Violence is commonplace, people swear frequently and the humour is jet-black. — Rockstar Games/dpa
Romanticism is not something normally associated with the titles produced by Rockstar Games, developer of the rather brutal Grand Theft Auto series.
But the Western epic Red Dead Redemption 2 impressively shows that Rockstar can do things differently – at least now and then.
Of course, plenty of elements familiar from other Rockstar titles can be found in the game. Violence is commonplace, people swear frequently and the humour is jet-black.
However, there are also plenty of quiet moments, whether it's sunrise in quiet woods, a horse and rider travelling across the prairie or a character singing a song at an evening campfire. And it's in those moments when the game is at its best.
But there's more to the game than just postcard panoramas and campfire romance. The camp is the linchpin and heart and soul of the game and it's where the protagonist, gunslinger Arthur Morgan, and his gang are found.
Here he talks to his cronies or his boss and foster father Dutch van der Linde – all sophisticated characters with recognisable lives of their own. And here he usually gets his orders for the next ride.
The camp gives the game its own rhythm and the action is unusually slow to get started. Before and after every dramatic shooting, there is a lot of idling, many long conversations and little action.
But this gives the story time to breathe, like a good TV series. And then when the story does pick up after a few hours it's all the more compelling.
This slow pace continues outside the camp too. There are villages, farms and a few big cities, but above all a lot of pristine wilderness.
And unlike in other games where even in the deepest jungle there's always some action, in the mountains and deserts of Red Dead Redemption 2 there's simply nothing going on.
When civilised, Arthur has more to do – he can play poker, sell animal skins, tinker with his weapons or just talk. Almost every character in the game world can be spoken to.
Often this leads to nothing, but sometimes Arthur learns secrets or receives new missions from these conversations.
This makes the game unpredictable in the best sense: Unlike the often soulless, checklist-ticking design of other games, you never really know what's waiting around the next corner.
On the downside, the game controls are as stiff as in the first Red Dead and other Rockstar games and it takes an effort to get Arthur or his horse moving. Many routine actions take too long or are awkward to trigger.
The game also doesn't do a very good job of explaining itself: New techniques and tricks are explained mostly with small text on the upper left-hand edge of the screen and without much feedback. The menus and user interface also seem rather old-fashioned.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One for around US$70 (RM291). Buyers will soon also have access to the Red Dead Online multiplayer version. Because of its harsh violence the game is suitable for adult players only.
While a PC release of an epic, once-a-year release like this is highly likely, there's no confirmation from Rockstar just yet, and it could be months before PC purists can get their hands on this. – dpa
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