Red Dead Redemption

[Drakul]

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A quick synopsis
The game is set in 1908; it focuses around a former outlaw, John Marston, who is sent across the troubled American Frontiers to help in bringing the rule of law. The game will utilize open world gameplay similar to the Grand Theft Auto series with sandbox environments and free-roaming ability. The environments will include frontier towns, prairies, and mountain passes. Realistic horses utilizing the Euphoria physics will play a major part of the game's transport, and there will be over 40 different types of animals that can be hunted and realistic weather changes including seasons and the ability to ride trains to go to certain places faster than free roaming.

A quick run down of what I know so far:
- The biggest world Rockstar has ever created. It's 3 times the size of GTA IVs map
- Day and Night cycles and season changes.
- 40 types of animal to hunt and tame. Each type of animal will have various levels, whatever that means.
- When hunting animals, you can skin them and sell the skin on for cash. Animals also hunt other animals and will obviously attack you to.
- Weapons sit on your character and don't just appear from bottomless pockets like in GTA.
- One weapon being talked about a lot is the Lasso, which is on your belt. You use it to tame wild horses and hogtie people. Hogtying is helpful if you are bounty hunting. Screw up taming a horse and it drags you across the ground.
- The missions wont be as numerous as GTA but each mission will be longer. Because of this, missions will have check points through out the mission.
- You can travel by foot, horse, stage coach or steam train. You can skip a journey on a train similarly to how you could skip a GTA cab ride.
- The game is built using the RAGE and Euphoria engines so everything will react as believable as possible.
- There will be a feature called "Deadeye mode" which slows down everything around you. You can level up this mode and eventually able to select multiple targets and shoot them in quick succession. You can also shoot guns out of peoples hands or hats off heads.
- Players can enter buildings. NPC go about business and can be seen entering and leaving buildings. NPCs also talk about your actions.
- Minigames including five-finger filet. NPCs will challenge you.
- Online multiplayer
- Duels
- Missions have more variation. One part of one mission sees a girl being hanged. you can either fight through enemies to release her or shoot the rope down. Another mission sees you escorting a stage coach.
- Shooting up a small town turns it into a ghost town for a while. Larger towns will repopulate faster. Dead bodies wont disappear. They stay and have vultures swoop down to feed on them.

The game isn't due out until 2010. It was due out in November but has been pushed back to 2010. I'm looking forward to it and hope it's as fun as it sounds. Who else is looking forward to it?

Edit: the official site still says Fall 2009 for a release date.

[The Mackem]

I'm going to stick with my time machine. If I didn't have a time machine, this would be great :y:

[Funky Fly]

So it's not a lackluster FPS like Red Dead Revolver?

[Drakul]

Revolver was nearly completed by the time Rockstar bought it from Capcom. That's why it was an FPS and this one is a 3rd person action game.

[Hanso Amore]

That looks fucking hot. Cannot wait.

[Wehttam]

This game looks to have more depth than Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. Which would be awesome, because CoJ was a pretty great game but too short.

[Disturbed316]

Can not wait for this.

[Funky Fly]

K, my interest in this is going up.

[Kalyx triaD]

Might enjoy this more than GTA4.

[Nowhere Man]

I'm up for it. I never played the first one, but I logged in a lot of time playing Gun, and this looks like Gun only better.

[Disturbed316]

I loved Gun

[Drakul]

A report from the PAX show in Seattle.

Huddled into a dark room by Rockstar Games, I was anxious to see what Red Dead Redemption actually looked like. A self-professed fanboy of Spaghetti Westerns, the original Red Dead Revolver was one of my favorite games on the original Xbox. Redemption is a sequel in name only, however - instead of an arcadey shooter, it’s an open-world adventure, taking place on a map larger than the state in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

During the fairly brief press demo, Rockstar demonstrated a handful of innovative features in Red Dead Redemption. After a violent shoot-out with a gang of outlaws, the demonstrator demonstrated the sheer size of the world. Riding a horse to the top of a dusty ridge, the camera panned around, revealing rolling hills, rocky plateaus, and endless desert. Everything I could see, I was told, would be explorable, and not just for the hell of it. Red Dead Redemption will be chock full of secrets, treasure, and side-quests. It wasn’t all hidden up in these sandy mountains, either. There are three giant expanses to traverse throughout the game, each wildly different aesthetically. There are plains, forests, and deserts - and that’s not counting the innumerable outposts, towns, and cities speckled around each map. Still, however, the most interesting part was yet to come.

Red Dead Redemption’s old west is alive with randomly generated encounters. Riding through a valley, the main character was greeted by several travelers on horseback - each of whom could be solicited for conversation, and occasionally quests. There were also events, like a man being lynched, who could be rescued, ignored, or murdered, or a gang of outlaws raiding a stagecoach. All of these events, and the actions the player takes during them, add to an overall scale of fame, notoriety, and nobility. Even the tiniest actions, like hunting a rabbit for meat and pelts, eventually tie into some other aspect of the game. Animals can be hunted for their fur, which can then be sold at a trader. Banks in towns can be robbed, simply by walking in with a weapon drawn - or, a nobler player could diffuse a bank robbery committed by NPC bandits. These random events look like they could go a long way to shape Red Dead Redemption’s world.

The version of the game I saw was nowhere near completion - animation, models, and segments of voice-acting were entirely missing - but still, the presentation blew me and several other press representatives away. If everything Rockstar has planned comes to fruition, Red Dead Redemption is destined to become a classic.

Source (http://thunderboltgames.com/previews/article/pax-09-red-dead-redemption-preview-for-ps3-xbox-360.html)

Another source (http://www.co-optimus.com/article/2536/Better_Off_Red_Dead_Redemption.html) is saying each of the three main areas is bigger than Liberty City. If that's accurate then the game will be huge.
I wonder what happens if you are riding through a desert and your horse is killed. We'd have to walk all the way back to a town and I'd think that would take a long time. It's not like Marston could call a taxi. Not that that would be a bad situation.

[Kalyx triaD]

Believe it when I play it.

[Drakul]

In some cases it's best to go with the whole "I'll believe it when I see it" outlook but in the case of R* and with how ambitious this project has been since day 1 and with the great job on GTA IV and its DLC, I'd say it's likely to really be that big. Plus, multiple sites are reporting it's as big as R* said it would be.

A new article:
Rockstar Games seemed pretty busy this weekend presenting their new Beaterator game as well as Chinatown Wars for PSP and the Ballad of Gay Tony for consoles. But, unbeknownst to most PAX-goers, the folks at Rockstar held a top-secret demo of their new grand Western title, Red Dead Redemption. Scheduled for release (hopefully) in 2010, the game has been touted as Grand Theft Auto in the Old West; surprisingly, that might not be giving Redemption quite the credit it deserves.

Filing into the dark interior of the booth, we sat down and enjoyed a glimpse at an early build of the game, or more specifically a hostage hand-off mission that was sure to go horribly awry. The first thing I noticed was just how detailed the game was, from the shiny pistol at the protagonist’s side to the desert cliff walls looming overhead. John Marston’s clothing and equipment will be customizable, reflecting whatever strengths the player decides to play to. More importantly, what you see is what you get as Marston will pull weapons and ammo from his character model as opposed to out of thin air.

As your sizeable posse entered town, gunshots rang out (Ambush!) and the staffer playing the demo triggered Redemption’s bullet time mechanic, washing the scenery in a white hue and allowing the player to take stock of the situation and target enemies accordingly. After taking out two pistol wielding enemies, the effect wore off and things started moving at breakneck pace as Marston slid into cover and pulled out his rifle. It was time to get all Clint Eastwood on these back country losers.

Sighting on an enemy sniper in the bell tower, the Rockstar staffer fired off a few shots, nicking the target’s knees before scoring a chest shot. Now that the way into town was clear, the former outlaw began carefully making his way down Main Street, taking out bandits in the saloon and sighting on the next big issue; an innocent female hostage about to be hung from gallows. As she was sent dangling, NPC’s started scrambling to rescue her, while Marston calmly took aim and blew the remaining guards away before taking out a bowie knife and cutting the damsel down (which resulted in a jarring yet humorous glitch. Hurray for early builds!).

Now it was time for everyone to take a collective breath, as a development team member explained Redemption’s amazing environmental system. Already, vultures had started circling overhead and a couple were descending to pick away at the dead. The game will have a living breathing ecosystem, with larger animals feeding off smaller prey and forming a pretty convincing (not to mention randomized) circle of life. You slaughter a town, you’ll see flocks of carrions picking apart the dead until only bones remain. With his bloody work done, Marston whistled for his horse, and we began the “driving” section of the game, and got our first look at just how large the world of Redemption really is.

At the top of the hill we could see high mountains sizzling in the distance, while sand blasted plateaus lay on the horizon. We were told that the world of Redemption was roughly twice as big as San Andreas, and that you could go pretty much anywhere utilizing horses or the long distance rail system. Encounters over the plains are randomly generated, as evidenced by our unfortunate hit and run with a rouge wolf and a slew of bandits trying to shake us down for money. You can choose to react to situations in different ways, robbing stagecoaches or saving young virgins from the clutches of outlaws. Then again, you can always kill the bandits and just steal her stuff, that’s the dark beauty of a Rockstar game.

Our demo ended with Martson riding into a small non-descript town, and the Rockstar boys demonstrated the Wanted system in Redemption. Shooting down an NPC who for some reason was standing on the roof of the jail, a wanted poster flashed on the screen alerting players that Marston was wanted for murder and should be brought in Dead or Alive for around $100. Soon women and children ran inside their homes as the men of the town came out toting six-shooters. A gun battle ensued, and Martson was unfortunately overwhelmed by superior numbers, even though he took down a couple of settlers with him.

As a fan of Western’s I cannot wait for this title to come out. As a fan of awesome video games I can’t wait for this title to come out. This was one of the prettiest games on the floor at PAX and its gun-fighting mechanics look like they play in true spaghetti western style. I can’t wait to put myself in Martson’s intimidating cowboy boots and make my way through the Old West, but whether I’m a saint or a sinner I’m sure it will be one hell of a ride.
Source: http://www.360sync.com/2009/09/10/high-noon-read-dead-redemption-pax-demo

Some cool details seem to be in the game. Dead bodies being picked to the bone sounds interesting for some reason and I can't wait to explore the huge map and see what random things occur. Customisation is always a plus.
The one thing in that little report that has me really curious is the mention of children. Surely they wont actually put children in the game, right? I'm assuming he said "woman and children" for effect and it was actually just woman that ran indoors.

[Funky Fly]

Want.

[Drakul]

The game is no where near finished but its a game I'll definitly pick up. I wish they'd release another trailer or something, just to give us something new to look at.

I can't remember if I mentioned it before but it will be possible to rob banks in the game or stop a robbery by NPC bandits. I'm hoping we get a free mode online and can maybe rob a bank as a gang or stop a robbery by other players.
NPC will be smarter than the NPC of GTA IV and will have schedules (IE they work during the day and then head to a saloon or something at night).
R* are saying about the map "If you can see it, you can go there" which sounds great but there must be limits so how will they show the limits? Unscaleable mountains or endless desert or something?

The desert idea would be best, I think. It could work like GTA IVs limits. Never ending ocean until a warning message pops up and if you continue leaving the play area your boat/copter explodes. Replace ocean with desert and your exploding vehicle with an instantly fatal snake bite/animal attack and it's the RDD boarder control. the mountains blocking the way would be pretty "immersion breaking". Limits like huge walls or mountains always remind me I'm playing in a confined space and not a huge sprawling world.

[Drakul]

New screenshots. Graphically, it looks mouth-wateringly good to me.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_screenshot107.jpg

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_screenshot113.jpg

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_screenshot133.jpg
I like this shot. It shows a great draw distance (remember, R* said "If you see it, you can go there") and it shows the "Wear what's equipped" idea. We see bullets, guns, a lasso.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_screenshot137.jpg
Notice the rifle on the horse. When we haven't equiped certain weapons/items, looks like they will be sitting on our horse. Cool heat wave effect to the right, there.

We're due a trailer soon, 3 weeks ago R* said we'd get one soon and I predict this Thursday now that Gay Tony is out. If you want HD version of the screenshots, they're up on the official RDR site.

[Skippord]

I want it

[Disturbed316]

I want it

[Verbose Minch]

So it's not a lackluster FPS like Red Dead Revolver?

Troll or?...It wasn't an FPS...

[Drakul]

More new Screenshots.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/25.jpg

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/26.jpg

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/27.jpg

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/28.jpg

Looking good. I like the light/clouds.

[Verbose Minch]

This game is going to be so awesome. Basically like a bigger Gun, I can't wait!

[Fignuts]

Havn't seen any winter screenshots. Were the changing seasons scrapped? I hope not, as that was a really appealing feature.

[Drakul]

All the screen shots have been of the more Texas like areas so that's why we haven't seen snow yet. I'm sure once they reveal the other areas, we'll see snow but I don't think it will be revealed until the next trailer.

[Drakul]

R* have said a new trailer is coming next week so that's good news. They also gave us one new screenshot taken from the trailer. They said this is an actual gameplay stillframe from the trailer. Hopefully a release date will follow the trailer.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_officialtrailer_screencap.jpg

[Drakul]

R* newsletter says the game is being released in April 2010. So we have a released date, finally.

[Drakul]

A new trailer was due out on the 1st of December. It's been leaked early.

Edit: The trailer keeps getting removed by Take 2. Whenever I find it it's taken down 2 minutes later. I was halfway through watching one upload of it and the page froze and reloaded saying it was removed.

Edit #2: Here is the trailer for as long as it'll stay up.
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[Kalyx triaD]

They struck again.

[Fignuts]

Damn it. Wanna seeeeeee thiiiiiiiiis

[Drakul]

Found another upload. Better hurry if you want to see it, though

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[Kalyx triaD]

Nice.

[Drakul]

I'm glad we got to see the snow and the northern territory area at the start. I'm hoping the snow can get at least noticeably deep and it's not just a case of them adding a little white to the ground and telling us "Pretend that's snow."

During the duel scene, when John is getting ready to draw, we see a dog sitting behind him. Maybe people will have pets?

Between horses getting killed (which you use as cover afterwards), hunting and skinning 40+ types of animals and now maybe pets like dogs, Animal rights people are going to hate this game.
PETA gave Fable II some award last year for being frendly to animals even though you can shoot rabbits and stuff so maybe they'll not notice the dead animals in RDR either.

There is a lot in the trailer that is easy to miss. I might take a closer look sometime over the weekend. Maybe.

[Drakul]

I checked out the trailer. Here is what I saw. It's alot of images so it's set as a spoiler incase anyone wants to just skip past it in future.

I didn't find any too important but I think I've found a couple of worthwhile things and circled them. What has been circled is mentioned in the text underneath in the same colour.
Someplace like GT or IGN will obviously do a better job of looking at the trailer closely.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/1.jpg
Snowy area. I'm hoping it get's deeper than that. The only thing worth noting is the horses footsteps kick up snow and dirt so maybe we'll be able to hunt down animals by finding and following tracks.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/2.jpg
We can see the Bank of Armadillo so we know at least one place name so far. I'm willing to bet we can just take that horse that's in the foreground. It's a R* game, afterall.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/4.jpg
Nuns. Looks like Marston is helping them out (He just pushed some guy away from them). This could be a mission or one of the random events R* said happen through the game.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/5.jpg
Cool waterfall. That's pretty much it.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/6.jpg
Guys in civil war clothing.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/7.jpg
Nothing hidden away here but I thought it was great at showing the scale. Martson is tiny compared to the two cliff faces and look at how far into the distance we can see. I've said it alot but R* have said if we see a place or area it is possible to go there.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/8.jpg
Advertisements. One says "Auction: Ridgewood Farm" so that's another place name we know and maybe even a hint at owning property after all? I mean, we need somewhere to save games, right?
The other one mentions a job at a place called Blackwater which is the 3rd place name we learn in this trailer.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/9.jpg
We can see a dog behind Marston. Maybe it's a coyote or something but I find that unlikely. A coyote wouldnt just sit there during the day, would it? Anyway, could be someone pet. If it is, I'm wondering how many people are going to just run from town to town slaughtering everyones pets.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/10.jpg
Some guy hiding in the background. It's probably another cowboy or a Mexican but for some reason I keeping thinking it could be a Native American. You have to pause the trailer at the exact moment because it's very brief.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/11.jpg
Pausing the trailer at the right moment again shows another guy in the background. Same guy, maybe?

