The 5 Westerns You Should Watch Before Red Dead Redemption 2

From what’s been shown of the story so far, Red Dead Redemption 2 will take place over a decade prior to the events of Red Dead Redemption ; where John Marston’s story chronicled the imminent “end of the Wild West,” Arthur Morgan’s story follows the Van der Linde gang at the height of their notoriety, and is the so-called “beginning of the end” for this volatile period in the American West, according to Rockstar. While playing as Morgan, his role in the game will be to guide the gang through their journey across the West and evading the law on their tail, while also helping the gang set up camp across various locations, and aiding them to gather food and other supplies to maintain morale.

That’s how the law works, right? You just pay some money for it to go away? Well, that’s how it works in regards to bounties in Red Dead Redemption II . All except for story bounties like Blackwater. It’s a little more than ridicul

There is an argument to be had about games and DLCs. While some people love DLC content, others are frustrated when they buy game’s at full price, receive half a game and the rest is fed to them in pricey DLC content released at later dates. This is certainly not the case for GTA V which gave us a vast, in-depth story, following three main characters around Los Santos as their lives intertwined in the weirdest, yet most perfect way. However, after the story was done, we were left wanting more in the ways of single player action. In the last instalment, we were granted two DLC stories like The Ballad Of Gay Tony and The Lost And Damned . Yet here we are, waiting for more from GTA V only to be given nothing. Surely a story expansion would send fans running back to single player for more of the unforgettable single player experience only Rockstar can provide. This feels like a huge missed opportun

Set in the midst of the Texas-Indian Wars, The Searchers follows the venture of Ethan Edwards, as he returns to his Texas homestead after fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Returning to his home after almost a decade away, several members of his family have been killed or kidnapped by the Comanches residing in the area. After these tragic circumstances, Edwards ends up on the path to vengeance after discovering that his niece is still alive, and heads into the heart of the Comanche territory to bring her back home.

The name of the film alone should instantly bring to your mind the iconic score from Ennio Morricone, but The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly rightfully deserves its place among the best of the Western genre, and the defining example of the “Spaghetti Westerns” that Red Dead Redemption holds so many visuals and thematic influences from.

If The Proposition ends up catching your eye, a neat tidbit about its director, John Hillcoat, is the fact that he created a machinima short film with Rockstar Games in the buildup to releasing Red Redemption in 2010, which was called Red Dead Redemption: The Man from Blackwater . The short film itself was created entirely inside the engine of Red Dead Redemption and was aired on FOX around the time of the game’s release – the full movie is still available for viewing here (via Dagger 323 on YouTube).

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.

[pullquote]”The level of interactivity, mechanics, and systems available to players make Red Dead Redemption 2 as close as we can get to the living, breathing Western Open World Games Vehicles that Rockstar is aiming to deliver.”[/pullquote]

Max Payne is a name familiar to gamers everywhere. The series follows the main character Max Payne, a former DEA agent, on his revenge mission against drug dealers who murdered his wife and child. It wasn’t until the third instalment in the series that Rockstar fully took over its publication, with our hero now working in the private security sector. They took Max over to Brazil to battle against the gangs of São Paolo in a bid to rescue his boss’ wife. Don’t marry in this universe, it doesn’t seem to end w

Don’t be deceived by the number at the end of the title, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a direct prequel to its predecessor. The story takes place years before our last adventure as we follow Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang. If you recognize the latter name, it was the group of outlaws that John Marston rode with back in the day. As you can expect, you’ll see our loveable Marston often, who is perfectly implemented into the story. It’s not too much fan service or focus, but just enough so he’s a solid supporting role, especially in the later half of the campaign. He has his own arc, but it’s all about Arthur and his issues. The first couple of chapters in the story, Arthur is an unlikable individual. It takes him a little while to find his footing as he’s an overly serious character who never breaks a smile and plays the rough cowboy to a T. His relationship with the group, including the gang’s leader, Dutch van der Linde, is what stands out among everything else. It’s the little things around the camp; the songs, the gestures and the interactions that expand our protagonist’s likability, and you begin to better understand him. Even the most insignificant faces seem to bring out the more positive aspects out of Arthur more than the main story ever does, and it’s sad that it’s something players can completely overlook, especially considering entering the camp setting forces the player to move at a snail’s pace.

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