Red Dead Redemption is a
Western action-adventure game developed by
Rockstar San Diego and published by
Rockstar Games. A
spiritual successor to 2004's
Red Dead Revolver, it is the second game in the
Red Dead series, and was released for the
PlayStation 3 and
Xbox 360 in May 2010.
Red Dead Redemption is set during the decline of the
American frontier in the year 1911 and follows
John Marston, a former outlaw whose wife and son are taken hostage by the government in ransom for his services as a hired gun. Having no other choice, Marston sets out to bring three members of his former gang to justice. The game is played from a
third-person perspective in an
open world, allowing the player to interact with the game world at their leisure. The player can travel the virtual world, a fictionalized version of the
Western United Statesand
Mexico, primarily by
horseback and on foot. Gunfights emphasize a
gunslinger gameplay mechanic called "
Dead Eye" that allows players to mark multiple shooting targets on enemies in slow motion. The player controls
John Marston and completes missions, linear scenarios with set objectives, to progress through the story. Outside of missions, players may
freely roam the
open world. The player can interact with the environment and engage in combat with enemies, using various firearms. Different breeds of horses are the main forms of transportation, each with different attributes. These horses must be tamed in order to use them. The player can utilize trains for quick travelling, but they can also stop the train by threatening or killing the passengers or driver.