set in the Cold War had real world connections to them. This made it all more compelling, while the missions in the future just seemed like a bunch of rich white guys going to kick the bad guy’s butt with their future tech.

Here’s another thing, Black Ops 2 brings in some really cool futuristic technology for you to use, but often you only have one chance to use it, which makes it become a sort of mini game (I’m looking at you, squirrel suits!)  or they turn out to not be too effective. I mean, who really thought that an active camouflage system that made you invisible but left your gun completely visible was a good idea? The sight of a floating gun would just draw more attention.

Another new feature that Black Ops 2 brings to the table is the mini games that you must do at certain points in the campaign. These missions have 2 major faults, they directly influence your ending and you only have so many tries to complete them. Combine those with the fact that the A.I. for your soldiers is completely stupid and these missions are a major pain in the ass. In these missions you are given an objective to either defend points, take points, or escort certain people. You are given a few squads of soldiers and some unmanned assault vehicles to do this with. When you first do one of these missions, you probably assign one of these squads to a point thinking that they’ll take cover and fight smart. You couldn’t be more wrong.

I just want to say real fast, the system of “lives” is too dated. If you develop a game type such as this and make it essential to win all of them to achieve the best ending, you either need to make sure they work or don’t make it that you only have a certain amount of attempts.

Your men stand around like they’re talking about the Super Bowl, and when they’re attacked they just take the enemies bullets like sponges. So basically, what was supposed to be a new and fun part of the game that emphasizes tactics ends up being a hectic one man army when you have to take direct control of one of the soldiers in order to get anything done. The final one of these missions consists of you having to take a point and defend it. This point is in the middle of a road and is IMPOSSIBLE to do without taking direct control. Your men, when tasked to defend it, STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FLIPPING ROAD. It’s rare that I’ve been so frustrated.

I feel obliged to talk about what Black Ops 2 actually does right. The gameplay in Black Ops 2 is as smooth as ever, making the actual combat more enjoyable. Now, this could be argued to not truly be something for Black Ops 2 to take claim over since the gameplay has evolved over time from other games. However, since I’ve been ripping the game up, I will give this to it.

Black Ops 2 brings back the Zombie mode of Black Ops and World at War. This game mode is as enjoyable as ever, especially with friends. In Zombie mode, the issues of story and characters are thrown out the window because you and your friends are the characters and the story is what you make it. This makes Zombies more of an interactive experience, full of situations where it seems all hope is lost but you and your friends find a way to squeak on through. Playing with your friends can make any game better, and the Zombie mode in Black Ops 2 is a great example of this. Still, ironically, I wish Zombies would be in one of the Infinity Ward Call of Duty games. Could be really awesome.

I need to make the disclaimer that I have not played the multiplayer in Black Ops 2. I have never been huge into multiplayer, and if I was to try to get into it I would probably play Halo 4 instead of this simply because I enjoy Halo so much more than this game. Because of all of this, the online multiplayer is not taken into effect in this review.

The positive parts of this game are just what have been carried over from previous Call of Duty games. After I played this, I’ve gone back and played through Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare again to remind myself what a good Call of Duty game is like. I have hopes for Call of Duty: Ghosts because it looks like they’re taking a leap into a new and compelling story. I’m sure it’ll be better than this game, but only time will tell it truly breaks the cycle of mediocre Call of Duty games we’ve seemed to have lately.

PROS

• Smooth Gameplay
• Zombie Mode

CONS

• Shallow Characters
• Non-Compelling Story
• Lack of Innovation
• Stupid and Frustrating Mini Game

Is Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 a good game? In my opinion, no. However, it seems like the hordes of people who play online multiplayer will disagree with me. That’s OK though, because a game should be way more than the multiplayer component. If you want a game that’s built to be multiplayer and shouldn’t have a campaign, see Battlefield. If you’re going to sell you game on its story, actually take the time to write something that has even a drop of originality. This game sure has non of it.

Rating: 2/5

Character Study – Season 1 Preview

Starting on June 4th, 2013 I will be starting a ten part series called Character Study. Character Study will be published on Tuesdays and each episode will attempt to give a background for a character, as well as discuss their motives and the reasons behind their actions.

Characters to me are one of the most important components to a story. Without well written characters it’s almost impossible to have an engaging and enjoyable story, and without that kind of story it’s a lot harder to have a great game. Fantastic characters make it possible for one to immerse themselves into a story and fully enjoy it.

