For me, this time of year brings around the desire to wrap up in my favorite blanket, make some hot tea, and settle in for some serious gaming. The good ole fashion "blanket burrito" technique. I know it's time when I find myself wanting to play a very specific set of games. Almost making it a seasonal ritual!
I figured as I launch into each of these games this year I would take a moment to share them!
My first launch of the year is queue drum roll... 🥁
Red Dead Redemption 2
This is a pretty popular title and definitely, one that I felt gave me "my money's" worth. I'm not sure how many hours I have in the game but it's a lot. It's a major bonus that this game has enough playability (and new content) to keep me returning, even after taking a year-long hiatus. Even though in reality I keep finding it's the little things in this game that have me coming back.
There is a story mode in Red Dead Redemption 2 but most of my hours have gone into RDR2 Online. This game mode offers most of the features story mode offers AND gives you the ability to customize your appearance. Meaning, I didn't have to be the main default character "Arthur" anymore. Instead, I was able to "cowboy-up" in a skin that felt a little bit more immersive to my experience.
Although, playing in this mode does provide a few hurdles.
For example, to be able to access the "cool stuff" (such as clothes, better weapons, and horses!) you have to spend time grinding to level up. That combined with the fact that earning cash can be slow too. One way around this is to find yourself a posse to run missions for your profession (professions are jobs like moonshiner, naturalist, and bounty hunter). That is by far the fastest way to get that money.
Certain things are paywalled by in-game purchasing. Meaning you have to spend real cash to get them. This usually only applies to cosmetic items - like clothing. Not things with stats like in-game weapons.
The map has a full range of biomes to explore. Although I am rather fond of taking expeditions into the mountains. It's fun to go through the motion of collecting supplies and some of the things I need for a hunting/ photography trip. Your character will need the right clothes and plenty of food for you and your horse. Blizzards frequently storm in the Grizzly Mountain range making visibility almost impossible at times.
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The longer you're in the cold the more your clothes become frost-ridden. Steam even rises from your horse if you make them sprint in the snow for long periods. Your character starts to shiver and lightly cough. The horse will grunt as it pushes through snow that is piled up to its chest. Brushing against the leaves of a snow-covered tree makes the snow fall to the ground. So many small details that add up to one amazing and beautiful game.
Oh wow. Much immersions.
Exploring this map is one of my favorite activities. I spend the majority of my time leisurely riding my horse across the map, looking for new things to check out (occasionally wandering into a bandit stronghold). Rarely do I push my horse into a sprint unless I run into an obnoxious pack of wolves or a malicious player.
I also take full advantage of the cinematic mode that is natively built into the game. Giving some amazing views and even better screenshots.
For a solo player, RDR2 Online can be daunting. Yes, there are hackers, Yes there are folks who will shoot you just because you were the only person in proximity - but I will follow that up with, I rarely run into actual players unless I choose to go to town. In my last session of 4 hours, I ran into 1 person on 'free roam'. There is also a camp feature that grants you damage immunity as long as you are standing in it. This prevents other players from harassing you.
Red Dead Redemption 2 hits a lot of high notes for me. Between the dynamic elements of the map, the interaction and bonding that can be done with your horse, and even the NPCs, the world becomes so full. I get that "pretending to be in a western" isn't exactly for everyone! And that's ok! I do know that there is a lot of attention to detail and hard work poured into this game and I enjoy every minute of it.
All screenshots were taken by me, huzzah, and are from the game: Red Dead Redemption 2
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