Red Dead Redemption

Let’s face it, there’s a time and a place for space marines and carjacking, and then there’s a time to put that all away, strap on a gun belt and 10-gallon hat and ride off for some rough Western justice. And while the setting of Red Dead Redemption may not be the most familiar to regular gamers, when it comes to game play, there’s nothing that will scare any varmits away.

RDR takes players back to the end of the old American Wild West, complete with cattle rustling, saloons, shootouts, gangs of outlaws and lots and lots of bullets. The hero, John Marston, has quit his wild days and wants to settle down, but when his wife and family are kidnapped, the government wants him to hunt down his old outlaw crew and put a bullet between their eyes.

In practice, however, it’s closer to Grand Theft Horse than a Sergio Leone film. The huge sandbox-style world invites any kind of play you like, so if you want to find buried treasure, chase cattle or drink your character into oblivion, that’s fine too – there are achievements for everything. The visual style is damn impressive, and the gunplay, while not entirely challenging with all the bullet-time style powerups, is undeniably fun. It’s the multiplayer that really sells it though, as nothing beats riding into town with a posse of your mates and raising hell.

Sure, there are a few visual glitches, and the in-game money doesn’t have much purpose once you’ve done a few missions, but ultimately this game boils down to unrestrained fun, whether you’re breaking out of jail or dueling at high noon. A great summer time-sink.