This one is just me but look at this:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/12.jpg
The one on the left is Marston at the start of the trailer as he tells the Sherriff what he plans to do. The one on the right is Marston at the end of the trailer saying "long time no see" or something to whoever he was hunting down. Is it just me or does he look a slightly older at the end of the trailer?
At the start he has a smooth face minus the scars and looks young. At the end he has those lines beside his mouth and under his eyes. He looks older to me.
Sounds far fetched but if they are putting in seasons, that means years must be passing. Why put in a realistic weather system, ecosystem and other details like bodies stay there until vultures eat them and stuff and not do aging?
Obviously, if there is aging, it'll stop eventually like Fable II's aging.

[Drakul]

The leaked trailer is up officially now with a few new scenes. I'd post it but my PC is dead and I'm using my Wii to post this.

The game is due for release in the US on the 27th April and in Europe and Australia on the 30th April.

[Fignuts]

That is too far away.

[Drakul]

After 5+ years in development (starting out as Old West Project) 5 months isn't so far away. We have plenty of games being released between now and then to keep us busy.

[Innovator]

Loved Red Dead Revolver and Gun, so this can only be 100x better

[Drakul]

R* announced that there would be a preorder bonus if you preorder at Gamestop.

Gamestop has done it again and been gifted exclusive in-game content for consumers who pre-order Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3 either in-store or online at www.gamestop.com. For the first time ever, consumers will have the power to vote for their choice of one of three in-game outfit challenges as their exclusive pre-order bonus on the retailer’s website.

“We’re privileged to have fans that are just as passionate about our games as we are," said Alex Moulle-Berteaux, head of marketing for Rockstar Games. "Having fans choose their own pre-order bonus is a unique way to let them be a part of Red Dead Redemption.”

Players can vote to choose an outfit that will be earned by completing a unique set of in-game challenges. Once the challenges are completed and the outfit is unlocked, the outfit will uniquely affect how the surrounding world responds to the game’s protagonist, John Marston. Stay tuned throughout the month of January for new information about the outfits and their effects in-game.
Well doesn’t that just beat all?

Source: http://www.gamersdailynews.com/story-15128-Gamestop-Gets-Exclusive-Red-Dead-Redemption-PreOrder-Deal.html

I wonder what the choices will be. I'm guessing UK people will get the bonus from GAME but that's not confirmed. Gamespots SvR bonus was available at GAME in the UK so maybe it'll be the same here.

[Drakul]

There was an embargo on RDR info and previews that was due to end on the 9th. Someone put up a preview and had to take it down because R* changed their minds and extended the embargo to the 15th so the preview was taken down.
Luckily someone had already saved it, so here it is:

Red Dead Redemption is a huge open world, free roaming western-styled sandbox game. You play as John Marston, a partially reformed outlaw who attempted to get away from a career of crime by living out his days peacefully on his ranch with his family. That was until the Bureau (future FBI) arrived with a request that he couldn't turn down… the line between good and evil is about to be obliterated. The preview starts out with John waking up next to his campfire in the middle of the desert somewhere near the Texan/Mexican border. The campfire scenario is the save game ability in Red Dead Redemption and allows you to shutdown and recuperate after a long stint of saving the wild west.

As you look around the shear size of the Red Dead world is mind boggling (well not really but it's a lot bigger than GTA IV and as always is also split into 3 distinct areas), desert scrub stretches out in all directions under a beautiful blue sky peppered with white puffy clouds… the wind is gently blowing some dust around and it appears as you would expect a Mexican desert to appear. John kicks out his campfire and whistles for his horse, which itself is also something to behold with its realistic look and oddly realistic movements. Travelling by horseback is key in Red Dead Redemption and as such you can see that the developers have put a lot of work into making sure this part of the game is as realistic as possible.

As we trot down the road we come across our first opportunity to engage in a side mission, on the side of the road we see 4 Mexican army officers surrounding a civilian and shouting something inaudible at him. We decide to not interfere and rather sit back to see how it all unfolds; the officers then draw their weapons and execute the civilian on the spot. The officers ride away and we carry on down the road and quite quickly come upon a scene where 2 prisoners are attempting to escape a prison wagon. Now it's time to get involved. The first prisoner is dropped with a pinpoint shot from our rifle and the second is quickly rounded up by lassoing him and hog tying him. We then carry him back to the officer who thanks us and summarily executes the returned prisoner. It seems justice and order are two words that haven't been invented yet. For our help in capturing this prisoner we are rewarded with a bit of honour and fame.

The Honour and Fame system is integral to your Red Dead Redemption experience and will alter the way that you are treated by strangers and friends alike. If you go out to kill as many innocents and lawmen as possible you will quickly start to realise that civilians will be avoiding you at all costs while lawmen and bounty hunters will be on your case 24/7. If you are an honourable cowboy the shop keepers and barmen may start rewarding you with free goods and people will be more eagre to interact with you.

We continued into the town of Chuparosa, a small rundown Mexican town where we see civilians continuing on with their daily lives preparing chickens, making horse shoes and generally just milling around. Now if we had been really bad up until this point we could possibly see the civilians making for the doors but seeing as we had a pretty neutral fame and honour rating at this time we were largely ignored. Except, that is for the ladies on the first floor of the saloon who were calling out to us and offering their wares. We stopped over at a local shop keeper and very quickly bought a bandana and upgraded our campsite, quickly enough for me not to see what else was on offer but there did seem to be quite a bit. As a guess we will be able to upgrade our weapons, outfits and pick up assorted items that could help us in our journey.

By this time more clouds had appeared over head and the sun was beginning to set over the horizon, Red Dead Redemption features full day/night cycles along with random weather (including rain and snow) and cloud formations. The sunset bathed everything in a warm orange glow and was a testament to how far we have come with lighting in video games. Over in the corner a lawman is nailing a wanted poster to the wall, here is our first mission. We grab the wanted poster from the wall and accept our mission to return the wanted man… dead or alive. A red skull appears on our mini map and off we go.

Along the way we decide to save a man who is being hijacked by bandits. Once done we loot the bandits' stage coach and the intended victim also thanks us by handing over a treasure map. This is second sort of mission in RDR. When we look at the map we can see a unique rock structure in the bottom left and in the top left a closer view of this structure with an arrow pointing to a certain spot. We continue on our way to the wanted man and unsurprisingly (this is a demo remember) we come across that unique rock structure pretty quickly, up the mountain we go to where the arrow was pointing and we come across an obviously man made rock pile pretty much exactly where that arrow was pointing. While on the other side of the valley smokes trickles up from someone else's campfire. We remove the rocks to uncover a chest with a gold bar inside and yet another treasure map.

The game will change what missions it offers you depending on which missions you prefer – so as you do more and more treasure hunts and less wanted posters you will be rewarded with more opportunities to hunt treasure…

We continue on our way and stumble across some wild dogs wandering around. This may be a good time to say that the world of RDR is teeming with wild life; in my short demo I saw 8 dogs, 3 skunks, 5 wild horses, 2 donkeys and a bunny (which they didn't shoot). These animals interact with the world and each other all by themselves and really do bring a level of realism to the game. The dogs we had stumbled across may well have attacked us but as we prepare to defend ourselves a rabbit breaks from the cover and the dogs resume their chase of their original prey.

Over the next hill we find our bounty and his 6 defenders. Out comes our sniper rifle as we begin picking off the armed guards, as the first one drops the rest react realistically and dive for cover. Out comes our normal rifle and into cover we go, a short fire fight later and we have taken them all down and grabbed some proof that our bounty is disposed off… thankfully this bounty was a dead or alive option. Back to Chuparosa we go to collect our bounty along with some extra honour and fame for the hero of the day.

That's just part one. More to come when the embargo is up. The guy that wrote this preview will talk about the wanted system next time.

[Kalyx triaD]

Want. Sounds like a relaxing experience trekking through the West. There were times in GTA4 where I just drove or walked around the city taking in sights. Probably gonna do the same here.

[Drakul]

If the game has a Free Mode like GTA, we should all form one huge TPWW posse.

I think the game is sounding quite RPG-like. Upgrades, trading, looting, clothing changing abilities etc.

[Kalyx triaD]

R* channeling San Andreas' depth.

[Drakul]

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/image/introduction_teaser.jpg
(From next week's Gameplay Video Series Part 1: "The Introduction")

This Tuesday, December 15 - we will unveil an in-depth 4-minute first look at the gameplay of Red Dead Redemption, revealing some of the features that make this game such an ambitious open world experience, and, showing why we are so excited by it.

Look for it here at RockstarGames.com or the official Red Dead Redemption website -
and also look for a full round of previews from gaming sites around the globe, happening the same day.


Source: http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/2009/12/11/2491/red_dead_redemption_gameplay_video_series_part_1_%22the_introduction%22_-_coming_next_week_tuesday_dec_15th

Great, some gameplay footage in just four days time. I'm guessing this is why the extended the embargo until the 15th.

[BigDaddyCool]

I'll play it.

[Drakul]

Some more info from another preview. Apparantly, someone never told Gametrailers about the embargo extention, I guess. It's a video which you can watch here (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/episode-87-invisible-walls/59937#comments_top). Skip forward to 23:33 for the RDR stuff.

Some notes (typed out by someone at GameFAQS with his opinions removed by me) if you can't/don't want to watch the video:

-You can set up camp and save anywhere, a camp which you can upgrade by buying supplies from stores. Setting up camp will re-supply you with ammo

-If you have a good relationship with your horse and someone tries to steal it it will buck off the horse thief and come running back to you.

-Bounty hunting starts when you rip the wanted poster off a wall.

- R* said you wont be able to interact with prostitutes.

-New Austin, Nuevaperaso, and West Elizabeth seem to be the names of the territories. My guess is that New Austin will be the Frontier ( Texas/Arizona type area) Nuevaperaso will obviously be Mexico, and West Elizabeth will be the northern forest/mountains and plains area.

-Notes dueling, and lots of minigames/sidegames

-He states you can kill people and take the stuff off their stagecoach.

-The bandana is functional, letting you pull off crimes "undercover".

-The reviewer sort've ignores the question about killing someone in the middle of nowhere, if it will raise your wanted level if there are no witnesses to your crime, but I do remember reading that if there is no one around to witness your crime that your noteriety will not go up.

-You can get out of your wanted level by bribing certain characters (he means magistrates - Drakul) if you so choose, and he later states that your wanted level will be a little bit more persistant compared to GTA, but it will cool off if away from trouble for a long enough period of time, similar to the GTAs.

-Vultures will be a way to locate happenings throughout the lands, if you see some vultures swarming in the distance you know there is a dead body there.

[Kalyx triaD]

Nice ideas.

[Drakul]

The notes aren't just ideas. They are what the guy that got the preview from R* said was in the game.

[Kalyx triaD]

I know. They're nice ideas.

[Drakul]

I misunderstood and I agree, they are nice ideas.

Think we'll get Avatar Awards? I'd like a lasso prop after lassoing a certain number of animals.

[Kalyx triaD]

I expect only 'big' games will have Avatar Awards, being that Rare would still have to make them (I'm assuming here). They're not gonna wanna make a shit load of items for many games. Hopefully this will get something.

[Swiss Ultimate]

...I love this in theory.

[Drakul]

Some new info on the game is in this months Game Informer. Some guy typed up what was mentioned, so here it is. I've reworded it, though.
We knew most of this already, if you read earlier posts, but some of it is new.

There are 8 images with captions under them but he doesn't know hot to upload image

-One image is of Marston attempting to crack a large safe while the caption under it reads "Little does he know the gold dial and lock are worth more than anything in the safe."

-Another is a close up of Marston wearing a bandana over his face, it reads "Making a wanted poster will be difficult when no one recognizes your face."

-The next image is of Marston on horse back looking over vast wilderness with a caption reading "This looks like a great spot to set up camp for the night."

Some interesting info from the actual article:

-"Overturning a rock could gift you with a buried treasure or a rattlesnake bite" so maybe some treasure maps will lead you to death and there may be a survival element of getting poisoned..

-"Treasure maps play off the players memory and eagle eye vision"

-It talks about a man on the side of a trail pleading for help. You get off your horse to help him and he jumps on your horse and rides away. Marston whistles and the horse sends the rider to the ground by bucking.

-Horses can get spooked by animals. This article references a rattlesnake again. The animal AI seems amazing.

-You can set up camp where you please it seems, and upgrading your camp can result in health and ammo regeneration while you sleep, among other things I'm sure.

-Acting honourably or dishonourably will result in monetary rewards from either end.

-If you become famous enough you can settle disputes with words. and apparently you can interact with anyone in a town.

-You can totally be a bandit if you want. Just make sure you have a bandana. If you kill too many people though, a posse will be sent out looking for you daily but you can earn a pardon for your crimes by doing various tasks.

-Some items being sold in the preview were a "rabbits foot" (some sort of luck system, maybe?) and "chewing tobacco".

-People in towns really are doing stuff besides milling around. One thing that jumped out at me was a merchant chopping fish. Maybe fishing will actually be in this game.

-Seems blackjack and poker are in here.

-And finally the last part of the last paragraph reads "Rockstar openly injected that everything we've seen so far is just a small fraction of the game and the yet-to-be announced multiplayer will be a huge part of the open world experience"

There is a lot in this game. It's really quite hard to believe. Even more unbelievable is that there is apparantly a lot lot lot more to it than what we know so far.

I'm hoping online multiplayer has stuff to do togethor or lets us do stuff togethor. Hopefully it lets us rob banks or bounty hunt togethor or something. It would get dull fast to have that huge map and have nothing to do in free mode but shoot each other.

[Kalyx triaD]

Would love to see how multiplayer works.

[Swiss Ultimate]

I just want to live in a shack on the frontier where I can raise my cattle in peace.

[Drakul]

Well, one early mission involves herding cattle according to an old preview and I remember reading all buildings can be entered, so you could probably act that out.

[Swiss Ultimate]

Can you have children?

I want my children to help run my ranch as I walk around not saying much. I want to be the soft-spoken cowboy with the dark violent past.

[Kalyx triaD]

Doubt there will be kids in a game where you terrorize as easily as protect. Ain't no kids in GTA.

[Skippord]

I can oppress Native Americans on this right?

[Swiss Ultimate]

I can oppress Native Americans on this right?

The point of this game is to escape, Skip. Don't you get enough of oppressing Native Americans in your real life?

[Drakul]

Can you have children?

I want my children to help run my ranch as I walk around not saying much. I want to be the soft-spoken cowboy with the dark violent past.

I agree with Kalyx. I doubt you can have kids. Although in a report from PAX the reporter mention children.

Our demo ended with Martson riding into a small non-descript town, and the Rockstar boys demonstrated the Wanted system in Redemption. Shooting down an NPC who for some reason was standing on the roof of the jail, a wanted poster flashed on the screen alerting players that Marston was wanted for murder and should be brought in Dead or Alive for around $100. Soon women and children ran inside their homes as the men of the town came out toting six-shooters. A gun battle ensued, and Martson was unfortunately overwhelmed by superior numbers, even though he took down a couple of settlers with him.


Like I said on page 1 of the thread when I posted the article. He probably just mentioned children for effect when they weren't actually in the game.
Maybe they will have children in the game but have some way of making us unable to kill them. Not sure how they could do that without wrecking the immersion of the game, though.

[Drakul]

4 minute gameplay footage. I've not watched it yet. Going to do that now.

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And some more screenshots:

http://www.incgamers.com/images/screenshots/13900orig.jpg

http://www.incgamers.com/images/screenshots/13899orig.jpg

http://www.incgamers.com/images/screenshots/13898orig.jpg

http://www.incgamers.com/images/screenshots/13897orig.jpg

http://www.incgamers.com/images/screenshots/13895orig.jpg

http://www.incgamers.com/images/screenshots/13894orig.jpg

http://www.incgamers.com/images/screenshots/13893orig.jpg

Some great screenshots, there. On top of the video and the screenshots, we're getting a lot of new previews about the game over the next few days.

