Red Dead Redemption is the newest game from video game maker Rockstar. It's already sold over 5 million copies in it's first month of release, and both critics and avid game players are raving about it. Many who haven't played it may wonder why this game is so popular now. There's a few major reasons, but to understand why, you'll have to be somewhat familiar with Rockstar's other popular series of games, Grand Theft Auto. If the GTA series had a distant cousin from the Wild West, that cousin would be Red Dead Redemption.

Graphics
Red Dead Redemption's most redeeming feature is it's graphics. They are exquisitely superb and the makers of the game seemed to have captured the very essence of the Wild West Era with the detailed graphics. I have never personally seen a game with such detail, and the environment so realistic that people who are easily confused may forget they are playing a video game. I've played the game while I was drunk a few times and felt as if I was actually in the game.

Gameplay
The missions are similar to GTA, but much more realistic. Talking to people seems more natural and you are given more options on your missions than in other Rockstar games. It's also much more fun because it feels as if you have more freedom to roam around in an open world or do whatever you want to do. The world itself is gigantic, and it can take up to a half hour or longer to cross the entire thing on horseback.

Online
When playing online, much more players can play at once. Since the world is larger than usual, it can fit much more players in it. You can still talk on your headphones to people while playing and you can still play side games and play on teams, but the major improvement in the online mode is more players.

Random Scenarios
In Red Dead Redemption, there are many random scenarios. Like for instance, you might be walking along and then out of nowhere you may see a person running who needs help from some kind of danger. There are strangers everywhere in the game's world, so there are many different scenarios you will encounter

Movement
The movements in RDR are much more realistic than any game I've ever played. When you shoot somebody or make some kind of an action towards someone, they react and fall in different ways, just like a real person would in reality. Rolling across the ground or jumping on your horse is very natural looking and has a feel like a movie would. The developers of the game obviously took a lot of care in making sure the movements were correct, because they are very impressive.

Animals
Never before have I seen a game that is not only based on humans, but also on animals. They seem to have accounted for every type of animal you would find in the wild west. There are multiple different species and some are pets, while some are wild. You can choose to shoot the animals, or even ride on some of them. Some will even assist you in missions. It gives the game a very authentic feel that separates it from other games that it may be compared to.