One of the key features that made Red Dead Redemption such a critical success was the freedom that Rockstar allowed gamers in their conquest of the untamed West. You could clear out bandit hideouts, break wild horses for your own mount, or send John Marston skipping merrily through the dessert, picking flowers. Really, the choice was yours. With that choice came the opportunity to play out all types of evil fantasies on the unsuspecting, innocent NPCs inhabiting the untamed wilderness and even more feral to

With Red Dead Redemption having had several clear references to the John Ford classic, there’s no denying that The Searchers ‘ influences on the Western film genre have worked their way into Rockstar’s work, and it will be interesting to see if Red Dead Redemption 2 continues on what Ford and John Wayne delivered with their seminal 1956 film.

Both backstories include heavy swords and how impressed the elders were with each child’s ability to carry them. But only one of them could actually pick their sword up and not have to slow enemies down in order to catch t

There’s this ongoing joke about how Garen likes bushes more than anyone. He will literally sit in the brush all game, waiting for unsuspecting victims. This joke is used for countless comics and memes and I think this one does it the most justice. It’s a perfect picture of what goes on. ADC runs from Jungler and hides in a bush. A bush that is occupied by a lazy top laner who is watching the game from the sidelines. Likely on a live televis

Another spooky location can be found North of the Grizzlies, just above the “N” in Ambarino. Searching the woods around there reveals an apparently abandoned shelter that appears to have previously housed a witch. One that has not been abandoned for too long, either, because inside is a seemingly fresh cauldron full of some sort of bubbling liquid. If you’re capable of mustering the courage required to take a swig, you’ll black out and reawaken a distance away from the cauld

From its Morricone-inspired score to even the physical similarities that John Marston shared with Eastwood’s iconic Man with No Name, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is a no-brainer to watch when selecting Western films, but a crucial film to explore the genre and one that arguably defines the visual styling of the Red Dead series.

Have you ever really thought about the fact that Shyvana is a half-breed dragon? Anyone who is a “half-breed” knows that the full bred individuals look at this site down upon you. No wonder Shyv is a jungler! She wants to spend all her time slaying dragons or maybe just talking smack to them. She feels lesser because she’s half human and the dragons know that. She wants to be accepted by both humans and dragons, but she cannot. The humans will see her as a dragon and the dragons will see her as a human. She is cast aside by them both and so she roams the jungle in danger of being reported. She needs love and understanding, but instead she gets banned. The poor, poor dragon…or was it hu

When Bard came out not so long ago, you know that Soraka was ecstatic to hear that another celestial being would be joining her on the rift. But two things kept them from growing close. One was the fact that he was a support and thus would likely never be on her team. The other, was that there was one thing he loved more than stars…and that was mu

Red Dead Redemption is one of the best video games ever made. It’s not up for debate. Rockstar took the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto open-world formula, threw it in the tumultuous Wild West, and made the story more engaging than “drive here, shoot them, drive back.” Some may still dismiss it as GTA with horses, but they are dreadfully wr

This isn’t revolting in the violence sense, but it’s morally reprehensible. Why? Because it’s so true to real life politics that it’s sickening. This type of blackmailing is so commonplace in the back rooms of politics, that it is one of the main cogs that runs the entire machine. Another example of how Rockstar is able to work relevant social commentary into their ga

While both the storytelling and gameplay bring Red Dead Redemption 2 ‘s Western world to life, the visuals and soundtrack truly stand out and make Rockstar’s newest open-world striking and beautiful. The game’s Western environments come to life in vivid detail and color, and I don’t think it will be hard at all for players to find themselves stopping to simply appreciate the little details and moments that truly bring a sense of place to this world, especially with the game’s vast ecosystem and variety of wildlife.

That also goes for the band of characters that you’ll interact with throughout the story, from both the familiar faces and the new characters that you’ll encounter while roaming through the West with the Van der Linde gang. While there’s the sheer novelty of getting to be reacquainted with characters like John Marston and Dutch Van der Linde for fans of the previous game, many of the new faces in Red Dead Redemption 2 prove to be just as memorable and engaging to interact with, such as the fierce and determined widow Sadie Adler, and the unpredictable hitman Micah Bell, who Arthur has a bit of a complicated relationship with. Over time and through your interactions with the rest of the Van der Linde gang, there is a clear sense of the gang’s camaraderie and why Arthur is so fiercely protective of them, and getting to explore and deepen these relationships with the other gang members is easily one of the highlights of Red Dead Redemption 2 ‘s narrative thanks to its impeccable writing and strong performances.