Edit: This video is only part 1 of a series.

Edit 2: I've replaced the old video with an HD version from R*s YouTube page.

[Champion of Europa]

I need this.

[Swiss Ultimate]

I want to drag someone for 20 miles behind my horse.

[Kalyx triaD]

Son of a bitch.

[Drakul]

A lot of previews are popping up. I'm probably going to read a few of them but I can't imagin anything new coming from it.
After seeing how the game looks to play, I really hope Free Mode is in and is basically single player with more player.
I'm assuming what we saw was the same code as what the previewers saw, in which case, that wasn't the totally finished code.

I want to drag someone for 20 miles behind my horse.
I want to find out if I can drag someone behind my horse and have my horse turn sharply at a cliff edge so the guy being dragged slides across the ground and ends up hanging off the cliff by my rope...then I want to cut the rope.
It would be cool if I could do that small thing.

It's worth noting that in the video, when he shoots the guy on the horse in the back and steals the horse, the text in the corner says that the law will only know he did it if someone reports it. That must mean we can do whatever the hell we want as long as we leave no witnesses.

Right after that scene, the narrator says being unhonourable could get you wealthy and we see Marston at a card table. He only has a moustach and not his beard and his hair is neatly done. Maybe, ontop of changing clothes, we can change hair/facial hair like San Andreas.

On a side note, I really like the theme tune. You can hear it at 3:10 in the gameplay video and through most of the 2nd trailer.

Edit: I watch the trailer in HD which made somethings easier to read. We can rob NPCs buy point our gun at them and pressing Y. When Marston is aiming at the woman in the white dress, the instrtuction is in the bottom right corner.

[D Mac]

Just saw the game play for the first time. Can't wait.

[D Mac]

Can you rob banks?

[Drakul]

Yeah, you can rob pretty much anyone and anything. You walk into a bank with your gun out (and a bandana to mask your face if you don't want the law after you) and you can rob it. Same idea for trains and stuff to. You can point your gun at people and rob idividuals aswell.
On the flipside, you can be robbed or see NPCs robbing banks and choose to help the robbers, save the victims, just let it happen or rob the robbers. Whatever you do effects your honour and fame ratings.

And DeathtotheSwiss, you can't have kids but another preview has mentioned kids running around a town so looks like kids might actually be in the game after all. I can't see us being able to harm them though.

[Xero]

I want to drag someone for 20 miles behind my horse.

I want to shoot someone in the back over a matter of $80.

[Verbose Minch]

I want to shoot someone in the back over a matter of $80.

I do that in real life.

[Drakul]

Part 2 of Lazygamers preview.

In part 1 (http://tpww.net/forums/showpost.php?p=2850621&postcount=39) we covered the basic of Red Dead Redemption including the side missions, environment, animals and free roaming but what about the shooting, main missions and the rumoured goods that can be purchased?

We left our story after returning to Chuparosa to claim our bounty after which we headed down to the end of town only to stumble across another one of those external events you can or can’t get involved in.

We decided to hide in the bushes and put on our bandada to watch how it all pans out, a short while later the army (or local sheriff) came trotting down to resolve the issue. However we decided to resolve it our own way and pulled out our trusty 6 shooter and took out all the officers in succession.

Our mini map exploded into life with a large red circle and a bunch of new icons displaying the various bounty hunters and marshals who were on their way to take us in. At the same time a large red $25 wanted stamp appeared on the screen. Knowing what to do from our GTA days we headed for the edge of the circle to get away from our pursuers.

Once we were outside the circle the wanted stamp started to turn white from the right hand side and it quickly became apparent that this was more a wanted bar than anything and that when the red had receded completely we would be safe.

To aid in this we removed our bandana which caused the wanted sign to drop down to about 10% left and then a short while later it was completely white… however it didn’t disappear.

The idea here is that we still have a bounty on our head of $25 but they are no longer actively looking for us and seeing that it’s a small bounty it is unlikely that a standard lawman or bounty hunter would even recognise us. However if we continued to cause trouble we would be able to ramp up that bounty causing bounty hunters from all over the country to come looking for us.

Is it only me or can you smell a horde style MP experience here?

There are two ways to remove that wanted sign from over our head, we can either head on over to the local telegraph office and pay the bounty or we can get a pardon from a person in power.

We decided to go for the second and headed on over to a town that had been taken over by bandits. Outside we were met by an army officer who explained that his partner was being held captive inside and he needed our help.

Unfortunately at this point I stopped taking down notes… mainly because it was truly awesome. The gates opened and the battle started, people were popping out of windows and doors and we were taking them out with our trusty rifle or six shooter. We took out an oil lantern which then exploded onto an enemy character setting him on fire, he ran off back into the house and set two other guys on fire in the process.

We turned the corner only to find 6 guys coming towards us, queue the moment to engage the classic Red Dead bullet time which slows time down (not stops it) and gives you the time to mark a couple of guys to take down as you exit bullet time.

We take down a couple more guys including a bad priest and then it’s all over. The law is so happy that we are granted a pardon which we then need to take over to the telegraph office to get our wanted level sorted out… but why not rather just hang onto it until our level is really high instead?

To end the preview we get to partake in a real story mission where our job is to join forces with the local militia to take over a fort and destroy it’s ammo cache the only problem being that it’s fortified so we load up our trusty cart with explosives and head off down the hill to pay our respects.

Just before we reach the gates we dive out of the cart and watch the gates disintegrate with the power of TNT before dusting ourselves off and storming the fortress with the rest of the militia. What follows next is some awesome crammed fighting with a few pot shots and the obligatory piles of ammo lying around livening things up.

We race up the rickety staircase to get the higher ground advantage and start picking people off. Next we peel off into a side room and a cut scene begins. Unfortunately the scene was cut short to avoid any spoilers but the graphics in those few seconds was breathtaking, I cannot wait to see some longer scenes to see if the quality carries through.

After that we destroy the rest of the ammo cache and are then told to defend the door against the oncoming horde of soldiers, we race up the stairs to a turreted cannon. As the soldiers round the corner we start taking them out, the easiest way to stop the carriages piled full of soldiers is to take the horses out first and then pick off the stragglers as they gather themselves. It may not be PETA endorsed but it’s mighty effective.

A couple more shots and the carriage is blown into teeny tiny toothpicks and the majority of soldiers are taken care off… we wander down to the centre of the fort to clean up the rest of the mess and complete the mission.

Summary:
Every 5 page epic needs a summary and here is ours,

if you are a GTA fan you have to buy this game, there were some concerns that you will get bored wandering our a vast empty desert but in reality it’s action packed at virtually every turn and the gameplay mechanic and quality is true GTA’esque… that’s a word isn’t it?

The graphics appear to be better than GTA, the range of weapons appear healthy, the honour and fame system is a unique inclusion that could be great if executed well.

We are going to be experiencing true day/night cycles along with variable weather and random exciting situations and let’s not forget that there appears to be a brothel in every town which will allow us to partake in drinking games and (I am presuming) some under the cover action.

Red Dead Redemption ticks all the boxes and I for one am very interested in seeing how it progresses.
source:http://www.lazygamer.co.za/xbox-360/early-preview-red-dead-redemption-part-2/

Sounds awesome. I like the idea of shooting laterns to set people on fire.
I'm hoping we get more video footage soon. As fine as I am with reading articles, I'd much rather see it.

[D Mac]

I just might pre order this.

[BigDaddyCool]

I want this game.

[Drakul]

I'll probably pre order it to but I'm going to see what the limited edition has in it. So far all we know about it is there will be an exclusive outfit that will effect how the world reacts to Marston and we'll get to choose what the outfit will be in a January poll. I'm hoping the LE will have more than that to it.

I noticed something in the gameplay video. At around 2:59, Marston kills a guy in a green shirt. He doesn't just shoot him, he puts his hand on the guys arm, leans in and shoots him in the chest and point blank range. Later I read this in an article (http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/red-dead-redemption/preview/red-dead-redemption-gameplay-footage-revealed/a-20091214124518245059/g-20090204142932437070),

There are close quarters mega-kills. See 2:58 in the trailer for an example. In our demo, we see John stick a rifle under a foe’s chin, squeeze the trigger and dispatch of him in a pulpy fountain of blood.

So maybe there will be grabbing/grappling system and those are two speacial grabs we do with types of gun. In the 2nd trailer, he grabs a guy by the shirt and punches him in the face. I used to think that was a cutscene but I'm not so sure now.

[D Mac]

Grand Theft Horse

[Drakul]

Just a couple of screenshots with captions but the blog says we'll get media and news over the next couple of weeks including the next episode in the gameplay series.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/49.jpg
Marston and the local snake oil salesman, Nigel West Dickens, set off some dynamite to clear the path for a swift getaway.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/50.jpg
A morning visit from the rancher’s daughter, Bonnie MacFarlane.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/48.jpg
A tense showdown on a shipwrecked steamboat.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/47.jpg
Riding up on the sand swept town of Escalera..

The 2nd pic may mean we can perhaps lodge places rather than camping out in a tent every night. I'm wondering how that will benifit us. Escalera must be a new town.

[Kalyx triaD]

All of these pictures are fucking awesome. R* don't play that prerendered shit.

[Drakul]

There has been a fair bit of bad news around RDR these last few days. I'm too tired to find entire articles but the gist is that it's taken about $100 million to develop the game over the past 5 years and they'll need to sell about 5 million copies at full price to break even.

Ontop of that R* San Diego is apparantly being accused of having terrible working conditions. Unpaid overtime, demotions etc. Some people that claim to work for R* (or are spouses of workers for R*) say it's a mess and it was a mess through out 2009 and that RDR is a disaster. Other people claiming to work for R* have said RDR is excellent and they are proud of it. I'll likely get the actual article when I'm not so tired.

I hope the accusations are exaggerated and working conditions aren't that bad. Perhaps a disgruntled former employee trying to cause trouble for R*?
RDR cannot be that bad, you can make a bad game look good in a trailer but after having so many arcticles about seeing the game in action and they all say its amazing, I find it hard to believe the game will be anything close to bad. At the worst, I'd imagin it would be on par with GTA IV and that's pretty damn good. I personally think it'll be much better than that.

[Drakul]

R* did a little Q&A post today and two questions are worth posting here.

“Now where the hell is Red Dead Redemption's info? The Movember winner, Gamestop pre-order outfits, 2nd gameplay series. Where the hell are they?” – batik89

Ha - love the enthusiasm! All of the above will be revealed in the next week or two, we promise. Look for the 2nd clip in the gameplay series (which will be an in-depth look at shooting - all the gunplay, weapons, dead-eye, natural motion physics and so on that make up this key aspect of the game) as well as a big hands-on preview round to hit towards the end of next week. Meantime, there’ll be continuing Red Dead goodness posted right here in the coming days. Keep your eyes peeled..

“I think the fans of RDR deserve some official word regarding the current state of development for worried fans!” – received via Twitter
“I wouldn't mind seeing @rockstargames (http://twitter.com/rockstargames) response to this accusation http://tinyurl.com/yk8wc3q (http://www.destructoid.com/rockstar-accused-of-terrible-working-conditions-159935.phtml)" – received via Twitter

First off, you guys have nothing to worry about: Red Dead Redemption is coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 27th 2010 (April 30th in Europe) - and we could not be more excited with how the game is looking and playing as it nears the end of development. As for the stories spreading around the internet, yes we have noticed them. Unfortunately, this is a case of people taking the opinions of a few anonymous posters on message boards as fact. No business is ever perfect, but Rockstar Games is a tight knit team made up of around 900 supremely talented and motivated professionals, many of whom have worked here for a very long time. We’re saddened if any former members of any studio did not find their time here enjoyable or creatively fulfilling and wish them well with finding an environment more suitable to their temperaments and needs, but the vast majority of our company are focused solely on delivering cutting edge interactive entertainment. We’ve always cared passionately about the people working here, and have always tried to maintain a supportive creative environment. There is simply no way Rockstar could continue to produce such large scale, high quality games without this. That being said, making great games is very challenging, which is why we have and will continue to try to keep hold of some of the best talent in the industry and support them in every way we can.

Can't wait for the next gameplay video. I'm looking forward to more info on the physics. The preorder bonus has been pushed back to the 25th.

[Drakul]

New screens/captions

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/55.jpg
(As the horse-drawn cart inches closer, Marston readies his revolver to take out the driver and passenger.)

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/54.jpg
(From time to time, Marston is joined by allies who help him on his mission. Here, Marshall Johnson takes cover behind an outhouse, ready to incapacitate an oblivious gang member.)

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/57.jpg
(John Marston takes cover beside a cart of hay to take out a distracted enemy.)

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/56.jpg
(Marston prepares to turn the corner and shoot through the window to get the upper hand on an outlaw.)

[D Mac]

April huh. Not too far away.

[Fignuts]

Still too far, considering how awesome this looks. Like one of the only games I'm excited about anymore.

[Kalyx triaD]

Gonna play Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" to this. As well as "Wild Wild West" from Will Smith.

[Drakul]

We'll be finding out about the Pre-order costumes tomorrow so that should be worth checking out. We'll get to vote for 1 of 3 costumes, each one with a different effect on the surroundings.

I'm going to say one will be a Clint Eastwood style poncho that will cause people to fear/respect you more. I think one will be all (or mostly) white and have some kind of "good guy" effect. The 3rd will probably be an all black "bad guy" outfit.
Maybe an animal skin outfit that reduces animal attacks.

If a poncho is involved in anyway with these costumes, it'll win the vote.

[Drakul]

The voting begins now for the Pre-order bonus costume:

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_referendum.jpg

You now have a say in what the GameStop pre-order bonus for Red Dead Redemption will be.

Visit www.gamestop.com/reddead to vote on which outfit will be the exclusive unlockable Gamestop pre-order bonus: The Savvy Merchant, The Deadly Assassin, or The Expert Hunter. Click here (http://www.gamestop.com/gs/landing/rdrvote/default.aspx) to learn more, including what each outfit’s special gameplay advantage benefit is – along with a screen of each in action. Eligible voters will also be entered into the Red Dead Redemption Referendum Sweepstakes – to win daily $100 GameStop gift cards and a grand prize trip to the Grand Canyon.

(No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Must be 18 or older and a legal resident. Ends 2/15/10. See Official Rules (http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/gamestop/referendum/officialrules) for eligibility requirements and other details.)

Stay tuned for details on other international pre-order exclusive bonuses to be revealed very soon.

[DAMN iNATOR]

The Deadly Assassin one definitely looks the most apropos as well as making homeboy there look the most bad-ass. If I was to vote I'd definitely go with the Deadly Assassin attire.

[Drakul]

Why don't you vote? I'm in Scotland but I voted anyway because I'm sure whatever wins will probably end up being the European bonus to. I voted for the Hunter outfit and gave a long winded reason why others should vote for it as well:

I voted for number 3. The benefits from costumes number 1 and 2 would make the game a little easy. Getting guns cheaper means you can buy them sooner so you'll get the better weapons too soon and just plow through enemies. Regenerating Dead-Eye twice as fast could make the DE Targeting almost infinite. We see it recharging in one video and it already looks like it charges very fast. It would be useful but would take all the fun and excitement away if we can just slow everything down every 5 seconds. Number 3's benefit is a good perk and wont take away the fun and excitement by making things easier, judging my the screenshot of Marston fighting a bear, it looks like it'll increase the fun and excitement.

Plus Number 1 looks like a European outfit from WW2, Number 2 looks very cliche and similar to another outfit Marston has and Number 3 looks very unique and cool.

If anyone votes, post what the results are saying so far.

[D Mac]

I went with the Merchant. Assassin looks cool but I'd rather be able to buy the guns and shit and 1/2 price.

[Drakul]

I bet we'll be able to unlock these outfits in the game some how, regardless of which wins the poll. It'll probably be something like

Buy, sell and trade at every store in a single area and get the 1st costume.
Kill X number of enemies using dead eye and get the 2nd costume.
Kill at least one of each animal and gets the 3rd costume.

Still, I voted again. We can vote as often as we like but only once every 24 hours.

Current standings:
The Savvy Merchant: 18%
The Deadly Assassin: 44%
The Expert Hunter: 38%

The results are fluctuating constantly. All of the costumes have been winning the vote at some point. The out come seems like it's going to be unpredictable.

