The lights are on
Red Dead Redemption is all about discovery. Placed in a gigantic open world, you’ll likely find something to divert your attention on the ride to your next mission: duels, stranger missions, hunting rabbits, to name a few. The best part is that all of this content makes sense in the harsh desert locations where the game takes place. Even side objectives involving cannibalism seem to fit right in with the setting and its inhabitants. Despite all of the tasks you can be pulled into throughout the game though, the western vibe is never conveyed as well as the moment when you ride into Mexico.The early game content pulls you all over the upper half of the world map, leading you to wonder when you’ll finally cross into Mexico over the Rio Bravo. Finally, after making a few unsavory friends, you’re invited by the criminal Irish to accompany him across the river. It wouldn’t be a western without a harrowing firefight, and the perilous log ride to the opposite bank delivers in this respect. After dispatching dozens of angry bandits eager to welcome their “friend” Irish into their land, you set foot on foreign soil. Upon bidding your drunken companion farewell, you climb on to a nearby horse, eager to see what the region has to offer in regards to exploration. Constant viewing of the map prior to arriving here lets you know that the area is massive, but it immediately becomes clear in person.The Mexican landscape pulls back more and more as you progress along the banks of the river. Whether you ride closer to the water or high atop the cliffs, the view is gorgeous. You can almost see the point where the horizon touches the sky. The vistas on display would be breathtaking by themselves, but another ingredient adds to this amalgam: music.The entire game contains constant background music appropriate for the western setting, but when Far Away by Jose Gonzalez begins on this ride, you feel like a cowboy. The slow acoustic build leads into the first actual lyrics in the game, trumping every sound except the rolling clap of your horse’s hooves, an appropriate soundtrack for such a surreal moment.The perfect confluence of sight and sound showcased here embodies the whole Red Dead experience for me. Throughout the game, John Marston engages in a multitude of different activities and missions, so many that I never had time to fully appreciate the believable world laid out in front of me. But riding over that hill in Mexico to the tune of a slow acoustic guitar made me forget everything else and just soak it all in.
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An amazing moment in my favorite game.
Such a damn good game. The ending actually moved me. Hard for a video game to pull off.
This is one of those games that enjoyed but never really got into. I don't think it was the game's fault, but it was more of a time/place type of thing.
I still have the game so I do plan to go back and play it to the end sometime, and do all of the crazy side-missions and activities. Hopefully my end-game save won't corrupt again.
My favorite game of this generation. The moment you cross into mexico is nothing short of magical and is a true testament that games can convey beauty in a way that other artistic mediums can't quite grasp.
It was really cool, at long last, riding into Mexico for the first time. Somehow Mexico seemed more real than the other side of the river. I don't remember the song though.
i bought red dead on release day, and recently i went back to play it only to realize that i lost the disc. that made me extremely sad :(
I'm still waiting for the PC version. I played it on Xbox and it's one of the greatest games I have ever played.
I'm pretty sure this moment was one of the greatest of my experience. Music done right can really amplify everything to 11.
I loved the Mexico segment. The music was phenomenal!
One of the main reasons why i loved this game so much
This moment was pure gold. And they say video games aren't art.
Red dead redemption.. my savior to western games.. i loved this game so much..i dont know what i'll do when they finally announce a sequel.. i want john to rise from the dead.!
One of the greatest moments in this wonderful game.
The mexico quest line was very long, almost too drawn out. Not my favorite part in the game. The landscape was beautifully done and the dialoge made me laugh a couple of times at least. I think the third sequence when you go up north is my favorite part. The different terrain, the quest, and challenges keep me playing longer.
Although I feel that overall this game is slightly overrated due to poor pacing, this moment along makes this game a MUST play. One of my favorite moments in gaming ever!
I dream often of a next-gen Red Dead game and it pains me to know that the wait will likely be much too long. My favorite game this gen. Imagine how awesome a next-gen RD game would freakin be. Id be happy for it to just be announced.
Don't really care for deserts (hence why I love living in the Northwest), but the graphics are undeniably good. Terrific music choice. Wonder if a sequel will happen. Guess with Max Payne's return this year, anything is possible.