Red Dead Redemption 2 (Red Dead 3)

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I don't buy the double dipping theory. I highly doubt that many people are willing to buy their games on both platforms. I'm sure most of their profits will always come from consoles, but they rarely turn down PC either.
 
The map was leaked over at the dedicated reddit page and it doesnt feature Mexico. :(

I loved riding at night in Mexico, man. Just seeing your horse bathe in a tangible glow at night was wonderful. Oh, well.
 
The map was leaked over at the dedicated reddit page and it doesnt feature Mexico. :(

I loved riding at night in Mexico, man. Just seeing your horse bathe in a tangible glow at night was wonderful. Oh, well.
Bummer! I agree, Mexico was very cool - I loved how different it felt compared to the northern areas.

If there's one thing RDR did well, it was environmental variety. Dense forests filled with wildlife, cold mountains, rocky canyons, and then Mexico, separated by the tracks.

Such a cool world.
 
At the moment, there are 82 Metacritic reviews up. 42 are 100%, and all but 2 are 90 or above. One is an 88, and the other is 70. I read the review rated at 70, and the reviewer was pretty positive about the game. Not sure how that translated into 70%.

Anyway, either RS paid a lot of money for good reviews, or else the game must be shaping up pretty well.
 
I really dont care how well or bad it does in reviews, tbh. The games have been my favorite western titles all my life and no developer since has gone to really push for a western world as ambitious as even RDRedemption. To get a chance to play one of my favorite genres, with features upgraded to today's standards of gaming, I couldn't be more happier. I felt the same way years back when Cyberpunk was announced at E3. I'm really happy to see both genres actually happening. And not just being made, but really well thought out.
 
One of my favorite critics loved the game's main content, but got frustrated by all the side stuff and busy work and "Details."

For me, those little details are the icing on the cake. If 2077 had half of those little things, I'd be pretty excited. Different strokes and all that. One of my main complains with GTA V was how empty and dull the world felt. Yeah, it had a ton of NPCs, but none of them reacted to anything you did. Even the original RDR did a better job there. And all the side details, like entering a internet cafe, or finding some random bar and playing darts, or dating, or having a lot more friends and activities, from GTA IV were completely scrapped.

...So I'll probably like RDR2. It looks like a return to form. Guess we'll see tomorrow, when all of us plebs get to play the game.
 
One of my favorite critics loved the game's main content, but got frustrated by all the side stuff and busy work and "Details."

For me, those little details are the icing on the cake. If 2077 had half of those little things, I'd be pretty excited. Different strokes and all that. One of my main complains with GTA V was how empty and dull the world felt. Yeah, it had a ton of NPCs, but none of them reacted to anything you did. Even the original RDR did a better job there. And all the side details, like entering a internet cafe, or finding some random bar and playing darts, or dating, or having a lot more friends and activities, from GTA IV were completely scrapped.

...So I'll probably like RDR2. It looks like a return to form. Guess we'll see tomorrow, when all of us plebs get to play the game.
"Plebs"?

I don't know what you're talking about. Last I checked, my game still isn't active and I've frequently been described as royalty. A royal pain, I think was the phrase.
 
So, the game is pretty darn fun so far. I can definitely see why some people wouldn't like it. There's a LOT of emphasis on small details. Animations for everything, skinning, looting, picking stuff up, etc. Need to manage energy and health, you can bathe, shave, etc.

I live for that sort of stuff in my games, but yeah, not for everyone.

Will see more of how the game plays in the coming days and hours, but so far, very impressed. Not sure how R* is gonna top this with GTA 6/RDR3.
 
They top it by bringing it to PC, stingy fuckers. Also, I can't imagine how the simulator elements are any fun. They all sound like a pain in the ass. Looting animations in Red Dead made me want to tear my hair out.
 
They top it by bringing it to PC, stingy fuckers. Also, I can't imagine how the simulator elements are any fun. They all sound like a pain in the ass. Looting animations in Red Dead made me want to tear my hair out.
Yeah, I've tried explaining why I like that sort of stuff to people before, they don't get it and never will, so I've stopped trying. It comes down to different tastes.

I agree, they should have brought it to PC. My guess is they do, but just in a year's time like they did with GTA V. Maybe sooner if we're lucky.

Playing it on PS4 is not ideal. Going from 144Hz to a very rocky sub-30 is pretty not great. But damn the game looks good.
 
At the moment, there are 82 Metacritic reviews up. 42 are 100%, and all but 2 are 90 or above. One is an 88, and the other is 70. I read the review rated at 70, and the reviewer was pretty positive about the game. Not sure how that translated into 70%.

Anyway, either RS paid a lot of money for good reviews, or else the game must be shaping up pretty well.
Rockstar games generaly are overscored. Check GTA scores, they are good games, but I doubt each of them deserves 97/100.(and frankly there is no game that does. scores are stupid anyway so whatever).
 
They top it by bringing it to PC, stingy fuckers. Also, I can't imagine how the simulator elements are any fun. They all sound like a pain in the ass. Looting animations in Red Dead made me want to tear my hair out.

I'm not a fan of exclusivity contracts either, but it makes sense on both developmental and support ends. The fewer systems a game needs to run on, the more solid it usually is and the faster it can be finished. With the sheer amount of code required to keep games current and competitive, I think we'll start seeing more exclusivity in the future instead of less. At the same time, this trend of using more basic graphics and interfaces to create really involved games (the Inidie Scene, primarily) will start gathering even more steam. Which I love. So, in the end, I think the future will look like a mind-bogglingly ginormous library of indie titles that work across platform, and super-detailed "blockbuster" titles that are only available on their given platforms.