Schedule

June 4th, 2013 – Garrus Vakarian (Mass Effect)

June 11th, 2013 – Captain John Price (Call of Duty)

June 18th, 2013 – Ezio Auditore de Firenze (Assassin’s Creed)

June 25th, 2013 – Gwyn, Lord of Cinder (Dark Souls)

July 2nd, 2013 – Sarah Kerrigan (StarCraft)

July 9th, 2013 – John 117 (Halo)

July 16th, 2013 – Tali’Zorah vas Normandy (Mass Effect)

July 23rd, 2013 – John Marston (Read Dead Redemption)

July 30th, 2013 – Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell)

August 6th, 2013 (Season Finale)

Sadly, these are subject to change. If I start on one and cannot find enough info to make a decent enough article than I might change to someone else. If you have some suggestions, feel free to post it in the comment section. If you don’t have a WordPress account, make one. It’s easy, quick, and free!

The Dresden Files – Things I Recommend

Do you read? If you answered yes, congratulations! Please skip this paragraph. If you answered no… shame on you. Reading is a very important facet of the human condition, in my opinion. Through reading, you can not only be entertained but you can also learn new information, broaden your vocabulary, and gain new perspectives.

My favorite currently running book series right now has to be The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

Cold Days, the latest novel in The Dresden Files. No, Harry Dresden does not wear a hat. Yes, he does use a gun (sometimes).

The Dresden Files  consists of the case files of Harry Dresden, a private eye wizard in chicago. In this world, most wizards try to keep out of the public eye. Harry Dresden, the protagonist, is often short on money so must have himself in the yellow pages. He can find lost items and people, but refuses to make love potions. The one time he does, it ends… interestingly.

The series starts with Storm Front, which does an amazing job at revealing Harry Dresden’s motives and intents without dropping too much character content. As the series progresses, Jim Butcher does a fantastic job at introducing new characters and new facets of the lore without bogging down the action. Harry Dresden starts out with tasks that take him to the point of breaking, but (most of the time) he finds a way to prevail. Each new book raises the stakes, so because Harry has been progressing in strength and will Jim Butcher makes it believable that Harry can tackle each new task.

In The Dresden Files, not only does Jim Butcher establish well crafted characters and lore but he also has a great skill for the art of writing. Each book will keep the reader on the edge of their seat, wanting to find out how Harry gets out of the trouble he is currently in. One thing that makes the stories even more compelling is that Jim Butcher has no reluctance to beat Dresden to a pulp, hurt him physically and psychologically, and to make things seem beyond hope. The reader can be pretty sure that in the end Harry will win, but often the situations become so bleak that the reader will become unsure. Without spoiling too much, later into the series Harry does not always come out completely on top.

If you take my advice and take up reading this series, try to keep going through the first ten books. I know to most people ten books can be daunting, but through the first ten books Jim Butcher establishes the lore, develops the cast of characters, and makes Harry Dresden a protagonist that the reader can truly root for.

Harry Dresden, while being the “good guy” often is not purely in the light. He knows which side is good, and he knows to fight against the evil, but Harry Dresden often has his own motives that he has that he realizes only he can achieve. This creates a character that is on the lighter side of grey; he doesn’t quite have enough faith to put himself fully in the light. I appreciate this, because often in life it seems impossible to be completely “good.” This makes the reader root for Harry even more.

The Dresden Files can be enjoyed in both dead tree format and audiobook. The audiobooks are narrated by the luscious voice of John Martser, so the audiobooks are just as enjoyable as reading the books.

I really hope that if you haven’t had the chance to read The Dresden Files that you will have a chance to do so. I’ve purposely tried to make this article spoiler free because these stories are some of the most enjoyable I’ve ever read. I highly recommend this series.

If you need anymore incentive, let me just say that there’s a time when Harry rides a zombie T-Rex.

No, I am not joking.

POLKA WILL NEVER DIE!

Don’t Judge Too Quickly

I’ve enjoyed playing games for quite some time, but I didn’t always appreciate games for their abilities to tell stories like I do today. There was a time where I played a game just because it was something to do and it was just plain fun. Today when I play a game I try to analyze more than just the top layer, to try to discover if there’s something more to gain than just the entertainment value.

When I look back in time I think this started when I first played Tales of Symphonia. If you’ve never played this game, there will be spoilers for several games in this article so read at your own risk.