[D Mac]

I bet we'll be able to unlock these outfits in the game some how, regardless of which wins the poll. It'll probably be something like

Buy, sell and trade at every store in a single area and get the 1st costume.
Kill X number of enemies using dead eye and get the 2nd costume.
Kill at least one of each animal and gets the 3rd costume.

Or pay X number of Microsoft Points or X number of dollars on the PS Store.

[Drakul]

New gameplay video:

<embed src='http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/media player/RockstarMediaPlayer.swf?skin=reddeadredemption/EN/embed&vidID=3531&cacheAG=true&legacy=no' quality='high' bgcolor='#000000' menu='false' width='480' height='300' name='RockstarMediaPlayer' align='middle' allowScriptAccess='always' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' />

[Buzzkill]

Wow, I just caught wind of this game a couple days ago...woooow

I rarely get excited about upcoming releases, but damn. This has the potential of being my favorite game ever

[Drakul]

Wow, I just caught wind of this game a couple days ago...woooow

I rarely get excited about upcoming releases, but damn. This has the potential of being my favorite game ever

Well, you should probably scan through the thread to catch up on details you missed. I'm pretty excited to. The last time I was this excited about a game was GTA III.

Watching the video, I think the physics look great. I like the little details. Like when the guy was shot and as he fell back, the plants he brushed against moved and everything. I wish they'd show us how horses or Marston would fall, though.
I wonder what the pysics do if you or your horse are hit by a train.

Some hands-on previews. Click the site name to see the full article:

Red Dead Redemption is under a hundred days away now, and anticipation builds with every video and screenshot we release. But how does it play? Here's a selection of quotes from the press after some hands-on time with the game:

“...it’s an understatement to say that Red Dead Redemption is in my wheelhouse. Each time Rockstar swings by the office to give us a glimpse my enthusiasm increases, so it was with great anticipation that I took hold of the revolver for our first hands-on session… As the sun sets, a smoky haze falls over the battlefield and I take a moment to appreciate the amazing vista where this fight is taking place. The impressive desert setting looks like it’s ripped straight out of an Albert Bierstadt painting. Gorgeous landscapes like this aren’t uncommon in Red Dead – every location I’ve seen thus far is equally awe-inspiring… The gunplay is nothing if not visceral – the weapons pack a serious punch, and the Natural Motion animation further cements the feeling that you wouldn’t want to be on the other end of these gun barrels… My experience with Red Dead Redemption has me chomping at the bit to spend more time in the gritty Western setting.” – Game Informer (http://gameinformer.com/games/red_dead_redemption/b/xbox360/archive/2010/01/28/hands-on-with-rockstar-s-gritty-western.aspx)

“It's a classic Rockstar moment. The nocturnal calm is shattered by the shrieks of a prostitute bursting out of a saloon as a man chases her down and assaults her in the street. I move swiftly to her aid but, still acquainting myself with the controls, succeed only in kicking her in the face as she writhes helplessly on the ground. The man flees back inside as the girl scrambles to her feet and away. I give chase to the attacker, drawing a rifle as he cowers behind the bar blind-firing. A moment later I have him clean in my sights by the open backdoor and unload a round. Which sails past his torso, through the door, over the street and into the stomach of a girl 20 yards away, who drops to her knees with a blood-curdling scream. The same girl I'd been trying to save. There are belly laughs and there are belly laughs. It's one of those sudden, unexpected climaxes of bloody action, tinged with darkly comic absurdity, that have become a trademark of Rockstar's open-world exploits… There's so much more to say. I could talk about the vulture-shooting mini-game; the deliciously cruel potential of the lasso; the bad, bad thing I did in a church; collapsing unconscious in a bar after caning two shots of hard liquor (eerily similar to my own tolerance). And then there's multiplayer, which, according to Rockstar, will be part of the next reveal. I could go on, but like Grand Theft Auto, the joy is in the discovery and individual experiences.” – Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/red-dead-redemption-hands-on?page=1)

“Every time I see Red Dead Redemption, I get just a little bit more excited. The most recent hour I spent with Rockstar's open-world Western afforded me the opportunity to get my hands on it for the first time… If you haven't been paying attention to Red Dead Redemption, you should start right now… My favorite moments, though, were those gunfights that took place out in the open. Nothing says badass cowboy like a guy with no regard for his life or safety. It isn't all that easy to pull off without getting filled with lead, but every now and then you can do a slow walk up to a guy and blast him at close range or take a knife to his throat. You might prefer to use a long range rifle or a Molotov cocktail, but I'd call you a wimp… There are a lot of great looking games on the horizon in 2010. Some will wind up being hits. Others may end up being duds. Red Dead Redemption is on track to be a hit. It's beautiful. It handles well… it already looks like a winner. Mark your calendars for the end of April. You've got a date with the Wild West.” - IGN (http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1063311p1.html)

Stay tuned for more hand-on previews to come...

Edit: the next gameplay video, which I assume will be released in February, will show us multiplayer. Looking forward to it. I hope Free Mode is in and that we can basically do everything we can do in single player (minus story missions, obviously). With the features in this game, Free Mode could be amazing.

Robbing a bank togethor, being able to take down another player for a bounty, hunting parties, treasure hunts, lassoing another player and leaving them on traintracks. There is a lot of potential with RDR and multiplayer.

[Drakul]

Someone sivved through the new hands-on articles and complied most of the interesting things togethor. As usual, I've reworded it a little to make it quicker to read and to remove their opinions. Alot of it is direct quotes from articles, though. If you don't have time to read ever single article, here are the notes:

Buttons & Actions:

- The Dead-Eye targeting system is triggered by pressing down the right thumbstick
- You can whistle for their horse by pushing up on the D-Pad though some articles say its "Y".
- Holding the A button while riding with another character matches your speed and direction to theirs. This frees up your attention so you can concentrate on the story rather than on steering and keeping pace with your guide.
- Tapping the left bumper attaches you to cover allowing you to blind fire at your enemies, while holding down the left trigger will pop john out of cover to take aim at his target.
- Whether you're running or galloping on horseback, pressing the A Button will allow you to sprint.

Gameplay:

- "Swimming equals death in "Red Dead Redemption.". I managed to hijack a horse cart and was riding it around when I spotted a river. Something primitive screamed inside of me: "FORD THE RIVER!" And I did. It didn't end well. In fact, I was dead the moment I hit the water. So yeah, you can't swim in "Red Dead Redemption." It's not a huge deal, since water is really only used to mark off certain edges of the map."
- Players can still set SatNav-style way points and purchase safehouses for new save locations.
- The day/night cycle lasts 25 minutes.
- Marston can carry up to six different sidearms from a selection of shotguns, sawn-offs, sniper rifles, and pistols.
- "...he encountered a number of opportunities to show us the close-up kills. Using a pistol, you can make Marston shoot someone point-blank in the chest; and with a rifle, he'll point it upwards at the enemy's head and blow his brains out. These finishers are unique and relative to the weapon you have equipped at the time"
- "the game speeds up my default movement from walk to run to match the urgency of the situation."
- "I’m able to slow down time and line up my shots, but the target painting system is absent. This will be unlocked RPG-style as the player improves John’s abilities."
- Skinning animals happens off camera but you see the skinless animal afterwards.
- "Assorted gambling minigames that include games of horseshoes... But none of that sounds quite as interesting as the Night Watch missions, which task you with policing a town at night with the help of a guard dog."
- If you time it right, you can even jump on the horse while it’s in motion.

Aiming:
- "Auto-aim has been downplayed a touch, meaning that the reticule won't stick quite so effortlessly and loyally to targets when you hold down the relevant trigger button. This, coupled with larger and more wide-open areas in the game's many shoot-outs, makes for gunplay that demands a little more sharpshooting skill out of its user."
- "unlike in GTA IV the left trigger won't magically lock-on to the nearest target regardless of which direction you're facing (you need to at least have a rough bead on them in the first place, like in the Call of Duty games), and nor can you flick between targets with the right thumbstick once locked on, in an effort to make gunfights more challenging and thus more authentic to the era. "
- There is zero pop-up.
- Wiping gangs out won’t incur a Wanted level for John as they’re criminals anyway, and doing them in will also lead to cash, weapons or even treasure maps.
- Shooting lanterns will make them explode and set fire to anyone standing too close to them.
- If you shoot a horse in the neck it won't just bleed, it will cause a powerful jet of arterial spray to arc out several feet from the wound.
- You can also herd cattle for local ranchers or become a part-time deputy to Sheriff Johnson complete with guard dog. (There are side missions where you have to work as a Night Watch with your guard dog. - Drakul)

Random Events:
- "The level of immersion is impressive, with characters living their own routines and patterns. For example, a merchant will get up in the morning, go to work, finish up, head to saloon, sleep it off and then go back to work the next day."
- "A random kerfuffle in a saloon ended with a man viciously stabbing a prostitute. Needless to say, we doled out some lead-based justice."
- "We helped a farmer who was being terrorised by a gang, but arrived too late to save his daughter. In the resulting scene, the man cowered over the young girl, so we ran outside to leave him to his mourning.
- You can lasso hookers and drag them out into the wilderness.
- "After ambling stupidly into their crossfire, we were asked via onscreen prompt to pick a side."
- "..we noticed the telltale shadows of vultures gliding across the ground. Just to see if we could, we took a shot at one of them, and were a little surprised when a cloud of blood flew out of it and it spiraled down to the ground. Just then, a message flashed, telling us we’d initiated a sharpshooting challenge and exhorting us to shoot down more of the carrion-feeders. Four more dead birds later, and the challenge was completed, opening up more difficult ones and giving John’s fame score – which affects how people react to him and which missions he’s offered – a little boost."
- "..including a cannibal I found chowing down man-flesh in the middle of nowhere.."
- "Visual cues such as smoke from a campfire can reveal the location of these [random] events, and at the end of one of these smoke trails we found a man stoking the fire and what appeared to be a human body wrapped in linen beside him....We promptly ended the man's life and released his prisoner (an old lady no less)"
- "Running up onto an incident—in my case, an ambush by bandits on a stagecoach—felt truly random in nature and my decision of which side to support, completely organic. I basically just started shooting at the guys in the black hats. A nice cutscene even played at the end, again dynamically generated."

Sounds extremely impressive to me with the details. NPCs with daily routines and families they mourn they death of, realistic bleeding, dynamically generated cut-scenes. The wilderness in RDR sound more lively than the packed street in GTA IV. Then again, that's not saying much. I think the cannibal could be the start of something. San Andreas style urban legends roaming the wilderness, maybe?

As for the "no swimming" thing, I can't really understand that. Why go to all this trouble with choices and events and immersion and not have the ability to swim?
I think/hope we can swim eventually. Maybe we could take lessons or maybe we can't swim if we have heavy items or guns eqipped.

[Kalyx triaD]

This shit is wild.

[Drakul]

Yeah, it's going to be great, for sure. I just hope this info keeps on coming next week. Although, now that we've read hands on articles, I'm not sure what they can reveal other than multiplayer. Well, apparantly the composer of the music hasn't been revealed and they hinted it would be revealed soon. Now, that sounds to me like it's going to be a bit of a big deal. That's the only time a composer is "revealed".

Other than that, though, nothing new worth mentioning has popped up in articles. Except someone had their horse at a cliff top and dismounted. The horse took a step backwards and fell off the cliff "neighing" as it fell down. The mental image made me laugh lol.

Another article described a small town at night and it sounded pretty atmospheric.

A simple walk through a one-horse town at night is all that it takes to put us right into the world of the Wild West. The wooden buildings look battered, but solid. Horses tethered up at a water trough whinny and snort. A bar at the end of the street emits a warm light as well as the sounds of drunken laughing and a piano. Saloon doors creak as patrons pass through them. A soft breeze blows tumbleweed across the path. The night air is filled with the chirruping chorus of crickets and the sound of our footfalls mingles the crunch of gravel and the jingling of boot-spurs. Every single thing on the screen and every noise on the soundtrack is note-perfect in its recreation of the Wild West scenery we all remember from films. It washes over the player, immersing them completely.

[Drakul]

So, info on a Limited Edition has been leaked by a Dutch game shop. It's going to contain:

•Extra’s (Downloadable Content)
•Soundtrack
•Black Stallion (Horse)
•Gunpack (More Weapons)
•Extra outfits
•Extra minigames for money, outfits and weapons

Source (http://www.rockstarbase.com/?p=3716)

The black stallion is the fastest in the game, according to early previews so getting the fastest horse at the start of the game should speed things up. Until someone snipes it through the neck, anyway.
No idea on pricing, yet. Would have been cool if there was something physical with the LE, like a bandana or something.

[Fignuts]

Stop posting, drakul. Every time you do, it makes waiting for this game more difficult.

[Skippord]

I love that horse is in parenthesis

[Drakul]

I'm sure someone, somewhere needed it explained for them.

Stop posting, drakul. Every time you do, it makes waiting for this game more difficult.
R* are starting to do big updates more often now, starting with another video tomorrow. You're wait is going to get tougher.
I don't even post every update. Just relevant stuff. R* update with western movies they suggest we watch and the history of the real west.

[Buzzkill]

omfg if they got Ennio Morricone to do the score I would not know how to handle myself.

might literally explode

[Drakul]

He did some music for Red Dead Revolver so it's not totally unlikely he'd do something for Redemption. I can't imagine anyone else would be worth revealing.

[Drakul]

I got a magazine that had a 7 page article about RDR. If anyone is interested, here is what is worth noting and a few new screens I scanned from the magazine.

It goes into a bit more detail about the cannibal. They say they stumbled across a makeshift settlement and decided to see if anyone had a story to tell. The occupant instead leaped to his feet and opened fire on Marston. They took him down with a shot to the chest. They then surveyed the area and found a woman with her hand and feet bound (another article online said they had an old woman wrapped in cloth, I guess even small details like that are random as well.) After freeing her, they found bones littering the settlement and a freshly severed human head by a fire.

You can lasso bulls and horse. A minigame mentioned is trying to keep your balance on the back of a bull. So, a rodeo, in other words.

They mentioned in passing they came across "explosive experts". They don't go into more details other than the experts said "Be careful with that fuse." before blowing each other up, catching Marston in the blast, killing them all.

We can watch films, apparantly: "Depending on the time of day - the much loved day/night cycles return - it's perfectly acceptable to engage in a spot of poker or indulge in a game or two of horse shoes, and maybe even see a film."

In a town, a local man ran through the streets crying for someone to help him stop the bandit that had just stolen his horse. The player gave chase, they ran out into the country side but lost him soon after.

Screen scans:

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/fourpic.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/fire.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/bonnie.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/rain.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/lassohorse.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/irishdeputy.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/horselasso.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/group.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/hanged.jpg

[Kalyx triaD]

This game is full of win. If someone were to just tell me about it's features wit no sources I'd call bullshit.

[Drakul]

The source is X360 magazine, issue 55, if anyone in the UK wants to read it.

The game really does seem like it's going to be amazing. All I need now is to know about Multiplayer.
Someone claims to have emailed R* about the "no swimming" thing and the replied saying we can swim, just if we swim out too far around the edge of the map, we drown. I don't fuilly believe it yet but, it's a little hope for anyone that wanted to swim.

RDR has given me a good idea for a thread, actually.

[Drakul]

Here are the preorder bonus for RDR. Depending on where you preorder from, you get a different bonus.

Gamestop is holding the Red Dead Referendum (gamestop.com/reddead). Whichever outfit wins, you guys in the US get. UK gets the Deadly Assassin outfit regardless of who wins the vote if we proorder at GAME.

Golden Guns (Amazon US & UK. US gets a $10 gift card aswell.)

http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2.1/img/en_us/order/bonus_goldengun.jpg

The player who wields the exclusive Golden Guns receives more Fame for each kill. The more Fame you get, the more in-game side missions become available. So there will be more opportunities to duel, more kidnapped townsfolk to rescue and you can bribe lawmen for less.
Amazon.com pre-orders also receive a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card.