As for "simulation" stuff -- that depends on the player. I looove the complexity of having all those little details to consider and the snail's-paced gameplay that lets you immerse in each moment. I find the general pacing of things like Doom or GTA to be a fun distraction for short whiles. The constant zip-dash-jingle / whack-whack-here's-some-gold gameplay is sort of like a mosquito buzzing in my ear. Too many noises and blinking lights trying to entertain me with distraction, not enough focus on meaningful detail, interaction, and outcomes.


Rockstar games generaly are overscored. Check GTA scores, they are good games, but I doubt each of them deserves 97/100.(and frankly there is no game that does. scores are stupid anyway so whatever).

Frankly (despite what I just wrote above), I've never once played a GTA title and had a bad time. I think they are absolutely masterful at what they're trying to do. I personally don't care for that style of game too much, but I can't find much fault in the formula. They do exactly what they set out to do, and they do it brilliantly. Trouble is a.) getting tired of the formula after playing thousands of hours of it :p, or b.) simply preferring something deeper and more complex.

Kind of like my relationship with Super Mario. I...actively dislike Super Mario. I find the gameplay to be tiring, don't like the visual design, and would generally rather clean a bathroom than play even one full level of Mario.

However --

Preferences aside, I think the games are legendary examples of exactly how to design a platformer. The variety of challenges and puzzles are simply incredible while remaining so faithful to the core mechanics. The creation of such iconic and easily recognizable characters, with such a distinctive color palette, is a living embodiment of graphic design. The musical design is flawless. And it's a game that readily appeals to a huge demographic.

I just don't care for it, is all.
 
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Yeah, I've tried explaining why I like that sort of stuff to people before, they don't get it and never will, so I've stopped trying. It comes down to different tastes.
I'm right there with you. I like the role playing sim elements. Then again, I always make Geralt eat twice a day and try to have him Meditate for 6 hours a day - usually at night if I'm not in a dungeon or something.
 
How does an unskippable looting/skinning animation improve role playing? The limited fast travel and inventory, maybe. But then again, I loved hunting for hours in Red Dead without having to go back into town for each pelt. I won't bitch about too much because I can't even play the game right now, lol. But yeah, it just seems restrictive to me. It'd be nice if they could have separate modes set up - a realism mode, a game-centric mode, etc.
 
How does an unskippable looting/skinning animation improve role playing? The limited fast travel and inventory, maybe. But then again, I loved hunting for hours in Red Dead without having to go back into town for each pelt. I won't bitch about too much because I can't even play the game right now, lol. But yeah, it just seems restrictive to me. It'd be nice if they could have separate modes set up - a realism mode, a game-centric mode, etc.
Because everything transitions seamlessly. You aren't magically picking up magical items, you're actually rifling through somebody's pockets to snatch their stuff. Like I said, impossible to explain. Also, you don't go back to town for pelts, just to butcher the meat. You skin the animal right there on the spot. The animation is still quite sort, it's just a little more realistic and not off-screen anymore.

I'm right there with you. I like the role playing sim elements. Then again, I always make Geralt eat twice a day and try to have him Meditate for 6 hours a day - usually at night if I'm not in a dungeon or something.

Seems we're in the minority, and not here on the forums. So many people are complaining about this stuff. I bet Rockstar walks it back pretty hard for their next game. Will need to see sales figures to say for sure.
 
How does an unskippable looting/skinning animation improve role playing? The limited fast travel and inventory, maybe. But then again, I loved hunting for hours in Red Dead without having to go back into town for each pelt. I won't bitch about too much because I can't even play the game right now, lol. But yeah, it just seems restrictive to me. It'd be nice if they could have separate modes set up - a realism mode, a game-centric mode, etc.

It's an aesthetic concern, and a huge one for people that are looking for that type of immersion. It's not that you can't get the same mechanical results via a couple of clicks in a menu (and I'm personally fine with that in terms of roguelikes and such), but it creates an enormous sense of "being there" to see an animation play out in detail.

What I'd love even more than a cool animation is and actual interactive mechanic for things like crafting. Having a smithing mechanic that requires the player to actually heat up the metals to the proper degree...swing the hammer the right number of times with the right force...and then have the quality of the piece actually reflect the degree of skill involved.
 
What I'd love even more than a cool animation is and actual interactive mechanic for things like crafting. Having a smithing mechanic that requires the player to actually heat up the metals to the proper degree...swing the hammer the right number of times with the right force...and then have the quality of the piece actually reflect the degree of skill involved.

Agreed, that would be awesome. Kingdom Come: Deliverance was going to have something like that, but it was cut due to the difficulty of making a full blacksmithing system (we still have the neat weapon sharpening, though).

EDIT: Also, this game is growing on me more and more. Every single member of the gang can be talked to, and it all feels so... alive, and organic. I returned to camp after we saved a certain member (won't spoil), and everybody was sitting around getting drunk. Not a cutscene - it just happened. You could walk around, get shitfaced yourself and sing with everybody, go to bed, leave and do something else, whatever you want.
 
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I read the review rated at 70, and the reviewer was pretty positive about the game. Not sure how that translated into 70%.

Because it's Slantmagazine, a site that scrapes the bottom of the barrel so hard it goes right through the bottom :) They often let politics colour their reviews too. The review mentions 'white privilege' and describes the protagonist as 'another stubby white guy'.

Here are some other scores they've dished out.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2/10
Vampyr 5/10
Ni No Kuni 2 5/10
Wolfenstein 2 3/10
Zelda BotW 6/10
Gravity Rush 2 3/10
Guitar Hero Live 10/10
Banner Saga 3 4/10
 
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