What may be a crappy JRPG to you may be another person’s gem

To the modern eye, Tales of Symphonia is just another JRPG, full of clichés and not too risky story elements. This is true! I’ll be the first one to admit that someone who has even a little experience with the stereotypical twists and turns in stories can see them coming a mile away in this game. However, this is assuming that you already have this experience when you play it.

I can’t remember how old I was when I first played this game, it’s been that long. I remember being with my cousin when we first saw it though. We were looking through the rows of games at a GameStop, determined to find something. However, there was nothing of much value to be seen that day. Then, our eyes came upon Tales of Symphonia. This will give you a good idea about our level of critical thinking; the guys with swords and the dragon on the back of the box was what sold it.

Honestly though, there wasn’t much else available and you can almost never go wrong with dragons.

So, we got back home and eagerly opened the new game. To our surprise, the music was awesome and the combat was smooth. We were hooked. The quest to escort the “Chosen” was on. The goal at that point of the game was for you, Lloyd, to escort your friend and “Chosen” of the Church of Martel, Colette, to several different elemental temples in order to save the world. The plot was, as a favorite video game reviewer of mine would say, “video game video game video game.”

We didn’t care! Like I said, we were young, and this sort of plot had not yet been drilled out of us as cliché. So one we played, watching as our quest to complete all the temples grew closer and closer to being complete. However, something did have us suspicious.

We were still on disk one.

Tales of Symphonia was the first game that I can remember seeing that had two disks. Yeah I’m positive that there were others, but this was still the point in my life when I didn’t get to play too many games, I made do with what I had.

So finally the day came when our rag-tag band finished the last temple and were tasked to go to the final place to reawaken the goddess and SAVE THE WORLD! You can imagine how shocked we were when we discovered that our quest had all been a lie. The Church of Martel was a scam and it was all a scam to keep the present people in power. To our young minds, this was a major turn of events. This was one of the biggest storytelling twists we had ever seen.

PLOT TWIST!

Seeing this turn of events and how video game stories could break from the mold got me thinking at that age, what else could video games do? Where they all just “beat bad guy, save world” or could they be more than that? Could video games transfer real emotion? Could they really make you think differently about something you’ve never thought differently about? Could video games be art?

I’ll start with the first question, can video games transfer real emotion? I believe so. In Mass Effect 2 you meet a character names Mordin Solus who eventually becomes a member of your squad. Solus is a Salarian, a race who excels at science and guerilla tactics. To make a long story short, the Salarians had created a bio-genetically engineered virus to make the Krogans virtually sterile. The Krogans were like rhinos-bunnies with guns. They’re extremely hard-headed, never give up, and love a good fight. Their problem was that they also bred extremely quickly and were spreading beyond their own borders. This had resulted in the Krogan Wars, which the Salarians where tasked to solve with their virus.

Really, if you have no idea what I’m talking about then go play the Mass Effect games. Like, do it now. Stop reading. Go.

Mordin Solus was involved in the creation of this virus and had always felt some sort of guilt over it. Since the virus had ben initiated, the Krogan numbers had never been enough to maintain a large fighting force. Yet, the Krogans were the most dominating fighters in the galaxy. Therefore, when it came time for Commander Shepard to reunite the different races of the galaxy to fight the reapers, he needed the Krogans.

The Krogans would not fight for the other races if the virus was not reversed, so at least in my game I set out to cure it. Solus lead the effort and finally was able to find a cure. So off you go to Tuchanka, the Krogan home world, to undo the wrongs done against the Krogan.

Reapers: Trolls of the Galaxy

Lo and behold, the Reapers had beaten you there.

So yadda yadda yadda shoot some bad guys later, you find yourself at the moment of decision. The device that would spread the cure has been damaged yet is still useable for the time being, but anyone who tries to use it will certainly die. Solus offers himself to go. He trades his life not only for the army of Krogan allies, but for the ability to help reverse the wrongs which he helped commit. This alien, he’s not even human, yet by this point you as the player can’t help but feel emotional watching him sacrifice himself.

Yeah, it’s just a video game, but when good writing and animation come together and you spend so much time with a character who seems like he could be real, you do feel sad when something bad happens to him. That’s one of the awesome parts about video games. You have a direct involvement in what’s happening. When you’re reading a book or watching a movie, you’re doing so from a position out of context, you’re just watching things happen. Being involved in a great game, and this is a terrible metaphor, is like being at a concert while watching a movie or reading a book is like watching a recording of said concert.