War Horse (Best Buy in the US & HMV in the UK)

http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2.1/img/en_us/order/bonus_warhorse.jpg

There are countless horses to be found in the massive world of Red Dead Redemption, but none is stronger, faster or tougher than the exclusive War Horse. Whether storming gang hideouts, exploring the wilderness for hidden treasure, or outrunning the law, the War Horse gives gunslingers an advantage in nearly every situation.

Exclusive mini-guide (GameCrazy in the US & Zavvi in the UK)

Target is giving a $5 gift card and Walmart is giving a $10 gift card.

R* Warehouse is giving away the RDR T-shirt when you preorder from them.

[Drakul]

I really hope they hurry up and announce the Limited Edition with all these features. I can't choose between War Horse and the Golden Guns.

[Impact!]

Any update on a release date for Australia/What the pre-order bonuses are? :(

[Drakul]

I think Australia is getting a 30th April release date, just like Europe. R* said they'll anounce international pre order bonuses soon. You'll get the same as the US and UK, it's just a case of finding out what shop you need to pre order from.

[ClockShot]

Wow. May have to give Gamestop the cold shoulder for the first time in a long time and go to Best Buy or Amazon for this. They got better pre-order goodies.

I've been voting for the Savvy Merchant costume and I see there's no chance of that winning. :o

[Drakul]

I was hoping the hunter outfit would win. I wouldn't be surprised if the Limited Edition came with all the pre order bonuses.
I cancelled my pre order with GAME and pre ordered at HMV for the War Horse. I'll keep that until the LE is up for pre order.

A couple of screens:
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/039/reviews/957922_02102010_790screen001.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/039/reviews/957922_02102010_790screen002.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/039/reviews/957922_02102010_790screen003.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/039/reviews/957922_02102010_790screen004.jpg
I like the shine of the shotgun.
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/039/reviews/957922_02102010_790screen005.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/039/reviews/957922_02102010_790screen006.jpg
Gives you a rough idea of the scale of the game. It's just a piece of the map. That area will have more we can't see in the shot, like behind Marston, for example. Plus 2 whole other areas.

There was a Q&A but, glancing over it, it's nothing worth noting. Usual stuff, really. Here (http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/reddeadredemption/news.html?sid=6249985&mode=previews) it is.

[Drakul]

New trailer:
<div style="width: 480px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="480" height="392"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=61798"/><param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=61798" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="392"></embed> </object><div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana; text-align: center; width: 480px; padding-top: 2px; padding-bottom: 2px; background-color: black; height: 32px;"><div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/game/red-dead-redemption/11275" title="Red Dead Redemption">Red Dead Redemption</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com/video/the-law-red-dead/61798" title="The Law Trailer">The Law Trailer</a></div><div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div></div></div>

[Kalyx triaD]

Pretty much way more interested in this than GTA4.

[DAMN iNATOR]

But will you still be saying that once the development of the inevitable (i.e. GTA 5) cranks up??? (LEGIT QUESTION, BTW...)

[Kalyx triaD]

It will greatly depend on what GTA5 will do.

I remember we were talking about what we wanted for GTA and the consistent message was adding Vice City, the documented 'Jersey' area out of Liberty City, and the whole of San Andreas all linked to GTA4 via DLC. R* clearly wanted to expand GTA4 in it's mythology, all expansions essentially taking place in their amazing Liberty City map. That's all well and good, but I think we all would have wanted geographical DLC rather than story DLC. If GTA5 gives us a new city, even more alive and realistic than GTA4's city, it'll be amazing - but taking the scale of San Andreas (or another state) and giving it that GTA4 treatment will be great. And if they really wanna impress, take all the past areas, GTA4-ize them, and have them linked as a virtual continent of sandbox glory. If GTA5 is not that, or anything aspiring to be that, I don't think I'll care about GTA5 (I'm sure I'll like what they do, but...).

Red Dead is giving us a grand sense of scale and freedom in a setting much different from urban. I remember people being disappointed with how Gun, a game with similar ambitions to Red Dead Redemption, wasn't as large scaled as advertised. Red Dead looks to deliver.

[Drakul]

I can't see GTA V beating RDR. Even if they have it set in multiple cities, we still wont have the same sense of exploration or adventure as we would crossing the map in RDR.

If I wanted to be negative, I would say RDR may be as far as R* can take the sandbox genre. After RDR, nothing else can make an impact. RDR2 would just be repeating RDR because I can't imagine what else they could add to the game that RDR isn't already doing and GTA is stuck with the reality and boundries of the present day so there isn't much room for coming up with new fantastical events or features in the game. I'm sure I'll buy and enjoy GTA V, I just don't think it'll be amazing after seeing RDR.

Maybe we can get some surprises in the next generation of consoles buy I'd imagin it would just be what we've seen before but on a bigger map.

[Kalyx triaD]

GTA: Future Setting?

[Buzzkill]

Next GTA should definitely be prohibition era

[Kalyx triaD]

There's that too. Back to basics.

[Drakul]

I was glancing around the GAME website just now and found the RDR limited edition was up for pre order on the PS3. Hopefully the 360 version will be up for pre order tomorrow.

Here is the page: http://www.game.co.uk/Games/PlayStation-3/Red-Dead-Redemption-Limited-Edition/~r346561/

The LE contains a soundtrack, The Deadly Assassin outfit, the War Horse & the Golden Guns. That's pretty much all the pre order bonuses in one purchase.

Guess I was right when I guess the Black Stallion was the War Horse and the Gunpack was the Golden Guns.

[Funky Fly]

Next GTA should definitely be prohibition era
Hell yeah.
I was glancing around the GAME website just now and found the RDR limited edition was up for pre order on the PS3. Hopefully the 360 version will be up for pre order tomorrow.

Here is the page: http://www.game.co.uk/Games/PlayStation-3/Red-Dead-Redemption-Limited-Edition/~r346561/

The LE contains a soundtrack, The Deadly Assassin outfit, the War Horse & the Golden Guns. That's pretty much all the pre order bonuses in one purchase.

Guess I was right when I guess the Black Stallion was the War Horse and the Gunpack was the Golden Guns.

Wow, guess I'ma get the LE then.

[Drakul]

Anyone in the UK preordering from GAME, the 360 version of the LE is up now: http://www.game.co.uk/Games/Xbox-360/Red-Dead-Redemption-Limited-Edition/~r346589/

Preordered it yesterday. I'd say it's a pretty good deal. A soundtrack CD, Golden Guns, War Horse, Deadly Assassin outfit and a fancy case for just an extra £5. Even less if you have Reward Points saved up.

We should be getting the multiplayer gameplay video soon. No later than next friday because every gameplay video comes towards the end of the month. Hopefully it'll be today although R* haven't really updated at all this week.

I'm hoping MP has a free mode with the ability do to everything from single player minus the story missions. Random events, robberies etcs.

Hopefully the fame & honour system makes it into MP. Start neutural and gain or lose fame/honour based on your actions. I'd like it in MP because it would give a bit more depth to Free Mode and a "good" player can shoot a "bad" player without the sheriff arresting the good guy.
Not sure if I'd prefer that system to be wiped clean after each session or carry over onto every MP session you have.

[Drakul]

New trailer:
<embed src='http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/media player/RockstarMediaPlayer.swf?skin=reddeadredemption/EN/embed&vidID=3761&cacheAG=true&legacy=no' quality='high' bgcolor='#000000' menu='false' width='480' height='300' name='RockstarMediaPlayer' align='middle' allowScriptAccess='always' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' />

Hopefully we'll still get the multiplayer gameplay video sometime this week.

Edit: Higher quality version of the video.

[RoXer]

Can I get the Limited Edition from Amazon?

[Drakul]

In the UK, you can get the LE from anywhere but the US doesn't seem to have it available yet.

The game's been pushed back, anyway.

Sorry guys – as you may have heard, it’s going to be just a few extra weeks of wait until the release of Red Dead Redemption on Xbox 360 and PS3. The game’s new release date – which we promise is final! – is May 18th, 2010 (May 21st in Europe).

We at Rockstar have always prided ourselves on the uncompromising quality of our games - and will always opt to take a bit longer to polish and fine-tune a game to be as perfect as possible when we think it necessary. With Red Dead Redemption, we felt that these extra few weeks will make a big difference in helping us deliver you an experience beyond your expectations.

Thanks for your patience. We believe it will be worth the wait.

Rockstar Games

Source (http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/2010/03/03/3721/red_dead_redemption_now_coming_this_may_to_ps3_and_xbox_360_).

It's only a few extra weeks. Like I said on the R* site, I'm fine with this. It still amazes me how child like some people are about stuff like this, though. Kicking and screaming about how it's unfair they have to wait an extra 2 weeks or something.

I'll have SSFIV to keep me busy while I wait, anyway.

[Buzzkill]

Yeah just means it's gonna be a better finished product. Fine by me

[D Mac]

It better be. :mad:

[Funky Fly]

Want. But I can wait.

[Disturbed316]

These delays too high profile games are getting ridiculous now, but it will be worth it in the end, besides it will give me more time on Splinter Cell, providing that doesn't get delayed AGAIN.

[ClockShot]

Deadly Assassin outfit is the gamer's choice for the Gamestop Preorder. But there's a catch.

You gotta earn it.

From Shacknews.com

The winner of the Red Dead Referendum (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62104) program to determine which of three costumes would be offered along with a GameStop pre-order of Rockstar Games' open-world, western game Red Dead Redemption has been announced.


http://www.shacknews.com/images/sshots/Screenshot/13760/13760_4b70298f83488_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.shacknews.com/screenshots.x?gallery=13760&game_id=7009&id=148365)http://www.shacknews.com/images/sshots/Screenshot/13760/13760_4b702982dd755_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.shacknews.com/screenshots.x?gallery=13760&game_id=7009&id=148363)

Your pre-order will net you a code for the chance to earn the "Deadly Assassin" costume for protagonist John Marston. That's right: earn. A pre-order alone isn't enough to unlock the outfit, which also allows John to regenerate "Dead-Eye" targeting much faster. Once the code is redeemed, the following challenges must be completed:

Win a Duel in Armadillo - Travel to the town of Armadillo, and accept the challenge to fight a duel. Just make sure to win.
Capture or Kill Mo Van Barr - While in Armadillo, find the wanted poster for Mo Van Barr, accept the Bounty Hunting mission and bring this notorious member of the Walton Gang to justice, dead or alive.
Solve the Mystery of the Missing Townsfolk - People have been disappearing for weeks from the outskirts of Armadillo. Track down the clues, solve the mystery and live to tell the tale.
Search Coot's Chapel - Find the ruins of Coot's chapel in the wilds of Cholla Springs, and search it for treasure.
Complete the Twin Rocks Hideout - Find the legendary criminal hideout of Twin Rocks, located North of the town of Armadillo, to complete this final challenge.
Now, I'm no lawyer, but this sounds like a pre-order assignment, not a bonus. Red Dead Redemption was recently delayed (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62618) and will be released on May 18th in the US and May 21st elsewhere on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Different pre-order bonuses (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/62311) are available at other fine retailers.

[Drakul]

It was pretty obvious the DA would win. No idea why anyone would want it, though. Is it for the eye patch? Other than the eye patch, it looks just like every other outfit in the game.

I'm wondering how we solve mysteries. Do you just go from point A to point B and trigger a cutscene or will we have to find clues and pick up evidence?

[Funky Fly]

Hope not. all the CSI games are terrible.

[Drakul]

Maybe we wont actually solve the mystery by investigating but just reach a certain point and catch who's responsible in the act, shoot them in the face, mission complete.

Three screenshots. Pretty huge in size so I've set them to spoilers.
http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/gamestop/preorder/img/screens_mystery.jpg
Check out the arm to the right of the screen. Doesn't look as gruesome as it should to me but still cool.

http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/gamestop/preorder/img/screens_coot.jpg

http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/gamestop/preorder/img/screens_twinrock.jpg
I like the decomposing animal. I'm wondering how long things take to decompose. It takes a few weeks in reality but that would be too long in the game. I'd guess a few ingame days.

[Kalyx triaD]

TPWW resize mechanic is back.

[D Mac]

all the CSI games are terrible.

No they're not. :mad:

Not all of them anyway.

[Drakul]

Tons of new screenshots, including a map of New Austin. We were told we'd get a video today but they are holding it back until tomorrow, for some reason.

Huge in size, so set as spoilers.
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/global/world/map_newaustin.jpg
New Austin looks huge and seems to be broken up into four smaller regions. It's just one of three larger areas.

Gap Tooth Ridge screens:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/gaptoothridge1.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/gaptoothridge2.jpg

Cholla Springs:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/ridgewoodfarm.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/chollasprings.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/armadillo.jpg

Rio Bravo:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/riobravo1.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/riobravo2.jpg

Hennigan's Stead:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/cootschapel.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/hennigansstead.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/macfarlanesranch.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/thieveslanding.jpg

Miscellaneous screens:

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/16.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/11.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/12.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/7.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/14.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/9.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/15.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/2.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/17.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/13.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/screenshot%20gallery/reddeadredemption/2/1280/8.jpg

[ClockShot]

Ha. Rio Bravo. Somebody's been watching too many John Wayne movies over at R* San Diego

[Fignuts]

God, this game looks amazing.

[Drakul]

<embed src='http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/media player/RockstarMediaPlayer.swf?skin=reddeadredemption/EN/embed&vidID=4051&cacheAG=true&legacy=no' quality='high' bgcolor='#000000' menu='false' width='480' height='300' name='RockstarMediaPlayer' align='middle' allowScriptAccess='always' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' />

[Drakul]

There is a lot of info in the newest video that most of us would have missed.

I'm waiting for someone to do a full list of everything seen in the video but, for now, someone pointed out that we can look around during the poker game. They suggested that maybe we can spot when people are bluffing/cheating.
That would be pretty cool if that turns out to be correct. I'm not sure why else we'd have the option to look around during a poker game.

[Drakul]

Multiplayer info wont be revealed until mid April. A website accidently put up their preview of MP way too soon but it was taken down again the same day. After trying to find old versions of the page, it turns out Google had it cached. Here is the MP article.

Red Dead Redemption Multiplayer Hands-On – Pistols At Dawn
Written Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by Richard Walker

We're cowboys at heart, not game journalists. We'd rather jump on the back of a horse, round up some bandits and then gallop back into town for a game of poker, then spend a warm night with a hooker, a tin bath by the fire and a bottle of bourbon. As it is, we get to write all day, then go to bed with a comic book and a mug of cocoa. It's not exactly a match for the cowboy lifestyle we were meant for.

As such, we've been itching to get some hands-on time with Rockstar's Western opus for months now, as it's about as close to living the Wild West dream as we're ever likely to get. So when the invite came through telling us that the first round of Red Dead Redemption multiplayer sessions were to take place at Rockstar's London offices, we naturally leapt at the chance.

In an international affair, we were pitted against games journos from all over Europe and were thrust straight into Red Dead's free-roam hub; the instruction not to shoot one another until we're given permission instantly goes out of the window. Like GTA, between multiplayer matches you're given the entire single-player map to explore, so pushing up on the d-pad to whistle for a horse is a good idea if you want to quickly get around the towns and homesteads dotted around Redemption's vast world. That being said, most of the time you're likely to find players just killing each other for shits and giggles. Kill an innocent non-playable pedestrian though, and you can expect to be hunted and executed by the law.

The opportunity to simply waste time messing around amongst the miles of desert and scrub is infinite, with random emergent events and the detailed animal ecology tossing up all manner of interesting distractions. But it's the host of game modes that provide the real meat of Red Dead's multiplayer and we got to check out four of them during our intensive hands-on play session.

Before we plunged into the competitive stuff, we start with a posse leader who sets a waypoint for the entire gang of sixteen players to follow. So saddling up and riding to a marked gang hideout where a group of bandits are holed up, we canter down the trail, taking care not to kick our horse to death. Upon arrival, a gunfight immediately breaks out, triggering even more undesirables to spill into the area from the surrounding ridge, which in turn leads to an ambush and an even busier, more frenetic gun battle.

It's great fun that eventually leads on to other criminal strongholds, such as an abandoned mansion where our foolhardy decision to sling several sticks of dynamite through the front door ends with us being sworn at by a French journo who gets caught in an errant explosion. Oops! As each mission ends, a statistics screen pops up giving you the lowdown on how well (or how poorly) you did, and as it happens, our dynamite-fuelled rampage pushes us to the top of the scoreboard. Ha! Take that France!

