Rumour has it that Red Dead Redemption took five years and up to $100 million dollars to develop, and while I frankly don't believe it (both are way too high), the game is nevertheless one of the most expansive and extensive games in the history of the industry. Taking the role of an ex-convict looking to protect his family by searching out and capturing or killing the leaders of his former gang during the turn of the twentieth century (1911 to be exact), the story is deep and symbolic, the voice acting is superb and the graphics, given the open nature of the game, are excellent.

The primary themes in the game are the themes of the United States and the dichotomy of its history. On the one hand, the wild west is an untamed hinterland full of independent minded folk minding their own business, while on the other hand the government is beginning to incur into the lives of these settlers, the natives are herded into reserves, a civil war is brewing in Mexico between an evil government and an evil revolutionary force and our hero is on a mission issued to him by the federal government, who has kidnapped his family in order to ensure his cooperation. The game manages these elements by providing the player with complete freedom in this amazing and incredible world while establishing a fixed story driven mission that tugs at your heartstrings as you dig deeper and deeper into the world, the characters and the plot.

In the end, the game was a joy to play - though not perfect for my taste. The controls were a touch unwieldy and needlessly complicated, the story was slow to develop and slow to end and the main story was a touch too long for my taste. The environment an the characterization were both excellent however and this game is a must-play as a result.