So yeah, I’ll admit that I shed a few tears when Mordin Solus died. He was an awesome character, full of wit and incredibly smart. In a weird way, he was a friend.

Mordin Solus (2010-2012)

Now on to the second question, can video games drastically change the way one thinks about a certain topic? Again, I say yes, and hopefully this answer will be much shorter.

I had heard a lot of great things about Spec Ops: The Line. I had heard that it was loosely based off of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, but I had no idea what that story was about until this last year. In my world literature class, we watched Apocalypse Now and the idea of a video game based off of a story like that intrigued me, so I picked it up.

Sand: The Video Game

Now, I’m not going to spoil Spec Ops: The Line. It is truly one of those games that one NEEDS to experience fresh. It devotees enough from Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now that the ending still has resonance.

This is what I’ll say about it, however. It really got me to thinking about how we Americans (if you’re not American, I don’t know how well you’ll be able to understand), we have this idea that we are out to save the world from everything. Whether it’s from disease, hunger, or crazy people, it’s our job to prevent it. This game got me, more than a movie or book has, to reconsider this. Yes, it is of dire importance to help the helpless and to feed the hungry, but we should really think about the other effects our presence can have. Yes, the conditions in this game were extreme and unlikely to ever happen, but nevertheless it got me to try harder to see things from other people’s point of views.

Another thing this game did was make me reconsider the shooter genre in general. Why do so many people, myself included, enjoy games where the whole point is shooting wave after wave of “bad guys?” This game gave those guys a face, and in the end when it is revealed what had really been going on, you can’t help but have that helpless feeling of realizing that you’ve done something kinda wrong. Yes, most shooter games have you pitched against “bad guys” whose only goal is to destroy freedom and puppies, but still even that should make us reconsider what we’re doing. Games like that, to me, are kind of pointless. If you’re playing a game just because it’s a game, go find a good game. Go get Spec Ops: The Line.

Now, to the final question. Can video games be art? To start, I want to lay down a ground rule. This argument is brought up a lot, and one of the problems is that “art” isn’t a very concrete thing. So for this article, I’m going to use the Dictionary.com definition.

Art – “the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.”

Do video games match up with any of these? Yeah, in my opinion they do. Now, yes you have your Madden or Call of Duty games which may not, but in the same light not every painting is art either. Which games are art? First, I ask you, what is your favorite game? What game has been beautiful to you, has more meaning to you than a normal game? That game is art. To me, games like Skyrim and Mass Effect are art. Skyrim is due to the sheer detail of its world and how you can get lost in it. When you go to an art museum and see people just staring at different pieces of art and getting lost in them, that’s what Skyrim is to me. Mass Effect is also art for several reasons, most poignantly of all is that fact that it made me cry at numerous occasions. How there could be characters who are just code in your game but yet you are connected to them, that’s amazing to me. There’s a reason why Garrus is my favorite video game sidekick of all time, he’s freaking awesome!

Garrus Vakarian: Girls dig his scars

The question of whether video games are art can not be answered as a whole, but can be answered by each individual. I know the late Roger Ebert said that video games were not art and would never be art. I would disagree, yet if he didn’t think they were then they weren’t for him. This is something you have to make your own mind up about.

If you’ve read through this entire article, I thank you. Also, I would like to ask for your opinion on this. Are video games art, could they every be?

Xbox One – Opinion

I have decided to wait these few days before to put my opinion on the Xbox One out on the web. I will go through the information we have so far about the system, give me opinion on each area, then at the end I will give my overall opinion. I think it is important to remember that at this point of time we do not yet know everything about the system, so a full evaluation is impossible.

Hardware

The Xbox One has an APU with eight x86-64 cores and 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. First of all, I would have preferred if the RAM was high than the DDR3, but you must remember that in theory using the DDR3 could make the console have a reduced price. For me price is an important issue, so even though I may not be impressed by the RAM too much I can see the silver lining. Also, 3 GB of the RAM is reserved for the OS so only 5 GB will be usable for games. I think the PS4 has 8 GB of RAM, but I don’t know how much of that is going towards its OS. This is one of those things that can’t really be compared until more information about the PS is revealed. The system is also capable of running games at a 4k resolution (3840 x 2160) which should look really nice.

