Multiplayer Madness:-

Red Dead Redemption’s  MP ‘Official’ details

And the NPC’s in Multiplayer are out to get you to!

by XboxOZ360:

©2010 Grant Smythe:

Red Dead: Redemption has been discussed in length with regards to the Single Player aspects, but little, if anything has been said or disclosed about the multiplayer side of things, bar the simple fact that – “yes, there will be a multiplayer side to Red Dead: Redemption – we’re just not saying anything about it – just yet” which has been the official words echoed from Rockstar Games from the moment that news has been out about the game having a Multiplayer side of things in general.

Well I am glad to say, that has all been shattered today, because as of 4am AEST, the official online embargo was lifted and those press that were privy to a spacial showing of the multiplayer side of RedDead redemption, and given some 3 hours of hands-on with the game in a very private and luxurious setting in Sydney, are now able to fill you in on what could arguably be called one of the best crosses between Single player and Multiplayer modes in any game thus far.

Now let’s get this out there straight up – I am NOT a multiplayer type of guy, those that know me know that too well. I have never have never really liked it or taken to it, be that in FPS, racing games and the like due to many personal reasons, which are too numerous to go into here. So it was with trepidation that I accepted Rockstars special invitation to come along to the Sheraton On The Park in Sydney on the 6th April to get my hands well and truly bloodied on the very first official playtime with the game in multiplayer.

• Free Roam is Red Dead’s Multiplayer Lobby

The thoughts that went through my head were many, some of which were of course, could I do it justice, would it be the same clowning around like most other multiplayer modes are, would it be just some silly frag-feast that is not related to the main game in any way shape or form and have no ties to the actual story within the game, and ultimately of course, would I like it?

Well the verdict is now officially in – yes, OZ likes the Multiplayer side of Red Dead: Redemption – very much thank you kindly sir. Hmm okay you might ask, “why is that – as it sounds like you just made a complete backflip to get on Rockstars good side, and after all, it is ‘just multiplayer shootouts right?”

Wrong, terribly wrong.

Rockstar’s new Open World sandbox game Red Dead: Redemption segues between Multiplayer and Single Player seamlessly in a way I’ve not seen nor heard spoken about in any major game in the past.

You honestly do not feel like you’re playing with just a bunch of nutters, or that you are actually in a multiplayer mode or game at all, and best of all, there are BOTS or active NPC’s that are out to get you as well . . so you will also have to keep an eye out for those civilians that are in the game that decide that you are a prime target worth capturing – or – killing as the case may be, depending on the price that rests on your head.

So basically, if you do happen to racked up a decent price on your head in the Single Player side, and or the Multiplayer side of the game, then chances are that they will certainly be keeping an eye out for you, not to forget those other varmints that are out to get you that are real people in the game world and try taking you down as well. Man, doesn’t a guy get any peace in the game-world shezzzees.

• Life in the Wild West – number 2

So, what can we tell you about the game’s multiplayer aspects . . . . We began by simply becoming accustomed to our surrounding in what is called “Free Roam Mode” . . and like it sounds, you can simply chose to wander around getting yourself into trouble, or helping NPC’s out throughout the area.

The very first thing that strikes you is, that there is no Lobby to join up with others which makes the game seem much more user-friendly in many ways. If someone is forming a posse, and you’re on their friends list, you’ll get an invite to join. Accept or decline, it’s up to you.

It won’t affect how or what you’re doing if you do decline. You’ll be given a  meeting place, and if you happen to be over the other side of the map, which is HUGE by the way, the host has the ability to – well – teleport you to the location where you can meet up with the rest of the posse.

Almost all the modes start with a Shootout, with each player doing a quick-draw face-off with the entire group so that the one left standing wins a nice little bonus to begin the session off with.

It might be some bonus gold bags, a quick draw ability, it’s randomly chosen by the AI . . But it sure is tense standing facing each other, counting down to blast each of the other 8 players out of contention. They will all have a beed on one person or another, so the trick is to pick out the most likely to succeed, and try picking him off first.

It’s over in a flash of gun fire and flying bullets and blood splatter. There you stand in  a haze of gun smoke wondering – what the – -  I’m still standing  . . . you were lucky, that’s all . . . it won’t happen twice in succession, that’s for sure.

I’m not sure what the rest of the guests in the other board rooms must have been thinking at the Sheraton On The Park in Sydney that morning, as wild yelps and heavy gunfire came out of The Macquarie Room’s well-appointed area that Rockstar had set up. 10 lovely HUGE 46″ Samsung TV’s in their full colourful glory, and the sound system to match.

