Perfect 10s - Red Dead Redemption

Perfect 10s

Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption is a perfect game.

From first placing hands on the ultra modern meets spaghetti western box art, to the emotional end of the main story, to the excitement of the expansive multiplayer, this game oozes atmosphere, showcases game direction at its finest and still thrills players to this day.

Taking control of John Marston, players are immersed in the old wild west as it retreats during the early 20th Century. John is a throwback who is thrown back into a world he has left behind. Complicated and engaging, the lead character is a triumph of modern game storytelling, forming a genuine bond between player and fictitious world. As the story twists and turns, so the player twists and turns with it, dragged along in the most compelling way.

The world itself, set in fictional counties along the Mexican border is beautiful, large and demanding. This is no simple backdrop as players are forced to transact with their surroundings, to go off the beaten track, to explore and to find their way.

Towns are busy, roads and paths are used by locals and by travellers, dialogue drifts across the plains, screams and shouts highlight the ever present threats and dangers of the west, trains chug by, puffing and wheezing and whistling.

This world is alive and it challenges you to climb to the highest peak and peer across its vastness before exploring further still.

The music drifts in and out, dynamically adapting to each situation, gun fights explode out of the screen and every character is believably acted. There is even a Welsh character, Welshy; quite the rarity.

Upon finishing the main story, a friend text me to confess that he had cried. I had required a cigarette and a moment's contemplation myself. Never had a moment struck me with such finality, not in gaming. As the odds turn insurmountable, no amount of 'Dead Eye' bullet time can change the fact that the past has finally caught up with you. The game ends and with it, the chance of a sequel.

That end game is brave and ambitious. The fact that an enormous post game opens up immediately after was a huge surprise. This is a game that does not know when to quit.

The online multiplayer was capable of great set pieces. One particular session saw a friend and I skirmish against the odds across the map, from town to town, while fighting a large gang of American players. I can still hear the heavily accented 'son of a bitch stole my horse' ringing in my ears as I succeeded in one particularly daring escape.

Red Dead delivered on every level when released in 2010. All of the prowess that Rockstar had been honing was unleashed in one of gaming's most monumental achievements. That publishers are now seeking to delay their 2018 releases to avoid Red Dead 2 is no surprise. Red Dead is serious business.

Very few games are as accomplished, very few so perfectly capture every western fan's fantasies and very few deliver so much for so long. Even the DLC, Undead Nightmare, was fantastic; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly meets Zombieland.

An undeniable classic, a work of art from a studio at the peak of their powers.

Red Dead Redemption: 10

Keep it Dead Eye. Keep it OMG.

Perfect 10s - The Nintendo Switch's first year

Perfect 10s

The Nintendo Switch's first year

 

Now, before anyone overreacts I should explain that this perfect 10 is being awarded from the viewpoint of Nintendo. From a consumer's point of view, the score for the Switch's first 12 months is more open to debate. For Nintendo, this is a nailed on 10. 

And who would've thought it?

After the initial reveal sent gamers into meltdown, the cheers that greeted the brilliance of the concept in October 2016 were replaced by jeers at the price of it all in January 2017. A £300 handheld, £70 Joy-Cons, £60 games. I admit, I was one of a number who cancelled their pre-order when the pricing was announced - maybe wait until Mario Kart, I said to myself.

By the time Mario Kart was released in April, Switches were in short supply. Following its release on 3rd March 2017 two things became abundantly clear: firstly, Nintendo were ultra cautious in their production of the Switch following the Wii U's commercial failure and secondly, the Switch was no Wii U.

Demand far outstripped supply. Breath of the Wild was immediately hailed as a new pinnacle in gaming, a rare moment of perfection that drove the market into a frenzy. The frenzy was further fuelled by the promise of what was to come - a new Mario, a reworked Mario Kart and Splatoon 2 all within seven months.

Nintendo were holding very little back it seemed.

I purchased my own Switch (neon red/blue, thank you) on the release of Mario Kart. A number of things struck me straight out of the box. I was amazed to find that the Switch was tiny, much smaller than I had expected. As the fresh silicon smell drifted from the air vent, I was impressed by the speed of the thing. With no bloatware to slow the Switch down, it flies through its menus and boots games rapidly.

On playing Mario Kart for the first time, whizzing around rollercoaster tracks like Big Blue (is F-Zero Switch on the horizon?), I found myself unable to believe that a handheld was this capable. Docking and undocking at light speed confirmed for me that Nintendo's concept was not only spot on for today's busy home, but it was also perfectly timed to technological progress. Technology had now caught up with the vision that many suspect drove the development of the Wii U and its gamepad.

So on I went, driving around the looping courses of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, my only Switch game until Splatoon 2 released. Mario Kart was soon usurped as I fell into the miniature culture wars of the Splatfest. A bizarre, hipsterish, hyper cool world populated by Squid. From the mechanics to the music, Splatoon 2 was refreshing in every way. 

It is worth noting that both of these games were essentially available on Wii U (as was Breath of the Wild), but the harmony of the Switch's technology and concept meant that this was the only place worth playing these games now. Many like me, who had missed the Wii U, were now falling back in love with Nintendo.

Falling in love with Nintendo is an easy thing to do and the Switch has helped me remember that. The Mii creator is charming and intuitive. The ability to pose your character in ridiculous positions made both my girlfriend and I laugh out loud. The noise that greets you as you click into the Mii section from the main menu, the whistled call and response. Simple things that Nintendo do so well.

And then came Mario Odyssey. I will be writing more on Mario Odyssey but for now, and for this piece, lets simply say that it was reviewed and scored close to perfection across the globe and by the end of 2017 had sold over 9 million copies worldwide. In only three months. Incredible. Incroyable. 信じられない.

I spent a lot of time with Mario Odyssey and still do. I have also since picked up Breath of the Wild and have enjoyed it in a way that I have never enjoyed a game before. The sense of freedom and exploration is unparalleled in my experience.

There are problems, no doubt. The online service, as it stands, is simply not a service for which people should be asked to pay. The servers of Splatoon are often frustrating and can be unreliable. The infrastructure still seems threadbare. Having to use a phone app to party chat is a great misstep for a console that otherwise seems to hit every beat. Time will tell whether Nintendo can improve upon this.

Those problems are why, I believe, the Switch's first year score for a gamer is debatable, and it is being debated right now on forums around the world. I am sure you have your own opinion.

For Nintendo though, there is no doubt that with 15 million Switches in the wild and with a number of multi million selling games, the Switch's first year is a perfect 10.

The Nintendo Switch's first year: 10 (for Nintendo)

Keep it docked. Or not. It's your choice. Keep it OMG.