Now, something a lot of people are not happy about is the necessary inclusion of the Kinect 2.0 with each new Xbox. I have no experience with the current Kinect, partly because I have yet seen a game that would make me buy one as well as the fact that all I’ve seen is discontent for the peripheral. However, the tech demos for Kinect 2.0 are pretty impressive, and it seems that Microsoft’s original intent for the system may finally be revealed. I don’t like, however, how the new Kinect will always be listening in a passive sense for you to say “Xbox on.” Now, from what I’ve read, the Kinect will not actively record and listen in on your  private conversations at home but will passively search for the phrase “Xbox on.” I don’t really think Microsoft would tempt fate by using the Kinect in such a seemingly diabolical manner that would surely make they’re user base plummet in numbers.

Features

The Xbox One will be able to seamlessly integrate your TV service, gaming, and the Internet Explorer browser without having to change the input on your TV. All you have to do is say “Xbox, game” or “Xbox, TV.” You can even tell the system which channels you want to watch or what TV show you desire. Also, being able to multitask is going to be really cool. I know it can be really annoying when you’re playing a game and you have to pause the game in order to look up on your computer a guide to get our of a sticky situation. With the Xbox One, you can simply pull up an Internet Explorer tab on the side of the screen and search from there. This will make the use of a wiki or online guide even more useful in the future.

The new controller is intriguing. The current Xbox 360 controller is pretty much flawless and it makes me happy that they are not changing it too much. What does worry me is the integrated battery. It may be because I have smaller than average hands, but the battery pack on the back of the controller has never been an issue with me. So now, since the battery is integrated into the controller, you will have to actually charge a controller and not a battery. With the current controllers, if the battery runs out you can simply stick in a battery pack while the battery charges. Hopefully there will be some sort of cable which allows for the controller to be used while it charges. Not being able to play your game because you forgot to charge your controller could be irritating to say that least.

Gaming

Most of my issues with the system are about to be brought up. First of all, I don’t like how the new system will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games. However I do understand why this is the case. Microsoft does not want to be tied down by old technology, so they are taking a bit of a leap in order to get ahead. When the Nintendo Gamecube came out it was pretty obvious that it would not work with Nintendo 64 games. Yes, the leap from game cartridges to game disks is a little more of a leap but the concept is the same.

Now comes the things that the majority of the internet has issues with. According to what has been said by Microsoft currently, the Xbox One will require to be connected to the internet at least one a day and that used games will require an unlock fee. We do not know how much this fee will be, so there’s no way to know how upset to be about this. As I have thought about it, I’ve realized something. A gaming network that requires an internet connection and restricts used games has been successful, it’s called Steam. Now, I don’t think that the Xbox One will be very much like Steam, but my point still stands. I understand how people are upset by change, but if we as gamers do not change with the new environment that is evolving we’ll just be left behind. The system that Steam has used has been on of the most successful gaming distribution networks ever. Imagine one day where you’d log on to Xbox Live and see a hit game on sale like you can on Steam. If the system gets off to a good start, that could be possible.

Conclusion

I think that Microsoft could have done a much better job of informing people who the reveal this week was a reveal of the new system itself and some of its new abilities. At the start of the reveal, they said that the games would be the focus at E3, but it seems like the internet went deaf at that moment. To say that Microsoft doesn’t care about gamers or that games are not their primary focused simply cannot be said at this moment. Microsoft has not yet been able to complete its message, so judging them now is ridiculous. You don’t get into a formal argument with someone and walk out halfway through their message. As long as we gamers act like this, we will never be taken seriously. After E3, after Microsoft has laid out its entire plans for the Xbox One, then we can fully judge. There’s no way to know as of now if Sony really cares more about games than Microsoft. In my opinion, both systems are about games. The Xbox One does games and all the extra entertainment value while the PS4 only does games. We have no idea if the PS4 will also have used games restrictions or anything like that. If we should be upset at anyone, we should be upset at Sony for not being very transparent with us. All they did was show some games, none of which wowed me, and didn’t talk about used games or even showed the system. In my mind, Sony is being more malicious than Microsoft. However, this is only my opinion, so take it with a big grain of salt.

Halo 4 OST in Full (HD) – Things I Recommend

One thing I love about video games is that sometimes there is actual work put into making quality music. The soundtrack for Halo 4 is one of my personal favorites to have playing while I’m working on homework, doing housework, or just playing another game.

