Ten Reasons Why I Can't Stop Playing Red Dead Redemption Article by: Gregg Dumont Share There are not many games released today that grab my interests like Red Dead Redemption did. I've always been a sucker for the old west, I'll give it that, but there is a lot more going on. It's everything from the sexy bar whores to hunting down outlaws. I'm truly hooked on this game, to the point where I find myself reading the strategy guide just for fun. I was looking for a game to get me back into the know and Red Dead Redemption did the trick. Thanks Rock Star! I also think it's worth mentioning that I'm still working my way through the single player campaign and have not yet experienced online multiplayer, which is why it's excluded from the list below. Enjoy the article! View Reader Comments... Hunting Animals Whether you're working on completing the Master Hunter challenge or just looking to scrounge up some extra coin for a new steed, hunting in Red Dead Redemption is the shit. I find myself spending hours at a time riding the land looking for that specific animal that will boost my hunting rating. And I don't use bait people. Bait is for pussies. It's the combination of the ever changing weather, game mechanics and brilliant sound design that make this experience intoxicating. You will literally lose yourself running around this world. I have yet to hunt for bear, but I dream of the days. Wanted Posters Whenever I see someone in town hammering up a new wanted poster my nipples harden with excitement. Here’s how it works - as soon as you pull down the poster and accept the bounty, a red skull appears on your map, giving the exact location of the outlaw. You then mount your horse and haul ass towards the location. Eventually you are prompted with a message informing you that the bounty is near. You get off your horse, sneak around a few obstacles and unload on the gang of outlaws. The tricky part is making sure you secure your bounty alive. Doing so is worth double the loot! Eventually you hogtie the slime ball, throw him on the back of the horse and haul ass back to town. Ride like the wind Blue Steel! Throughout the journey home, you are bombarded by outlaws on horseback, looking to end your life and retrieve their gang leader. It's all very exciting and very awesome! Treasure Hunting Maybe it's because I've seen 'The Goonies' too many times, but I absolutely love treasure hunting. At one point in the game you save a treasure hunter, and as a reward, he gives you one of his maps. The map contains some vague landmarks and usually some sort of hint as to what county the treasure is located. Now you need to ride around the land like a blind man in a mall trying to find a bathroom. The toilet is the treasure, get it? You'll find yourself looking at rock formations, and then looking back at your map, then saying "Damnit" to yourself, then looking at more rock formations, then looking back at your map, and then saying "Damnit" to yourself again. Eventually you'll find what you’re looking for and it's awesome! Saving Bar Whores This might be one of the more random elements on my list, but honestly, it was the first one I thought of. Throughout the game, as you wonder in and out of various towns, you'll find that the locals, every once-in-a-while, lose their shit on one of the town whores. Yep, no respect for the Western vag. You'll come upon a surly drunk man (usually with a huge mustache) holding a knife over a girl who's screaming bloody murder. You only have a few seconds to decide if you want to get involved. I, of course, always do. I end up blowing the guys head off with a shotgun almost every time. Then pull a measly four bucks from his dead body. Man, am I ever a sucker for girls in lingerie. Riding Horses Riding horses in Red Dead Redemption is as satisfying as you'd hope it would be. For starters, just getting on the horse is fun. No matter where you are on the map, with one whistle your horse comes a runnin'. But if you work the buttons just right, you can mount the horse without even a glitch or slowing down. It makes me feel like Chavez in 'Young Guns', or maybe Bill Ray Cyrus. I will almost always choose to ride from point A to point B on horseback even though there are coaches readily available. Also, because of the game’s mechanics, you can't just hold down a button to ride. You have to constantly watch the horse’s stamina to maintain the best speed. This little mechanic is a great touch. Texas Hold 'Em Poker The last time I played this much poker was back in 2003 on Zach’s Island when I raised enough money to buy Katsumi the Venus swimsuit. Damn, that bitch look fine! Playing poker in Red Dead Redemption is pretty awesome. It’s a good, relaxing way to raise some cash and knock out some achievements at the same time, like winning over 2000 chips in just one hand. I also like how you buy a bunch of chips for $25 as apposed to using your real in-game money to bet with. You can easily play for a few hours and not lose your shirt in the process. No strip poker though. And that’s too bad because playing strip poker with a bunch of drunken cowboys is one of my favorite ways to pass the time! Collecting Shit Yep. It's a Rock Star Game which means countless people across the globe will spend the better part of a summer collecting shit in a world that doesn't exist. Um... Dad... I can't come to your 65th birthday party because I'm collecting flowers to earn my Survivalist achievement. Whether you’re attempting to kill a bear with your hunting knife or trying to collect all the uniforms, you won't be able to stop working towards 100% game completion. Oh shit! It's 3:00 AM... I just need to do this one more thing and then I'll go to bed. Yeah right, dream on cowboy! Free Roaming Gameplay Having the freedom to do almost anything you want at anytime is yet another reason why I can’t stop playing Red Dead Redemption. If you want to go hunt shit and sell the pelts for money, you can. If you want to hunt criminals, you can. If you want to play poker in the bar for hours, you can. If you want to watch old cartoons in the cinema, you can. If you want to earn extra cash my breaking in horses, you can. If you want to play Mikey Walsh and hunt for treasure, you can. This is the beauty of Red Dead Redemption. You can do what ever activities you’re in the mood for, and when you want to buckle down and progress through the main storyline, it’s always there. Gang Hideouts A lot of the game involves running from point A to point B doing various random tasks. Sometimes you’re racing someone. Other times you’re herding cattle that have wondered off. Point is… You’re not always shooting shit. However, every once in a while you’ll stumble upon a gang hideout. Most of the time I find them by hearing some dude screaming about stolen cattle. As I approach him gunfire ensues. Taking out a gang hideout involves running around a canyon/basin while working your way toward the heart of the camp, killing many baddies along the way. Once you get to the actual camp there is a bigger shootout and lots of loot. And let me tell you people, shooting gangsters in the head with your Winchester never gets old. The Wild Wild West Read Dead Redemption did an exceptional job bringing the Old West to life. The landscapes, the trees, the mountains, the sunsets, all look exceptional. The towns, with their rowdy saloons, jail houses, movie theaters, general stores, all look and feel great. We even see bandits ride through town shooting their guns in the air like ten year old children high on Sugar Daddies. The music, the great dialogue and detailed characters are all elements that truly sell the feeling of being in the old west. And this is the number one reason why I can’t stop playing the game!