The player can either bribe or kill them before they reach the station, negating any consequences. When the player commits a crime, such as killing people near witnesses, some will run to the nearest police station. Combat Īdopted from the Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Redemption has a modified wanted system. To combat this they can disguise themselves by wearing a bandana when performing criminal acts alternatively, a very negative or criminal reputation warrants the player a large amount of respect and steep discounts from bandits and fencers at criminal hideouts, such as Thieves' Landing. A very low honor rating can result in a town's establishments closing their doors when Marston arrives. They will also receive discounts in some stores, more pay for jobs and other bonuses. If they have a high amount of honor, other characters will usually greet them and feel safe around them. If Marston has little honor, non-player characters will feel insecure around them. This works in conjunction with another system, fame, which affects how people react based on Marston's honor status. The player's overall honor standard is lowered for committing crimes or other negative choices. Honor can be gained by making morally positive choices, such as taking in an outlaw alive or saving a woman from a kidnapping. Red Dead Redemption makes use of a morality system where players have the ability to gain positive or negative honor. Besides the American West, the player can also traverse a fictional Mexican state bordering the United States. Urban settlements range from isolated farmhouses to crowded towns. The game's undeveloped land makes up the largest portion of the game world, featuring various rugged and vast landscapes with occasional travelers, bandits, and wildlife. The player can utilize trains for quick travelling, but they can also stop the train by threatening or killing the passengers or driver. These horses must be tamed in order to use them. Different breeds of horses are the main forms of transportation, each with different attributes. The player can interact with the environment and engage in combat with enemies, using various firearms. Outside of missions, players may freely roam the open world. The player controls John Marston and completes missions, linear scenarios with set objectives, to progress through the story. Red Dead Redemption is a Western-themed action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. A prequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, was released in October 2018 to similar acclaim. A Game of the Year Edition containing all additional content was released in October 2011. After the game's release, several downloadable content additions were released Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, later released as a standalone game, added a new single-player experience in which Marston searches for a cure for an infectious zombie plague that has swept across the Old West.
It won several year-end accolades, including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications, and is considered by critics as one of the greatest video games ever made. The game received critical acclaim for its visuals, dynamically-generated music, voice acting, gameplay, and story, and shipped over 15 million copies by 2017.
Red Dead Redemption was developed over the course of five years and is one of the most expensive video games ever made.