So is red dead redemption just GTA with horses?

[Sinanju]

I'm posting this here because I pretty much hate GTA and don't want to read reviews because I know they'll all just basically be "OH MAN THIS GAME IS BETTER THAN SEX" and the same bullshit that GTA4 was where I could hardly find a negative review. Is the gameplay better than the utter shit that GTA4 was? (no skill, just total autoaim and see who shoots first), basically long story short, why is this game getting so much hype? Every time I see it discussed its basically "OH MAN IT WILL BE LIKE GTA! WITH HORSES!"

So basically, sell me on this game since i'm too lazy to do research myself and we need something to talk about anyway

[Vendetta]

The game is fairly similar to GTAIV, although there's no absolute auto-aim (if you aim/zoom pointing at the terget, yes it snaps to for a few seconds.) And actually I'm finding it much more fun than GTA, but that may be because I like the setting more than GTA. Also, the random encounters that occur are pretty varied, and keep the game from being a mission-to-mission or achievement earning thing. And doing certain things in the game world make your character better (shooting birds on the wing give you a bonus to sharpshooting,) so there's a certain element of RPG involved. The horse controls were hard to get the hang of at first, but I've mastered them and riding is now pretty easy. Horse wrangling is a bit harder IMO.

Also my opinion may be strongly biased as I spent an hour last night in-game, playing poker (and then shootin' the dude who kept taking my money.)

And bear in mind this is coming from someone who is not particularly good at most games. I just don't have the reflexes I had 15-20 years ago.

EDIT: I forgot the Dead Eye ability which basically is bullet time and slows down the action for a few seconds so you can mark some targets and get some headshots. You probably won't like this though, because it makes the game "easier". It's not like this is an FPS though, so I'm not sure it matters.

[Sinanju]

I don't mind "easy", I think what I hated about GTA4 was that the combat system felt really awkward and out of my control, like auto aim, but ineffective, especially online. I too love western settings, but heres what I hated about GTA4 and what I'm curious if RDR has or not.

-Combat system: I hated how it auto locked on and I basically couldnt move the camera without messing with other buttons

-Mission variety: BOOOOORING. GTA4 felt like every mission was, "Drive to A, do something (usually boring) Drive back to B with 4 star cop rating" Repeat verbatim. I am navigationally retarded and could never find spray shops when I needed them

-Cop system. I know it was part of the game but it added a shitload of annoyance to me to constantly have 9 cop cars slamming into me. I preferred something like morrowind's infamy system, where certain factions would hate you and kill on site after awhile but they wouldnt fucking follow you halfway across the world ruining your day. This is actually one of the bigger ones for me. how does RDR work?

[Vendetta]

-Combat system: I hated how it auto locked on and I basically couldnt move the camera without messing with other buttons
Hmm, I didn't really notice that this was the case. On foot, horseback or whatever, like it said, it may auto-aim for a few seconds if you are facing the target. But more often than not you will have folks comin' at you from different directions (at least I did when ambushed by some bandits,) and in this case you just move the thumb stick to orient on them.

-Mission variety: BOOOOORING. GTA4 felt like every mission was, "Drive to A, do something (usually boring) Drive back to B with 4 star cop rating" Repeat verbatim. I am navigationally retarded and could never find spray shops when I needed them
Well I haven't played more than 5 hours or so in the game (and like I said, about an hour of that in poker) so I'm not sure how repetitive the missions get later. But so far I've had to wrangle and break horses, herd cattle, hunt down a dude with a bounty on his head, patrol a ranch with a dog (this is a repeated, periodic task, but so far I've broken up a fight and "stopped" a peeping tom.) So far the missions seem pretty widely varied. Also, like I said there are side things going on all over the place, and there are unique strangers with side-quests.

-Cop system. I know it was part of the game but it added a shitload of annoyance to me to constantly have 9 cop cars slamming into me. I preferred something like morrowind's infamy system, where certain factions would hate you and kill on site after awhile but they wouldnt fucking follow you halfway across the world ruining your day. This is actually one of the bigger ones for me. how does RDR work?
Uhh, I'll be honest, I haven't been much of a douche yet in this game. That's something that's actually pretty initeresting to me, in that so far I haven't had much of a desire to be an evil killing machine so far in this game. I do know you can get a bounty on your head which will put the law (and bounty hunters) after you, based on how high the bounty is. You can buy off your own bounty though IIRC, or if it's really high $5k, you can get a pardon from the governor (I believe this is an achievement.)

