Finally! Giving Red Dead Redemption a chance.

Although I've always been a Grand Theft Auto fan, throughout my life I've dedicated very little time to the other projects in Rockstar's portfolio, which is quite unfortunate considering it's one of the most consistent video game studios in terms of quality today, even if lately they only bother to release one or two games per decade.

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Therefore, considering the recent announcement of a mobile-exclusive version of Red Dead Redemption through the Netflix app (yes, surprising!), I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give the classic Western-inspired sandbox a try.

For many, the simplest way to define a franchise like RDD is "A GTA in the Old West," which is accurate on the surface, but literally simplifies the true purpose of a game series like this.

And despite boasting a massive production value, similar to our recent visits to Liberty City and Los Santos, Red Dead Redemption is a much more sober, deliberate, and immersive experience, setting aside satire in favor of a far more introspective and mechanically dense journey.

While this might seem a bit tedious at first, it's easy for the feeling to gradually settle in, and for us to understand that the true purpose of Red Dead Redemption is to put us in the shoes of John Marston, a quiet and mysterious man with a thirst for revenge.

In terms of gameplay fluidity, it's clear this game was released after GTA IV and before GTA V, especially since the shooting mechanics feel more refined than those that allowed us to control Niko Bellic, though not quite reaching the level of Trevor, Franklin, and Michael in Grand Theft Auto 5.

Far from being a disadvantage, this works very well within the context of the game, considering we're not in the 21st century and the rifles of the Wild West were naturally cruder than modern automatic weapons.

I like that it's a game that allows us to progress at our own pace without any issues, organically blending main missions with side quests, something evident in the ability to do things like play poker, drink in bars, or hunt criminals for hefty rewards.

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I don't know why I decided to wait so many years to give it a try, and I hope to keep progressing and unraveling everything this story has to offer. So far, it looks like one of the best sandbox experiences I've tried in a long time.