Red Dead Redemption is an open world action-adventure western video game, developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on May 18, 2010. It is a spiritual successor to 2004's Red Dead Revolver.[6] Most of the game's story takes place in the year 1911, during the decline of the American Old West. The game follows John Marston, a former outlaw, while he sets out to hunt down his former gang members. Marston's wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a bounty hunter. Having no other choice, he sets out to bring his three former gang members to justice.
Upon its release, Red Dead Redemption was met with high critical acclaim, averaging 95% on both review aggregate websites Metacritic and GameRankings, making it one of the highest rated video games for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on both websites. It won several "Game of the Year" awards. Reviewers praised the visuals, music, open world gameplay and the story. As of August 2011, the game has sold over 11 million total copies.
Gameplay
Red Dead Redemption is an open world game. Players can interact with the environment and engage in combat with enemies, using various firearms. Different breeds of horses are the main forms of transportation, which come in a variety of quality. These horses must be tamed, however, in order to use them. Swimming is not an option, as the protagonist John Marston cannot swim — he will drown if he ventures too far into deep water.
In addition to following the main storyline, players can take part in random events they encounter as they explore the West. These include public hangings, ambushes, pleas for assistance, stranger encounters, "ride-by" shootings, and dangerous animal attacks. For example, if a group of people ride into town firing guns in the air, the player can kill them, and will receive a bonus of honor and fame. Players can also take part in optional side activities including duels, bounty hunting, herb collecting, gambling, and hunting animals for pelts, meat and other various items.
Red Dead Redemption makes use of a morality system where players have the ability to gain positive or negative 'honor'. Some of the ways to gain positive honor include taking an outlaw alive instead of killing him, or saving a kidnapped innocent. Negative honor can be gained for committing crimes including killing or robbing civilians. This works along with another system, 'fame', showing and governing how people react based on Marston's honor status. If Marston has negative honor, lawmen and civilians will usually say obscenities to Marston and feel insecure around him; lawmen will even threaten to kill him next time they see him. If he has positive honor, lawmen and civilians will usually greet him and feel safe around him. As Marston's fame and honor increase bounty hunters think twice about attempting an arrest and people turn away from his criminal behavior. Marston can, however, prevent his honor or fame from being altered with a bandana.
Combat
Combat and gunplay are major parts of the game. Gunfights in Red Dead Redemption are conducted using a third-person system. The player can take cover, target a specific person, blindfire, and free aim. Individual body parts can also be targeted, in order to take targets down non-lethally, and capture them alive. When the player shoots an enemy, the game engine uniquely creates the AI reactions and movements. John Marston can choose from period-accurate weapons including revolvers, pistols, lever or bolt-action rifles, knives, explosives, lassos, mounted gatling guns, shotguns, sniper rifles and cannons.
A combat feature that Marston can use is the "Dead-Eye" targeting system. "Dead-Eye" is used in a bullet time-like manner, allowing the player to slow down time to place a precise shot or paint in multiple shots on the body parts of one or multiple enemies. When the targeting sequence ends, Marston will fire in extremely quick succession on targeted people and objects, displaying his impressive ability as a gunslinger.
Adopted from the Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Redemption has a modified wanted system. When the player commits a crime such as killing people near witnesses, some of those will run to the nearest police station as witnesses. The player can bribe them or kill them before they reach the station. If a crime is committed near a police officer, the wanted meter immediately appears along with a bounty count which increases with each crime committed. To evade law enforcement in pursuit, John Marston must escape a circular zone until the wanted meter disappears. Despite the chase being aborted, a bounty is placed upon John which will cause bounty hunters to come after him in the wilderness. It is impossible to surrender to these bounty hunters by putting away Marston's weapon and standing still as they will kill him regardless. Only law enforcement in towns and posses will accept surrenders. The police will continue to chase Marston unless he pays his bounty at a telegraph station or presents a pardon letter. When arrested, Marston pays off his bounty and is then released. If the player does not have enough money to pay back the bounty, the police will assign bounty hunting activities.
Multi-Player
Red Dead Redemption includes online multiplayer with a maximum of 16 players per session. Every multiplayer game, both free-for-all and team based, will begin with a Mexican standoff. Survivors of the standoff will be able to move to any part of the battlefield in preparation for respawning enemies. Crates in the environment will contain extra weapons, ammo, as well as recharge Dead-Eye powers, which has all the features of the single player version except it will not be in slow motion. Players can level up and complete weapon challenges giving rewards such as new character models, golden weapon skins, new titles, and new mount breeds. New multiplayer modes, such as Stronghold mode, have been added in the Liars and Cheats pack. The Undead Nightmare pack included two new games modes: Undead overrun mode, and Land grab. It also included eight new zombie characters, including a Zombie Marston and Zombie Ricketts.
Both regular and team versions of Shootout mode follows a traditional deathmatch scenario where players or teams must accumulate the most kills. Many Capture the Flag variants are also available. Hold Your Own is a traditional capture the flag, where each team has their own bag of gold to defend from the enemy team. Grab The Bag has both teams attacking one bag placed in a section of the map. Gold Rush is a free-for-all variant, trying to grab and keep as many bags, spawned all across the map, as possible. Red Dead Redemption features free roam gameplay. All players in the server can form and join player parties, named "posses", of up to eight players and taking part in activities such as attacking computer-controlled gang hideouts or other player posses, go hunting, and create in-server matches.
Downloadable Content
Liars and Cheats DLC - 4.99 on PSN and XBox Live
Outlaws to the End DLC - Free on PSN and XBox Live
Legends and Killers DLC - 4.99 on PSN and XBox Live
Undead Nightmare DLC - 9.99 on PSN and XBox Live
Deadly Assassin Outfit DLC - 0.99 on PSN and XBox Live
Golden Weapons DLC - 0.99 on PSN and XBox Live
War Horse DLC - 0.99 on PSN and XBox Live
Savvy Merchant and Expert Hunter DLC - Free on PSN and XBox Live
Upcoming DLC
Myths and Mavericks DLC - Free on PSN and XBox Live
mostly copied from wikipedia 