I don’t think any of us were all that concerned, and we hope that the walls were soundproofed well enough to help dull the echoes of dynamite blasts, shotgun blasts, six guns rattling off round after round, and repeater rifles sounding off as bullets whizzed across the various towns and areas where all 10 of use took pleasure in trying to outwit and out gun the other 9 players. It was like kids let lose in a candy store with no lids on the jars.

In Free Roam, you have much the same ability as you do in Single Player. Whatever you do, be it positive or negative, wins you XP and status that is added to your overall score and data base. You can set about doing anything, taking on any modes such as,Hunting, Survival, Sharpshooter, Lawbringer and the Outlaw challenges.

• Watch out for the Women Of The West – they can be dangerous

Each one has its own special set of criteria, and you can switch from one to the other simply by making a choice, no selection process or mode to choose from. You simply go about your business, making choices as you go. This is the lobby basically, so you can be active at all times, not just sitting there wait for a match to appear or for your friends to get online while you twiddle your thumbs waiting.

You are out there being active at all times, while racking up XP points by simply doing whatever you chose to do, and who you chose to be, good, or bad, or even both.

Then, once you have been accepted into a Competitive Mode via being part of a pose, a gang, or drawn into a shootout, that’s where you get into the nitty-gritty of the Multiplayer aspects of Red Dead: Redemption.

Choices such as Free For All Shootouts, which speak for themselves really, can occur in any area of the huge map that the host specifies. It’s dog-eat-dog world in the wild west, and it is simply “may the best man win”.

You will have a preset score and or time limit set by the host, with points being awarded for kills, being killed (ouch), headshots, etc, as well as other little trick shots you may pull off inadvertently along the way.

Things like shooting the hat off the other guy and his gun out of his hand ‘without killing him’, will award you extra XP . . it might be planed or just something you fluke, but it’s a nice extra reward that keeps things interesting.

• Gentlemen and Vagabonds of The Wild West

Then there’s Gang Shootout, which we did in a peaceful little place called Armadillo. Well, it was peaceful before we all got there anyhow and started causing a ruckuss.

It’s basically a team-base version of the Free For All which is mentioned above. It proved to be a great one for banding together and defending an outpost, taking down wave after wave of attackers until the time limit expires.

One thing that I liked was the fact that when you finished a mode, anyone can choose to replay that setting again simply by pressing the thumbpad to continue, and if enough of the others did likewise, then another match would ensue. You can drop out of it if you like, or simply slog it out some more in another round.

What came next was what some would term Capture The Flag, but this time it was about grabbing saddlebags loaded with gold and dropping them into a chest at a predetermined position. That is of course, if you can manage to get past everyone else trying to rob you of your gold and hightailing it to the drop-off-point as well, all at the same time.

Plus, to make things interesting, you are not limited to just one set of saddlebag either, you can pick up two sets but, gold being the heavy bugger it is, will slow you down somewhat, which of course makes you an easier target.

If you use your head correctly and use cover to get around the map then you will manage to drop a few bags into that chest.

But usually for me, it’s just as I was about to drop my bags into the chest, some lone gunman steps out from behind a wall or wagon and – bang, smile – you’re dead. Or there were the times that some well aiming marksman picked me off from the cover of a building and swooped in to grab the gold and be off with it.

All this made for some very interesting hoots-n-hollaring from the others in the room as they almost got the gold to the chest, only to fall prey to another marksman or quickdraw meters from it.

And of course what would a mutiplayer experience be without a Gang Match, where your team holds its own at any location the host has chosen. In the end, I don’t think there was a person in the room that I was in that walked away feeling less than happy. Many smiles on faces, and a general feeling of ‘well down’ seemed to be the order of the day.

For me the game shows a great deal of promise, especially for those who may have been a bit multiplayer shy in other games such as myself.

This rewards those who want to be involved, but who do not want to be right in there all the time like some of the diehards. You can set your own pace, do shootouts with others who may challenge (NPC’s or friends) you to a gunslinging shootout, or you can join in on a posse to hunt down some outlaws or rebels.

Perhaps you may wish to get some gold and even rack up your wanted level if you chose, the whole thing is up to you.

The Multiplayer aspects of Red dead Redemption seems to me to be a cross between a Single Player game on steroids, and a free choice multiplayer world where you can choose to do as you wish, when you wish, and be involved in as much or as little as you want. Yet, and this is the important part, you still gain XP points while you do that, and remain active within the game-world at all times.

I’m certainly no one for sitting in some lobby wasting time where you could be playing a game.

As mentioned, I’m not Multiplayer expert or even a fan, but this one certainly has my attention, and I’ll be certainly joining some posses come release day, so should you. So unhitch your horse, and get those pre-orders in asap . . . or we’ll be meeting up face-to-face in the OK Corral sooner or later – partner, whats it gunna be . . . .

©2010 Grant Smythe:

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