[Sinanju]

Uhh, I'll be honest, I haven't been much of a douche yet in this game. That's something that's actually pretty initeresting to me, in that so far I haven't had much of a desire to be an evil killing machine so far in this game. I do know you can get a bounty on your head which will put the law (and bounty hunters) after you, based on how high the bounty is. You can buy off your own bounty though IIRC, or if it's really high $5k, you can get a pardon from the governor (I believe this is an achievement.)

so you can play it lawful then? In GTA4 I just hated how every mission ended up being a 5 minute drives with 15 cops ramming me nonstop

[Vendetta]

So, just got a Wanted level last night, and yeah it's pretty much like GTA. The thing is it doesn't happen very often, unless you are outright being evil. Although sometimes I think it can happen accidentally. Once I walked into the back of the bank, and apparently that set off all kinds of trouble (maybe they shoulda had the back gate locked then.) And then I rummaged through a desk at someone else's ranch and someone saw me do it. In the latter case, you have the option of paying-off the witness (or, I assume, killing them) to not report you to the law (in my case it would've cost $5 to bribe - I didn't and to remove my wanted level I had to pay $10 at the telegraph office.)

[Sinanju]

well, I'm sold. added to gamefly

[Vendetta]

well, I'm sold. added to gamefly
You getting it for the PS3 or the 360?

[Sinanju]

360, not sure when I'll get it though, availability says low

[J.L.R.]

Vendetta...plays...games...? I thought you were too old for such! What is happening to the world! It's gone MAD! :beerchug: :D :cry:

[Vendetta]

Vendetta...plays...games...? I thought you were too old for such! What is happening to the world! It's gone MAD! :beerchug: :D :cry:
My GF's brother plays this and he's older than I am (early 40s IIRC.) So maybe it has a wide appeal. And I actually play lots of console games, I'm just not very good at many of them. :D

Also discovered today that you can wear a bandana while committing crimes and it won't affect your Fame or Honor points, and it will make your Wanted level go away quicker.

[Sinanju]

This game rules a hooker just tried to steal my horse so I shot her in the face.

[J.L.R.]

My GF's brother plays this and he's older than I am (early 40s IIRC.) So maybe it has a wide appeal. And I actually play lots of console games, I'm just not very good at many of them. :D

Also discovered today that you can wear a bandana while committing crimes and it won't affect your Fame or Honor points, and it will make your Wanted level go away quicker.

I'm not good at shooters. I'm usually the guy my team sacrifices for the greater good of humanity. :D

[MidgeBourbon]

Yes.

Only more misogynist.

[MidgeBourbon]

Dude, check out Yahtzee Croshaw. If there are any flaws in a game he finds them. He had a field day with Red Dead Redemption.

[Sinanju]

Dude, check out Yahtzee Croshaw. If there are any flaws in a game he finds them. He had a field day with Red Dead Redemption.

Thats the worst advice I could possibly fathom. Yahtzee is a terrible reviewer who exaggerates even the smallest details for the sake of humor. I clocked in over 80 hours in RDR and didn't encounter a single glitch he described as occurring "every 5 minutes"

[Vendetta]

Yes.

Only more misogynist.
And racist!

Oh wait, it's not the game that's those things, it's the setting. :rolleyes:

[DarkHunter]

It looked like it (GTA with horses), but then I read a little bit about it and it seems really interesting.

But the real reason I want to play this game is the variety in transportation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI8lAbwUoEk).

[Vendetta]

It looked like it (GTA with horses), but then I read a little bit about it and it seems really interesting.

But the real reason I want to play this game is the variety in transportation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI8lAbwUoEk).
Man, see these are the "glitches" I wish I was getting. Like Saz, I've clocked in quite a few hours and have yet to see any glitches really. I think a wagon bounced a little bit once, that's about it.