Back to the lobby area once more where activity descends into a sixteen-way fist fight, before it's time to sample 'Gang Shootout' – a straightforward Team Deathmatch that pits two warring factions head-to-head against one another. Lawmen, Miners, Rebeldes, Dutch's Gang and The American Army are some of the groups that feature, and each match begins with a standoff until there's only one man left standing. It's literally pistols at dawn, where the fastest gun wins and when we play the every-man-for-themselves Shootout later on, the action opens with all 16-players stood in a circle for a Mexican standoff that would make Quentin Tarantino cream in his pants.

Moving onto 'Gold Rush' – a game type that has you collecting and gathering bags of gold dotted around the map before depositing them into nearby chests to score a point – we start to get a feel for the game mechanics, pressing right bumper to gracefully slide into cover, dashing to green markers on the map to collect Deadeye pick-ups and hoarding as many weapons as we can from handy sparkling crates.

In single-player, Deadeye slows time, enabling you to paint red crosses on nearby enemies, and it works in much the same way in multiplayer, boosting accuracy without the aid of slow-motion. Weapons meanwhile, stay in your inventory (accessed via the left bumper and a twiddle of the right analogue stick) right until the end of the round, giving you a rather extensive cache of artillery to choose from, including numerous six-shooters, rifles, shotguns and projectiles like dynamite or throwing knives.

Finishing off with a bout of capture-the-flag, here called 'Hold Your Own' and featuring red and blue loot bags rather than flags, we get to blast a few riders off their horses with a huge cannon and even find time to line up a few headshots with a sniper rifle and then rush into the opposing team's base on horseback to grab the red flag and score a valuable point.

Actions like these grant XP, which persistently builds up throughout multiplayer, levelling your character up and enabling you to purchase new clothing and items to customise your badass bandito, sheriff or cowgirl. You're also able to acquire XP while free-roaming by executing special actions like killing a grizzly bear with a knife or shooting the hat off a wanted villain, for instance

Red Dead Redemption's single-player is shaping up to be unquestionably superb, but it's also heartening to see that a great deal of care and attention has gone into the multiplayer too. Rockstar has apparently learnt some valuable lessons from GTA IV's multiplayer, making the experience more focused, compartmentalised and therefore better suited to the 16-players that the game supports.

There's a clear, concerted effort that has been made in ensuring the multiplayer aspect of Red Dead Redemption is both meaningful and worth revisiting, and although there are still a few kinks to be ironed out, it's reason enough to make Redemption one of this year's most wanted games.

Red Dead Redemption is out May 18th and May 21st in North America and Europe respectively.

Source (http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:RNSYcS5rAYUJ:www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-4670-Red-Dead-Redemption-Multiplayer-Hands-On-%E2%80%93-Pistols-At-Dawn.html+red+dead+redemption+multiplayer+hands+on+pistols+at+dawn&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us).

[Kalyx triaD]

HSSADSUSAJSHSJEG

[FearedSanctity]

Fuck this game is gonna be insane

[Requiem]

omgomgomgomgomgomg. I don't know if I will want this or Splinter Cell: Conviction more. That article almost made me cream myself though.

[Kalyx triaD]

"Hey Darkul, whatasay we race to that canyon and round up some bandits."

"Sure thing, soon as the posse arrives."

"They got til night fall, red skins in these parts."

"Yeah, let's ride."

[Drakul]

Yeah, we definitely need to form a TPWW posse. The Peoples Wild West sounds like some kind of rebellion themed gang.

Another little detail in the video. At 1:23, look at Marstons torso. he get's shot, his body reacts to the bullet and we see it enter and an exit wound. Cool.

[ClockShot]

I'm down with the TPWW gang.

Question is. What console is everybody buying this on?

[Drakul]

I think most of us would be getting it for the 360. I am.

[Drakul]

Someone over at GameFAQs bought the new issue of Play, the UK Playstation magazine and posted a few new peices of info


•Apparently lassoing random people is in as it mentions actions such as this will not cause the law enforcement to hesitate firing on you.

•Drinking in saloons will cause you to become unstable however bumping into the wrong people can earn you a duel with them in the morning.

•Gambling will consist of games of black jack, poker and five finger fillet. You may also accept wagers for races.

•Fires can get out of control very so quickly so playing with fire can be very dangerous. Duh lol.

•There is the opportunity to watch short films in the school houses in certain towns

•As well as the ability to set up and upgrade camps in the wild you can also purchase or rent rooms in some towns

•In the civilised regions of red dead redemption such as Blackwater in West Elizabeth there is confirmation of early automobiles and paved streets

•You can upgrade your horse by buying new hoofs from town blacksmiths

•In an interview with Art Director Rob Nelson he reveals some info on multiplayer:

He says ''We've spent a lot of time thinking about what people would want - being able to ride in a posse, keeping the dynamic events in the open world so you can all interact with them and assault gang hide-outs, tear up towns, even hunt down the larger animals in a group - it's all possible. At the same time things like duelling in groups, a big 'Once Upon a Time in the West-like standoff but with more than double the amount! Also, it gives us a chance to put our western spin on some classic competitive multiplayer modes such as Capture the Flag and so on.''

I'm hoping fire causes damage. It'll seem a little off if a barn turns into a blazing inferno and there is no evidence of the fire when it dies down. The game's already doing a lot so it's not that big a deal if fire doesn't cause damage.
I'm wondering how else we can upgrade our horses. Maybe buying saddles and reigns?

[Disturbed316]

Pimp My Horse

[Drakul]

The final version of the front cover:

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_coverart_xbox360.jpg

I think it looks a lot better than the temporary versions.

[D Mac]

Pre ordering sometime next month :y:

[Buzzkill]

This is literally my dream game. I can ask for nothing more.

I love Westerns. I love sweet landscapes. I love everything about it.

[dronepool]

Yeah, this game should be good. I hope I could play it like Fo3.

[Drakul]

EB in Australia has some screens up I've not seen anywhere else.

http://media.ebgames.com.au/images/screenshots/146752_screenshot_01_l.jpg

http://media.ebgames.com.au/images/screenshots/146752_screenshot_02_l.jpg

http://media.ebgames.com.au/images/screenshots/146752_screenshot_03_l.jpg

http://media.ebgames.com.au/images/screenshots/146752_screenshot_04_l.jpg

http://media.ebgames.com.au/images/screenshots/146752_screenshot_05_l.jpg

http://media.ebgames.com.au/images/screenshots/146752_screenshot_06_l.jpg

http://media.ebgames.com.au/images/screenshots/146752_screenshot_07_l.jpg

Check out the huge mountain to the right of the 3rd image. I'm wondering if/hoping there is a way up there.

[Drakul]

4 more screens.

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/076/957922_20100318_790screen001.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/076/957922_20100318_790screen002.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/076/957922_20100318_790screen003.jpg

http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2010/076/957922_20100318_790screen004.jpg

[Impact!]

sickkkkkkkkkkkkkk

[Drakul]

<embed src='http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/media player/RockstarMediaPlayer.swf?skin=reddeadredemption/EN/embed&vidID=4121&cacheAG=true&legacy=no' quality='high' bgcolor='#000000' menu='false' width='480' height='300' name='RockstarMediaPlayer' align='middle' allowScriptAccess='always' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' />

I like the half crazy, unwashed guy. He seems like he'll be a lot of fun.

[D Mac]

It's preordered. :cool:

[Drakul]

RDR will be playable at PAX east in Boston. If anyone here is lucky enough to have a ticket, let us know how it goes.

[Drakul]

First screen on Multiplayer:

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_multiplayerweek_announce.jpg

Multiplayer info will be spilled the week of the 5th of April.

I notice the little "-" next to names. Maybe it's just to let you find gamertags faster but I think it could show you a persons moral standing. "-" meaning neutral, and upwards arrow for good and a downwards arrow for bad. Just my speculation.

Edit: The image above is called "rdr_multiplayerweek_announce" so maybe the MP info is a week long thing. If it is, I hope it ends with a video of MP in acton.

[Disturbed316]

My god it looks awesome, yet it hardly shows anything.

[Drakul]

Yeah, I think this is the final "Big Push" for RDR. We have the hand-on booth open to everyone at PAX in Boston, so I'm sure we'll get some video out of that. Almost every magazine has some kind of article about RDR, Multiplayer is being revealed and websites have new previews up. I'm just going to go through some of the newer ones and see what's worth putting here.

[Drakul]

You keep your horses in a stable. Up to 24 horses.

RDR gets horseback riding right. If you push your mount too hard, he will buck you off his back. If you run him towards a canyon, he will veer away and refuse to move. You can stable multiple horses (24 was the number I heard) in order to ensure yourself a 'custom ride' at all times. The fellow running my demo even told me it was possible to tame wild stallions.

Source/article (http://www.i4u.com/article32358.html).

Details.

The air does indeed shimmer with heat. Your lasso bounces against your hip as you walk. The ground is covered with brush and scrub. Flies buzz past your head. The level of detail is amazing.

Mounting your horse has different animations.
The Y button got me mounted up, in this instance calmly stepping into the stirrups. Later in the demo I played I ran up behind my horse and vaulted onto his back. It's in the way that you move it.

On "Dead-Eye"

It's almost like the marking mechanic from Splinter Cell: Conviction, only somewhat more satisfying.

Marston reacts to being shot in specific places.

I noticed all of the neat places I could shoot people. I took out knees, and my foes crumpled. Head shots killed them right away. At one point later in the demo a bad guy shot me in the neck, and I fell to the ground, clutching my throat.

Summing up.

I was thinking of the sheer potential this game possesses. You've got some damn entertaining gunplay, countless miles of scenery riddled with wild animals and even wilder humans, and some of the best video game horse riding I've experienced since The Ocarina of Time.

Source/Full article (http://kotaku.com/5503477/red-dead-redemption-preview-im-a-no-good-dirty-horse-murderer).

I'm sure more previews etc will pop up soon. If anything new comes out of them, I'll post it here.

[Fignuts]

Still pumped for this, but not as much after Just Cause 2. Not having the mobility that you do in that game, and being totally grounded is taking away from the anticipation a little bit.

Still gonna buy it though.

[Drakul]

I played the demo of Just Cause 2 and thought it was pretty bad. It seemed like a bad Bionic Commando clone, with the grappling hook.

[Kalyx triaD]

Just Cause has a decent engine, but the lack of multiplayer in an engine I believe begs for at least co-op action was a turn off for me. And the main character is the most uncool, forced antagonist I seen in a while. The voice acting was also a turn off, like you couldn't find actual South American VAs, or at least less insulting accent mimicry. The grappling hook gimmick will get old fairly quickly (I liked yelling "Get over here!" dragging dudes and getting experimental was fun).

[Drakul]

JC2 just felt really cheap. I agree with what you said about the VA. They are pretty bad.

Someone over at GameFAQs got some info from someone that played RDR at PAX. He's a trustworthy poster but not sure about his source. Any spelling problems are because he typed it on his phone.

Apparently one of the top levels of law will included lawmen with dogs chasing after you...should you get caught there will be some sort of scene (cutscene??..not sure) where Marston appears in jail...

Sounds like other animals will be lasso-able.. with the claims of lassoing dogs.

They are still claiming every building as enterable.

Apparently youll be able to lasso and hogtie people in MP? (I dont know how theyll put this in without it being really annoying.)

When you run a horse through brush / cacti itll fatigue at a faster rate.

They said after they performed a finishing move putting the gun under someones chin that they took a close look only to see that "there was literally a huge hole blasted out of his head. It was kinda gross." (Bahhh awesome!)

Social club will play a big role, keeping people updated with challenges, tourneys etc.

[Skippord]

pretty stoked about the pimp my horse feature

[ClockShot]

24 Horses. Question is, will the horses teleport from stable to stable? Or do you have to spread them out and have a few kept away in each major town?

[Drakul]

It would be convenient for them to magically appear in every stable in the game but R* seem to be going for the "realism" approach with your weapons appearing on your body, realistic reactions to being shot etc so I wouldn't be surprised if they stayed in whichever stable you left them. Maybe, if your horse dies and you need another one, you can whistle and a horse you left at a nearby stable will come along.

If anyone is worried that the whole game is going to be spoiled for them:

WTF!
The Rockstar Games Company I fell in love with never had one of those 'pre-release hands on for you'. What happened? You guys were so mysterious back in the days, now you're giving out videos and information like EA or Ubisoft does it.

To which R* replied:

Ouch! That's harsh. Trust us - there are a ton of things in Red Dead Redemption you won't know about before you play it properly, even if you watch every video and read every scrap of information. This game is unlike any other and we want people to know a little about it in advance.

How much more could their possibley be in this game?

[DAMN iNATOR]

Just Cause has a decent engine, but the lack of multiplayer in an engine I believe begs for at least co-op action was a turn off for me. And the main character is the most uncool, forced antagonist I seen in a while. The voice acting was also a turn off, like you couldn't find actual South American VAs, or at least less insulting accent mimicry. The grappling hook gimmick will get old fairly quickly (I liked yelling "Get over here!" dragging dudes and getting experimental was fun).

Yeah, I honestly can't see how it managed an 8.8 from IGN and a 9 from GameInformer...at best it seems like from the way those two had their reviews written they'd've given it more like a 7.75-8 out of 10.

[Kalyx triaD]

How much more could their possibley be in this game?

The last time R* had this much geography for a game they had bigfoot in the outskirts of San Andreas. I'm sure they have some wacky stuff up their sleeve. Perhaps we should start imagining Wild West cliches and movies, they do like to pick off pop culture.

Yeah, I honestly can't see how it managed an 8.8 from IGN and a 9 from GameInformer...at best it seems like from the way those two had their reviews written they'd've given it more like a 7.75-8 out of 10.

After an article schooled me on why we shouldn't take "professional" reviews to heart, I started judging games on my own review scale that's not unlike how professors grade papers. Just Cause, on my scale, barely passes the minimum expectations. I find [Prototype] more interesting because it was an interesting twist despite having the same short coming as Just Cause 2 (no multiplayer). But [Prototype]'s narrative gives no reason to expect multiplayer, while Just Cause 2 is basically about some un-attractive mercenary blowing shit up to... save it? Anyway if the story and execution is purposely nonsensical why not allow 2 (or more) guys to enjoy the carnage?

[Drakul]

The last time R* had this much geography for a game they had bigfoot in the outskirts of San Andreas. I'm sure they have some wacky stuff up their sleeve. Perhaps we should start imagining Wild West cliches and movies, they do like to pick off pop culture.

A DeLorean?

[Kalyx triaD]

Well maybe not time travel, but this game just might be set in the GTA universe. I wouldn't be surprised if we got some nods to future events.

[Drakul]

I think it would be good fun to come across odd and/or supernatural things in the game as long as we never get involved with them. Like I'd be fine if I saw a DeLorean in the far distance tearing through the desert and vanishing leaving two streaks of fire but if I got to walk up to it and interact with it, then no.

Actually, some one used Sony Vegas to read the newspaper in the Life in the West video and it mentions ghosts.

Tumbleweed Haunted?

Following recent reports of ghost sightings in the abandoned town of Tumbleweed,
visitors are continuing to tell of unnatural happenings and strange feelings.
Some visitors claim to have seen spirits of the dead. Others.... (Unreadable)

It would be cool to go to Tumbleweed and, on stormy nights, have really freaky things happen. Seeing a ghost could work if they make it creepy enough, we don't see it again and it isn't approachable or attackable. Here are the rest of the newspapoer stories from the video.

Williamson Gang Reign of Terror

In events that hark back to our state's not so distant and none too glorious past,
a gang of thieves and killers is running amok across the western counties.
Although New Austin has never been a place for the faint of heart, nor a place
that encourages delicacy, law enforcement agencies are particularly worried about
this new gang. Not since Dutch Van Der Linde's crew was operating up in West
Elizabeth has a criminal group caused so much consternation, nor gained so much
publicity. Although cattle rustling and robberies are unfortunately still common
throughout our region, the spate of killings, fires, and burnings caused by Bill
Williamson and his gang have shocked even the cord running back to reform school,
is himself believed to have once run in Van Der Linde's gang. Dutch Van Der
Linde himself has not been seen nor heard from in several years and despite claims
of sightings, is thought to have perished in a fire following a bungled robbery
in 1906. With railway companies and other business interests pushing local and
federal government bodies to aid economic development and investment by reducing
crime, it is clear that action will be taken against this latest gang attempting
to live the American dream outside of the law.


