GTA IV vs Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar are incredible. Don't try and be cool by denying it, (nearly) every game they have released has been amazing. They revolutionised gaming and introduced 3D worlds, and for that they deserve uttermost praise. However, which pinnacle of Rockstar's creative genius is the best. Grand Theft Auto IV, one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, or Red Dead Redemption, the wannabe cowboys wet dream? Both are beautiful experiences, but which one rides off into the sunset with the prestigious prize of best sandbox game? Lets find out.............

Protagonists

          Niko Bellic                                                     John Marston















    
OK, this is a controversial one. I would like to remind people that this is only my opinion, with my explanations why. I personally find Niko Bellic better here, more interesting and a cooler guy. Im not saying that Mr Marston is a boring character, oh no, but in games I prefer the angrier people, look at Kratos! I also prefer putting a little bit of me into the character and with Niko I feel you can make him more you than Marston. Both have contradicting aims in their stories, but both are a pure master-class in character design, showing a wonderful and believable array of emotions. But, in my eyes, GTA IV takes the early lead here.


               GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 0

Settings

                         
                  Liberty City                                  West America (3 states)





This one is slightly easier. When GTA IV finally arrived in 2007 we were all blown away by how alive it felt, streets bustled and there was a certain buzz. However, last year, Liberty City looked like a dead cat compared to Red Dead. The feeling as you rode around the beautiful vistas is truly outstanding. Although it is very barren compared to the metropolis Liberty City, America seems to be so much more alive. The random encounters create an every changing world and being attacked by a wild cougar really added to the authenticity. After playing GTA IV after Red Dead, it made me realise just how much love Rockstar poured into Red Dead. The best game world ever.


          GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 1

Stuff

Stuff, the true nature of an open world game. When I say 'stuff' I actually mean all the extra time wasting activites that you can get up to besides the narrative. Both games have a huge amount of activities that you can spend hours on, whether it be poker or snooker. GTA's city setting means it can offer up past times such as bowling, darts, or even going to a cheeky strip club for a while (I lost sooo much money), but Red Dead's wild west setting offers poker, shoot outs and flower picking (YAY!). The winner of this round though is Red Dead, just though. I had great fun playing snooker with Little Jacob on GTA, but after spending over an hour on one game of poker, I think that this round has to go to Red Dead!


                 GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 2

Sound

      Booming Radios                                             Classic Western tunes



The man under Red Dead's name is artist Jose Gonzalez, and he is responsible for Far Away, the song that plays during the Mexico crossing. There, could finish it here. Red Dead Redemptions music is once again loving reminiscent of the classic Western films. Strange, floating sounds that offer as much to the experience as Mr Marston himself. Whilst Red Dead wins hand down, GTA's radio stations are brilliant too, offering the very best of the best from each genre. Some of the chat shows are hilarious, one chats about a 6 year old boy that has been lost in a mall for 4 years. However, Jean Michelle Jarre is just pipped to the line by Jose Gonzalez, its just so damn emotional!




          GTA IV 1               Red Dead Redemption 3

Enjoyment

Whilst both games have some of the best stories in gaming, both are just generally enjoyable games. For example, Heavy Rain was a really good game, but it wasn't exactly 'fun'. With that in mind, I think the final round should go to GTA IV. Red Dead is fun, very fun. Running around with the old guns and hog tying random people is awesome, but the general aura around Red Dead is a little more serious. This is probably due to the settings, as GTA allows helicopter rides and RPG killing sprees. I spent much more time playing GTA IV after I finished the main story than I did with Red Dead. The physics engine with the cars is pure comedy gold. Both are great games, but GTA is just a little more 'fun'.


      GTA IV 2                 Red Dead Redemption 3

Verdict

Here we are then. After playing GTA IV after Red Dead, it is clear to see what Rockstar have done. All of the baselines for Red Dead are ever present in GTA, the world is good, but not great, the time wasting activities are fun, but slightly tedious and the actual story is a little flat. However, Red Dead Redemption takes this template and adds to it. Many people were calling Red Dead 'GTA with horses', but they were wrong. The template was there, but Rockstar built around it, carving out a unique game that stands alone. Both are astonishing games and I love both, but there has to be one winner, and that winner is Red Dead Redemption. ITS SO GOD DAMN MEMORABLE!

Winner