Red Dead Redemption – Game Review

Red Dead Redemption – Game Review

I decided, after finishing all the achievements for Skyrim, to finally play Red Dead Redemption. We’ve had the game for a while, but I had never gotten around to playing it. There was always “something else.” It wasn’t that I didn’t think I would like the game, but the contrary. I knew from so many people who Red Dead Redemption is a great game, and I knew it would consume a whole lot of time when I finally committed myself to it.

Turns out, those people couldn’t have been more right.

I went into RDR in a curious position; I already knew the story. I knew of the disasters to come, so mainly my playthrough focused more on the gameplay for the enjoyment. This is where RDR has some of its faults. When you first start playing, the mechanic for riding horses and driving carriages seems obtuse and not developed very well. Now, there are some situations where it makes sense. You would not be riding your horse at the fastest speed it could possibly go all the time, so the commitment to using that much of your horses stamina was limited to time critical situation. All because this was more realistic does not mean it was necessarily fun, but once I got the hang of it wasn’t too bad. However, I did end up fast traveling for the majority of the game.

And please, NEVER make the driver of the carriage fight. In RDR, you used one stick on the controller to drive and the other to aim your weapon, all the while tapping the A button at a certain rate to keep the horses going. I never did very well at this. I just happened to end up living.

The combat in RDR is definitely solid. With the addition of the Dead Eye system, RDR’s gameplay is different from other third-person cover based shooters. In a way, Mass Effect had something similar with the soldier’s adrenaline ability, but you didn’t mark and execute Splinter Cell: Conviction style. If you’ve played those two games but not RDR, imagine the time slowing of the adrenaline power in Mass Effect being used to mark targets Conviction style. Once you press the fire button, you execute the shots. It can make for some pretty awesome moments. There was a time when a Mexican Army convoy was coming though, and my mission was to stop them. Unfortunately, I let one of the wagons slip by with the driver alive. I was able to use Dead Eye to slow time and use my sniper rifle to stop them. Felt really cool, but in any normal situation there’s really no way that would work. However, it’s a game, and if they made a game that was completely normal it wouldn’t be any fun.

As far as story, RDR weaves the tale of John Marston, a man who has decided to leave his old life yet can’t quite get away. Marston used to be a member of a notorious yet romantically minded gang in the old west, but decided to leave when the leader breaks down psychologically. Martson sees the gang becoming more of a menace instead of a force of Robin Hoods. When he does leave, the gang attacks him and leaves him for dead, but Marston finds a way to live. All he wants is to start a ranch with his family and have a fresh start for his son. However, the federal government finds him and blackmail him to hunt the rest of the gang down. Under the duress of seeing his family taken from him and told that the only way he can see them again is if he finishes his quest, Marston goes on a journey which will take him all over the west. From beginning at a man’s deepest low, to finally achieving the unattainable it a story that almost anyone can associate with. This just makes the end more haunting. Marston holds a deep discontent for the authorities, and in a way he is the ultimate libertarian.

At this point comes a fact that is one of the games faults. Once the story is over, the world seems empty. At least, it did to me. When you were trying to progress through the story, the world felt alive in context to the story, but once the story is taken out the world seems empty and void. I’m not saying it’s empty in a way like some areas of the west really was, but in a way that shows that it’s a video game. The random mission like stopping a lynching or running into bandits at this point seem just like they are, random. When you’re playing through the story, these actions had weight because you were already fighting a larger cause in that area, but in the post game it just feels like busy work.

So, as to not leave the review on a low note, I want to highlight something. John Marston is a great character. I know great characters are not nothing new (see Ezio) but the way that Rockstar portrays Martson as someone who isn’t the stereotypical video game knight in shining armor, but as someone who will do whatever it takes to get back to the ones he loves. This kind of motivation is more real to many people and much easier to associate with. We all have the people we love and could not love without, so Marston’s drive and hate for the feds is totally understandable. This is what makes John Marston one of the best characters of this console generation in my opinion.

Pros

• Fluid gameplay
• Strong Story
• Marston

Cons

• Horse Mechanics
• Post Story World

Red Dead Redemption has many strengths, and it is able to use these to overcome its weaknesses. This makes it a wholeheartedly fun game to play. If you were like me and have failed to play it, you should definitely go and pick it up ASAP.

Rating: 4/5