Tobacco Fights Tuberculosis

Everywhere that fresh air abounds, man knows nothing of coughs, cold, or lung
inflamations. However as man creates cities and is herded into factories, sweatshops,
mines, and mills, these soggy and unhygenic atmospheres spread the most deadly of
pulmonary diseases -- Tuberculosis. Dr. Charles I. Heiden says workers can disinfect
themselves and protect against disease through regular smoking in the workplace.


Cattle rustling worse than ever in New Austin

The poverty stricken ranchers of New Austin have been further blighted by a
ruthless band of cattle rustlers in recent months. The hoodlums, led by twin
brothers Ike and Willie Bollard, have been stealing cattle throughout
Hennigan's Stead and then selling them at Thieves' Landing, often well below
market value. The gang is believed to be using Pike's Basin as it's base of
operations.


People missing in Cholla Springs

Several residents of Armadillo and the surrounding area have gone missing over
the past few months in separate incidents, but none have yet turned up, either
alive or dead. Local law inforcement bodies are urging residents to show extra
caution when traveling in the back country on their own, or when traveling at
night.

Wonder Tonic From the East, Doctors Worried About Future.

Users of a new medical tonic that is being sold in areas of New Austin
have reported remarkable results. A one-legged woman in Plainview grew
back her missing limb and an elderly man close to death got up and ran
to the nearest brothel with the resumed vigor of a 14-year-old boy.
West Dickens Patented Elixer claims to effect an infallible and painless
remedy to virtually all known human ailments, both internal, external,
and spiritual including aches, infections, dysentery, lumbago,
paralysis, chilblains, malaria, genital debility, rickets, and
depressed humors. The tonic which is the result of years of research
combining ancient wisdom from the east and scientific investigations
from territories across the land is being hailed by its distributor as
the greatest medical discovery of our time.

Grave Robber Captured but Crimes Persist

Residents of Armadillo are baffled by the mysterious and somewhat repugnant
case of Moses Forth. Mr. Forth who was recently arrested for desecrating
and robbing graves is believed to have been solely responsible for a string
of similar crimes across the West in the last couple of years. Following
his arrest, however, there has been a further outbreak of graveyard
desecration leading to speculate about who else is committing this most
vile act.

Mexican Leader Appeals for Calm

Mexican President, General Ignacio Sanchez, who seized power last year
in a bloody coup in which he killed his own brother, has appealed for
calm in the tempestuous country. General Sanchez who was head of a
Mexican cavalry division and who has studied in Spain and Bolivia is
premising to improve conditions for workers across the country while
increasing suffrage. In a speech he made last week Sanchez noted,
"despite my privileged upbringing, I am a true son of Mexico, but as
a Mexican, I know our country needs strong relationships and this is
what I intend to provide. The road our country is on has been
long and treacherous but I promise you we are heading in the right
direction.

The guy at GameFAQs managed to get another bit of info from his friend at PAX.

More on the jail thing -

" You get sent to prison and it reads off your crimes, like "Two Counts of Murder" and "One Count of Larceny" and you get to see Marston sitting in a jail-cell looking out the window while the game fast-forwards through a few days."

"I was told bridges to the Mexican area were blocked off"

Ill try to get more.

[Drakul]

R* have revealed the games achievements/trophies.

Their are 13 secret achievements/trophies and these:

Austin Overpowered
Complete Twin Rocks, Pike's Basin, and Gaptooth Breach Hideouts in Single Player.

Bearly Legal
Kill and skin 18 grizzly bears.

Buckin' Awesome
Break the Kentucky Saddler, the American Standardbred, and the Hungarian Half-bred.

Bullseye
Get 250 headshots in any game mode.

Clemency Pays
Capture a bounty alive.

Evil Spirits
Complete Tumbeweed and Tesoro Azul Hideouts in Single Player.

Exquisite Taste
Purchase a rare weapon from a gunsmith.

Fightin' Around the World
Knock someone out in melee in every saloon in the game in Single Player.

Friends in High Places
Use a Pardon Letter with more than $5,000 Bounty in Single Player.

Frontiersman
Obtain Legendary rank in any Single Player Ambient Challenge.

Go Team
Be on the winning team for four consecutive victories in any team based game in public matches

Gold Medal
Earn a Gold Medal Rank for a combat mission in Single Player.

Have Gun Will Travel
Complete all Hideouts in a single public Free Roam session

He Cleans Up Well!
Obtain the Elegant Suit.

High Roller
Win over 2,000 chips in a hand of Poker or Blackjack.

Hit the Trail
Get from Blackwater to Escalera before sundown in a public Free Roam session

How the West Was Won
Reach the top rank for multiplayer experience.

In a Hail of Bullets
Kill 500 enemies with any pistol or revolver in any game mode.

Instinto Asesino
Complete Fort Mercer and Nosalida Hideouts in Single Player.

Long Arm of Marston
Kill 500 enemies with any rifle, repeater, or shotgun in any game mode.

Man of Honor / Chivalry's Dead
Attain highest Fame rank and either highest Honor rank or lowest Honor rank.

More than a Fistful
Earn $10,000 in Single Player.

Most Wanted
Maintain a max wanted level for 10 minutes and escape alive in a public Free Roam session.

Mowing Them Down
Kill 500 enemies with a mounted weapon in any game mode.

No Dice
Complete a game of Liar's Dice without losing a single die.

People are Still Strange
Complete 15 tasks for Strangers.

Posse Up!
Create a posse and get the maximum number of members

Red Dead Rockstar
Kill a Rockstar or someone with this achievement in a public multiplayer match.

Redeemed
Attain 100% in the Single Player Game Completion stat.

Slow on the Draw
Get 10 assists in a single Hideout in a public Free Roam session

Strange Things are Afoot
Complete a task for a Stranger.

The Gunslinger
Get a headshot while in Expert Mode in Single Player.

The Quick and everyone else…
Be the top scoring player in any three consecutive FFA games in public matches

Unnatural Selection
Kill one of every animal species in the game in any game mode.

What About Hand Grenades?
Get a ringer in a game of Horseshoes in any game mode.

What's "Expert Mode"? Realism mode, maybe? (I.E. you need to eat, drink and rest regularly. Fallout: New Vegas has something like that.)

With the Posse Up achievement and the number of free mode achievements, we have more reason to form our own posse. No idea on a name other than something that makes use of the TPWW initals (The Peoples Wild West?) or we could go for something like the "Sunset Riders". I think I prefer Sunset Riders.

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Side note: Cormano was/is all kinds of awesome. Always chose him when I went to the arcade to play the game.

Achievement based screenshots:

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_clemencypays01.jpg
Capture a bounty alive for the "Clemency Pays" Achievement/Trophy.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_exquisitetaste02.jpg
Purchase a rare weapon (like the Mauser pistol) from a gunsmith to earn "Exquisite Taste".

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_buckinawesome03.jpg
Breaking an assortment of unique horses will get you the "Buckin' Awesome" Achievement/Trophy.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_whatabouthandgrenades04.jpg
Getting a ringer in Horseshoes will yield the "What About Hand Grenades?" accomplishment.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_hecleansupwell05.jpg
Unlocking the Elegant Suit will get you the "He Cleans Up Well" Achievement/Trophy.

As well as that, I bought a magazine last night which talks about RDR. there is a small handfull of new info.

- Only the story missions appear on your map. Side Missions and random events don't show up.

- The previewer came across a gangs hideout (this is one of the games random events) and their was a group of deputies planning a seige nearby.

- Another random event he came across was a white church with an elderly lady standing outside wearing a wedding dress. She wanted the previewer to search for her husband.

- During the search for the husband, the previewer came across an amorous musician and his demanding wife. So, that means random events during random events, then?

- 2 new screenshots worth mentioning. One is Marston, Dickens and another guy hiding in the grass. Marston is smoking a cigarette and looking through a telescope. Another screen shows Marston jumping from train coach to train coach.

[ClockShot]

Buckin' Awesome
Break the Kentucky Saddler, the American Standardbred, and the Hungarian Half-bred.

This makes me wonder if the Best Buy War Horse is a 1 shot deal, or if they're REALLY hard to find in this game.

[Drakul]

Life in the West: Part II

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<div><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://www.gametrailers.com" title="GameTrailers.com">Video Games</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="/game//" title="Red Dead Redemption">Red Dead Redemption</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="" title="Exclusive Life in the West Doc Part II HD">Exclusive Life in the West Doc Part II HD</a></div>

<div style="padding-top: 3px;"><a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://xbox360.gametrailers.com/" title="XBox 360">XBox 360</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://ps3.gametrailers.com/" title="PS3">Playstation 3</a> | <a style="color:#FFFFFF;" href="http://wii.gametrailers.com/" title="Wii">Nintendo Wii</a></div>

</div>

</div>

Watch it in HD. It looks much much better.

[ClockShot]

Grrrrrrrr. I want this game NOW!

To think we could have playing this in just a few weeks.

[Drakul]

Yeah, it would be great to have the game sooner but "Good things come to those who wait".

I was looking at the dueling section of the video and I think I've got it figured out.

During duels, the blue meter represents Marston and the red meter represents his opponent. You have a certain amount of time from when the first gun is unholstered to paint as many targets as you can on your opponent. With each target painted on Marstons opponent, the blue meter fills up a little more.
The amount it fills up is likely based on where you are aiming and your accuracy. When Marston aims for the mans chest, the meter fills up a lot but when he aims for his shoulder, it only fills a small amount.
When time runs out, whoever has the fuller meter, wins the duel.

The game does look brilliant. Huge, pretty and with a bunch of things to do.
We have multiplayer info all next week, likely finishing off with a multiplayer video.

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/comment/9/2010/04/99e1bdc9135579544d69f9b4efb52678/340x.jpg

[Drakul]

Got some more info from a magazine.


- They describe what I assume is the games opening scene. I wont put it here unless you guys ask for it. I don't want to spoil the story. Although...

- ...When describing the opening scenes, they say the game takes place in 1908 because they overheard civilians discussing the cultural and technological changes of 1908. That would conflict with the newspaper in one of the videos that said 1911. Maybe it takes place over years after all.

- On a farm, as a ranch hand, they had to stop rabbits eating crops and coyotes eating chickens. They startled a passing farmer with their gunshots. They couldn't save the chickens in time and the coyotes started to feast on them (the chickens, not the player).

- They took part in horse races consisting of eight men on horse back racing across the country side. They also had a horse race while riding rickety two wheeled traps. They say the racing is so well done, it's strong enough to be a game in it's own right.

- If you have enough honour, the law overlooks small infractions if you are doing it for the sake of good. The example they game was when they threw someone off a horse and stole it so they could chase after a criminal.

- They tell us about a new mission. I'll leave it out for the sake of spoilers unless someone wants to hear it.

- New random event: While riding through New Austin, they were flagged down by a dowser. The dowser wanted them to buy the deeds to a house from an old man because the dowser believed there was water under it. When they found the old man, he demanded $400 for the deeds. They didn't have it and decided to just shoot him in the chin and take the deeds from his corpse. When they gave the deeds to the dowser, he criticised them for having gotten blood all over them and their honour went down.

- Sunsets are gorgeous and draw distance is incredible.

- They tell us what Seth is looking for in the graveyard. Avoiding posting spoilers, again.

- The "Super-peds" of GTA are in RDR. They are the blue blips on the mini-map. R* called them "Super-peds" in GTA but seem to be calling them "Incidental characters" for RDR, are people you bump into that ask for help but, rather than just being a single good deed, like the Random Events, they have a small back story and narrative. Their stories may fizzle out to nothing if you handle their requests badly. If they are anything like the "Super-peds" in GTA they'll be characters that need your help more than once.

Screens:
- There is a shot of a man sitting in a jail cell. The caption mentions Incidental Characters, so I guess he could be one.

- There is a shot of Marston looking at a map, while a two horse cart pass by behind him.

- There is a shot of Marston standing up on his horse as it runs along by a train. He looks like he's about to jump onto the train.

- A shot of Marston on a pure white horse, traveling through an area full of large rocks, grass and clear blue sky. A single large tree behind him.

- A shot of Marston, on what looks like a ranch, chasing horses while riding horseback and spinning his lasso.

I'll try and get these screens scanned today (I don't have a scanner. Gotta use my brothers when he wakes up.) but a few of them are pretty small anyway.

They also interviewed Rob Nelson, the art director for RDR. He says a few things worth noting.

- Over 40 species of Animal. Previously it was said to just be 40 but he is saying over 40.

- Characters are randomly generated. That's why it's unlikely (or maybe impossible?) you'll see clones.

- DLC depends on fan reaction to the game. He says R*s goal with anything, even DLC is to make sure we get our moneys worth.

- Random Events (he calls them Dynamic Events) depend on the territory you are in.

- He says the music is done by a band called "Friends of Dean Martinez" and the music depends on where you are and what is happening. He said there is a lot of music.

If you're interested, here is some music by Friends of Dean Martinez. I can't find anything fast and "action" sounding by them, though:
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[Kalyx triaD]

The day/night cycle is about same as GTA4, right?

[Drakul]

Yeah, R* said on their site that it's more like GTA4's day/night cycle. Someone asked them about it because there was supposedly a (pretty stupid) rumour that the game would be in realtime and would depend on your systems clock.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Yeah, R* said on their site that it's more like GTA4's day/night cycle. Someone asked them about it because there was supposedly a (pretty stupid) rumour that the game would be in realtime and would depend on your systems clock.

Do you know if this means the save system is the same as or similar to GTA IV, where when you go to save, the next time you play, 6 hours has gone by? Or was that even mentioned or what?

[Kalyx triaD]

I'd assume so.

[Drakul]

I'm pretty sure they mentioned it somewhere. Maybe a video. Setting up camp for the night would be useless if you didn't "wake up" a few hours later.

Scans of screen shots from that magazine:

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/RDRjail.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/RDRphysmap.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/RDRscale.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/RDRtelesmoke.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/RDRwhitehorse.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/RDRlasso.jpg

Lol, my info is up on 4 different sites. TPWW, GameFAQS/Gamespot, IGN and Rockstarbase. Word spreads fast.

[Drakul]

So, this week is Multiplayer Week. Here is a new MP screen. Notice that no one is wearing the same thing. Looks like we can customise enough to avoid looking like clones.

http://www.rockstargames.com/rockstar/local_data/US/img/news/rdr_multiplayerweek_040510.jpg

Edit: In other news, R* are spending more money advertising RDR than they have spent advertising any other game. The game will be advertised in cinemas before Iron Man 2, Robin Hood and Prince of Persia.
As well as that, they will have posters in cinema foyers that let you download stuff to your phone through bluetooth.

Source (http://www.mcvuk.com/news/38302/Red-Dead-Redemption-hits-the-big-screen).

[Kalyx triaD]

That guy's so dead. Red dead.

[ClockShot]

The Mexican Standoff game mode I heard about.

5 on 1. Thems unfair odds unless the guy in the foreground is quick on the draw. :lol:

[Kalyx triaD]

Don't Mexican stand-offs have everyone aiming at everyone else?

[El Capitano Gatisto]

Pre-ordered. This looks life-absorbingly good.

[Drakul]

PSM on Redemption: 'The Greatest Multiplayer Lobby in the History of Videogames'

The title speaks volumes for Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption. They claim in the article that the lobby is basically a "wild west MMORPG". The lobby is a fully playable version of the entire game that's populated by CPU characters and live gamers!

A few of the multiplayer highlights from the magazine were:

•Create a "posse" and roam freely about the map
•Engage in hunting wild animals, to hunting other gamers
•ad hoc missions (like besieging a desert ranch filled with bandits)
•Gain experience points which can be used to customize appearance and upgrade horse, weapons and "title"
•Unlock new multiplayer modes like the standard 16-player deathmatch and team based "capture the bag"

Source (http://www.rockstarnetwork.net/content.php?748).

We're also getting a video of Multiplayer tpoday if this website is to be believed:

Red Dead Redemption Multiplayer Video Tomorrow
Posted On: Tuesday 6 April 2010
A source close to Rockstar Games told us that tomorrow Rockstar will be releasing Red Dead Redemption multiplayer gameplay video.
We will upload the new gameplay video tomorrow, so check back tomorrow.

Source (http://rockstarhq.multiplayernetwork.net/news/2039).

I'm really hoping RDR sells a record breaking amount. If it sells well, then there is a chance more developers will take their time with games and try and put as much in as they can. Then maybe we'll not have the trends we have now where developers churn out the same game every year with a new number on the end of the title, a new set of maps and nothing else.

[Disturbed316]

So which edition are you guys getting? I dont normally fall for special/limited editons but this one comes with the deadly assassin outfit, the war horse and golden guns weapon pack aswell as a soundtrack to the game. Nothing major but seeing as there is no chance I'll be trading this in I may stump up the extra couple of quid for it.

[Drakul]

I'm getting the LE for the 360. It's only £10 above the normal editions price tag.

The LE doesn't seem to be available in the US, just PAL regions like Europe and Australia so anyone else will likely be getting the standard edition.

[ClockShot]

Holding out for the Limited Edtion our friends/lucky bastards overseas are getting. If no word comes by the end of the month, I'm gonna give Gamestop the cold shoulder and go to Best Buy and grab the PS3 version. Rather have a big bad horse stashed away in case of emergency and go steal or break a horse to get things going.

There's some chatter around the net that the game was built for the PS3. Sure the videos you have seen been the 360 version, but I'm hearing this is Rockstar's apology to the PS3 fanbase for getting screwed out of DLC for GTA 4. As I said, it's only rumors and whatnot. Take it with a grain of salt.

[Drakul]

R*s apology to PS3 gamers was/is the game "Agent", which is exclusive to PS3. People assumed RDR was built for the PS3 because it had a teaser trailer 5 or 6 years ago at the Sony press conference. Back then, the trailer was just CGI of a generic, unknown cowboy and a random undetailed ghost town. They didn't even have a name for it then, it was just "Old West Project".

The way I understand it, developers show games running on the system they used the development kit for so the game looks and runs smoothly while still in development. I've read that it's easier to program for the 360 than it is for the PS3. So I'm thinking RDR was built using the 360 development kit and them ported over to the PS3. I think they did the same thing with GTA IV. Not that it matters, the games are identical.

If you want to play with TPWWers, I think most are getting the 360 version. We should probably get that listed before release. Who is buying it for what console.

[RoXer]

360

[D Mac]

Pre ordered for 360.

[Drakul]

Free Roam Multiplayer video. It looks so good.

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Edit: 8 man posses, should we form some posses now or nearer the time? We need a full posse for an achievement anyway.

[Requiem]

I will probably play this multiplayer just as much as I played mw2, because it looks amazingly fun. Can't wait to form up a posse and kick some ass.

Will be getting on 360

[Buzzkill]

Ok this is just getting ridiculous. 50 LEVELS?

I don't even know what I'm going to do with myself. This could easily be the best game ever produced if they do it right.

Should I start with single player? Or multiplayer? WTF!!!!!

[Fignuts]

I am in.

[Drakul]

It's amazing what developers can come up with when they actually take the time to make the game, rather than just tossing a "samey" sequel at us.

It's 5:23am and there is nothing to do right now, so here are somethings I spotted and thought were worth noting about the MP video:

0:33 - we can see someone riding their horse way in the distance.The horse is still well animated, even from a distance.

0:44 - the player has $77, maybe we can use it to buy new clothes for characters we unlock.

Pause at 0:46 - "Head to the centre of town"

0:47 - We can see the game mode start point for "Free For All Match"

00:51 - "Rstar9 wants you to join their posse. Press < to view their invitation"

0:52 - X is assigned to "Outfitter" so you can change your outfit etc. Unlocking characters is likely just ways of unlocking character themes (Lawmen, Natives, Army) and then base models in each of the themes (Lawman A, Lawman B, Law Woman A) and then we change what they wear.

Pause at exactly 01:11 - We can see another game mode start point called "Transport".

Pause at exactly 02:26 and another game mode start point is seen. It says " Free Roam Help"

[dronepool]

I'm getting it on PS3.

[RoXer]

Gunna set up my model to mimmick Al Swearingen (along with everyone else)

[Fignuts]

I will probably get it for 360.

Getting local MP games like SSF IV for PS3, and online ones for 360 from now one.

[RoXer]

No you're not. You're getting SSFIV for 360 so you can play in the tournament

[Drakul]

Some MP screens:

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer122.jpg

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer124.jpg

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer118.jpg

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer116.jpg

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer114.jpg

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer091.jpg
Capture the Bag? One player is carrying a bag to an open chest.

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer099.jpg

http://i639.photobucket.com/albums/uu113/W1ckeDxt/RDRMultiplayer105.jpg

[Fignuts]

No you're not. You're getting SSFIV for 360 so you can play in the tournament

My friends have a ps3, and local multiplayer is way more important to me than online.

[D Mac]

Should I start with single player? Or multiplayer? WTF!!!!!

A whole lot of both

[RoXer]

My friends have a ps3, and local multiplayer is way more important to me than online.

So what you don't have two controllers for your 360?

[Fignuts]

Yeah, but I live on the outskirts of town, so 9 times out of 10, we hang out at their place.

[Kalyx triaD]

Couch play (and LAN play) > Online play, 95% of the time.

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Yeah, but I live on the outskirts of town, so 9 times out of 10, we hang out at their place.

And none of them will buy SSF4 for PS3?

You'll also be missing out on some unlockables if you don't have an SF4 save on your PS3 :wavesad:

[RoXer]

Yeah, but I live on the outskirts of town, so 9 times out of 10, we hang out at their place.

And none of them will be buying it for PS3?

[RoXer]

Fuck You, RONNIE!

[Fignuts]

And none of them will buy SSF4 for PS3?

You'll also be missing out on some unlockables if you don't have an SF4 save on your PS3 :wavesad:

Probably not. But also, I like the PS controller more than the xbox, when it comes to fighting games.

[DAMN iNATOR]

Couch play (and LAN play) > Online play, 95% of the time.

Sad, but yet very true. :-\

[#BROKEN Hasney]

Sad, but yet very true. :-\

How is it sad? Very confused.

[Kalyx triaD]

He probably misses the days when games were built to support the old ways, unlike today's 'everybody get a copy' method. Even system link is being scrapped more and more. Some games even use 4plyr split-screen as a selling point now! How far party play as fallen...

[Indifferent Clox]

what is this about 50 levels?

[Drakul]

Multiplayer has you gaining XP for doing things like hunting, killing, missions etc. It all adds togethor over all online modes to level you up. Each level up gives you a new ride, new weapons, new characters, new titles etc.

The highest level is level 50, though I'm betting DLC will raise that. Most games with XP get the level cap raised with DLC.

[Drakul]

A good RDR themed tattoo:

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs505.snc3/26548_380159202172_515912172_3540674_6438391_n.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs485.ash1/26548_380557237172_515912172_3553176_8073135_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs485.snc3/26548_380557247172_515912172_3553177_2447865_n.jpg

A bad RDR themed tattoo:
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/7920/34oxz6o.jpg

New gameplay video this week. Should be good, whatever it is.

[DAMN iNATOR]

The latest GameInformer is reporting that the release date has been pushed back from April 27th to May 18th. BOO!

[ClockShot]

Noooooooooooooooooooo. Really? :roll:

One month and counting, still can't believe we could have been playing this in a couple weeks. Anyway, I caved and reserved this for my 360 last week from Best Buy. Got in touch with some of my buddies and they're gonna grab this too. Always got my Rockstar games for my PS3.

[Kane Knight]

Had this preordered for like three weeks. Looks reeeeeeally good.

[Disturbed316]

Preordered this the other day, went for the limited edition in the end. Bring on the war horse!

[Drakul]

Someone mentioned this on the IGN boards. They didn't leave a source so I googled it and found this.

LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- FOX isn't done with "The Power of Madonna" just yet.

Network sources confirmed this morning last night's episode of "Glee" will rebroadcast this Friday at 9:00/8:00c. DVR viewers saw the last few minutes of said installment cut off as a result of "American Idol's" overrun.

Meanwhile, the network has booked "Red Dead Redemption," a half-hour animated film, for Saturday, May 15 at midnight/11:00c.

John Hillcoat ("The Road") helmed the special, which is based on the video game of the same name due to be released on May 18. Here's how developer Rockstar Games describes the release: "America, early 1900's. The era of the cowboy is coming to an end. When federal agents threaten his family, former outlaw John Marston is sent across the American frontier to help bring the rule of law. Experience intense gun battles, dramatic train robberies, bounty hunting and duels during a time of violent change. Red Dead Redemption is an epic battle for survival in a beautiful open world as John Marston struggles to bury his blood-stained past, one man at a time."

It replaces a repeat of "Brothers," which assumed the Saturday, midnight/11:00c slot this past weekend.

Source (http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2010/04/21/fox-adds-glee-encore-red-dead-redemption-special/8631/).

If it's only being shown in the US, I guess I'll have to wait until it's up on YouTube.

[Kane Knight]

So five minutes. :shifty:

[ClockShot]

Northern Mexico map has been revealed on the Rockstar website.

http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/features/mexico

[Drakul]

Northern Mexico map has been revealed on the Rockstar website.

http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/features/mexico

Yeah, I was waiting for them to put it up. We're getting a new video tomorrow btw.

Here are the images:
Map:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/global/world/map_nuevoparaiso.jpg

Punta Orgullo:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/escalera.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/sidewindercreek.jpg

Perdido:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/chuparosa.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/hendiduragrande.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/lashermanas.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/primeroquebrada.jpg

Diez Coronas:
http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/agaveviejo.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/elpresidio.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/elmatadero.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/casamadrugada.jpg

http://media.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/2/img/en_us/world/1280/torquemada.jpg

[Drakul]

I quickly stuck the New Austin and the Mexico maps togethor in Paint.

Here is how the map looks, roughly.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/Drakul_bites/twothirds.jpg

Edit: The map is from the top of Hennigans Stead on the right, there, to the bottom of Perdido. They still have 1 area to reveal.

[Kalyx triaD]

Says before I says again, this game looks amazing.

[Drakul]

Someone put a to-scale comparison shot up. In the middle it's GTA IVs map, under that is San Andreas map and then it's the RDR map, with one area left to reveal. It's going to take a while on horseback or foot.
http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Magdaleno_91/pictures/RDR-MAP.png

Another little bit of info I think may have been mentioned before:

Before you go reaching for your bandit bandanna though, you should probably know, there are consequences for everything you do. Killing an NPC kills him permanently. You’ll never see him in the game again. To take this to extremes, you can kill off an entire town and turn it into a ghost town. Although if you do do that, you’ll have no-one to play poker with.

Obviously towns repopulate eventually but this looks like the reason they had the game randomly generate NPCs instead of using preset models.

I guess you could theoretically play the game for years and see no clones. When you kill a randomly generated NPC (or when it uses a combination at all), the game must cross that combination off some kind of NPC generation list.

Source (http://gameaxis.com/hands-on-with-red-dead-redemption/).

[Kalyx triaD]

Are the maps to scale? How would he know?

[Drakul]

There was another shot someone did. It was just after the first part of the map was shown.
A part of the New Austin map had a screen shot for it and, using what was in that screenshot, they figured out what the scale for the RDR map would be. From there they must have figured out how that compares to the other ones.

I'm looking for the image I mentioned.

Edit: Found it.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/Cubed316/1270615826845.jpg

[Drakul]

Multiplayer Competitive Modes
<embed src='http://media.rockstargames.com/products/rockstar/media player/RockstarMediaPlayer.swf?skin=reddeadredemption/EN/embed&vidID=4521&cacheAG=true&legacy=no' quality='high' bgcolor='#000000' menu='false' width='480' height='300' name='RockstarMediaPlayer' align='middle' allowScriptAccess='always' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' />

Edit: replaced the old video with the same video from R*s site.

[Drakul]

Something for UK RDR fans:

From the Free Roam video description on the video section of XBLA and the Xbox site:

Xbox LIVE Gold or Silver members who download the Multiplayer Freeroam trailer on Xbox LIVE Marketplace between April 26, 2010, 12:01 AM GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and May 10, 2010, 11:59 PM GMT, will receive (a) (1) 400 Microsoft Points Token and (b) (1) Theme Token to download an exclusive Rockstar Theme. In order to qualify for the tokens,you must download the Multiplayer Freeroam trailer on Xbox LIVE. The Xbox tokens will be sent to the corresponding LIVE ID email account, within 4-6 weeks after the end of the promotion period. The maximum amount of Microsoft Point Tokens available are 5,000 tokens. The Microsoft Point tokens will expire 12/31/2010. The Theme tokens will expire 6/30/2010. Limit one (1) gift per person. Offer available only to legal residents, age 18+, of United Kingdom, is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and cannot be combined with any other Microsoft rebate or offer. Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient. Offer provided by: Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington, 98052.
Source (http://www.xbox.com/en-gb/rdrgiveaway).

I was 50% through downloading the video when I noticed that in the description. I stopped the DL but it may be too late for me to get the stuff. If I don't finish the DL, I could still get that stuff, right?

[Disturbed316]

Hot shit.

Not sure if you can as it will say "redownload" when you try to do it again.

[ClockShot]

:rofl:

"It all starts out with a mexican standoff. Last man standing should go find a sniper position"

I wonder if this guy is reading from a script, or if that really is the strategy.

[Drakul]

I think he's able to see the future and knows running for a sniper point is the first thing a lot of people will do.
Snipers wont have the advantage they have in other games though. You can use stealth to sneak up behind them and just blast them in the back of the skull. It's not like GTA IV where your blip is always visable.

There is an article in the LA times. No info but still a fun, small read.

Two interesting things.

"We have just over 500 characters who all have names, family members and jobs," said Josh Bass, head of art. "You can see a man at 7 a.m. in a Mexican market manning the chicken stand and at 6 p.m. he'll go over to the local pub."

"Sometimes you can be the hero, sometimes you can be the bad guy, and sometimes while you're deciding what to do, a bear comes out of nowhere and eats someone."

Source (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-reddead-20100425,0,3266497.story).

I like the 500 names/jobs/families idea. It must be part of the random generation of NPCs. Rather than just randomizing their look, it must give them a random name, job and family, right?

[Disturbed316]

Originally Posted by LA Times/Dan Houser
"Sometimes you can be the hero, sometimes you can be the bad guy, and sometimes while you're deciding what to do, a bear comes out of nowhere and eats someone."

Hahaha

[Drakul]

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2x5Z0J7SjHs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2x5Z0J7SjHs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

[Drakul]

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MO-4vVkVmis&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MO-4vVkVmis&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[Drakul]

Anyone wanna read a spoiler free preview, check out this:

Part 1: http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/2893081

Part 2: http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/2891979

It's far too long to repost here but it's worth reading. It's very well written and informative.

Also, R* have confirmed that Marston cannot swim. He can wade out but if he goes to far, he'll drown.

[ClockShot]

Ok, Drakul. Now you're just spoiling the fun. Just put the stuff Rockstar releases to the web. I'm trying hard here not to read/watch this stuff.

Can't swim? So now when I can't pay my gambling debts on a riverboat poker game, do I have to run up to the bridge and beach the boat?

[Drakul]

Ok, Drakul. Now you're just spoiling the fun. Just put the stuff Rockstar releases to the web. I'm trying hard here not to read/watch this stuff.

Yeah, I was thinking the same. At least you didn't read the spoilerfest IGN report. Did you? I did.

From now, just R* updates, then. On the bright side, R* have said that even if we watch every video and read every scrap of info, we still haven't seen most of the stuff in the game. There are things in the game they aren't talking about at all, apparantly.

Horses can swim, right? Maybe we can ride our horses across rivers?

[Drakul]

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QN9zM4lmbP4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QN9zM4lmbP4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[Drakul]

Anyone in the US that wanted to watch the 30 minute RDR movie on Fox, it's been moved back. It's now showing on May 29 at midnight/11:00c. Judging by the way they are explain the movie, it could spoil the start of the games story.