I kind of don’t get it. I’ve watched much of the film embedded below, and it looks to me mostly like director John Hillcoat took cinematics from the first half of Red Dead Redemption and mashed them up with a couple of nice in-game camera angles and gets a directing credit for “A film made from” the game. I must be missing something here, but even the lamest World of Warcraft machinima I’ve seen appears to have more of an original spark than this. Shouldn’t the people who made these cinematics be getting the credit for the movie?
Also, weird nitpick – having finished the game it’s unsettling to see John Marston walk into a door in Fort Mercer and end up in the basement of the mansion in Tumbleweed. I know that’s lame, but it’s the same experience New Yorkers or Los Angelenos get when watching a movie set in their town take serious liberties with the geography.
This originally aired as a half hour paid programming block on Fox this weekend. I wish it was a little more original; it would have been fun if Rockstar had given Hillcoat their engine and their voice actors and let him make a little side story set in the world of John Marston – maybe a Landon Ricketts short! – instead of a condensed adaptation of the game’s first half.
By the way, I’ve been considering writing a critique of the game as story. Not as game – Alex is working on that – but as a piece of storytelling. I think it’s one of the only video games ever made worth deeper thought on that front. Would anyone be interested in reading that?
23 comments
Would most definitely be interested in reading that. I've been taking my time with the game, but so far I'm totally digging it.
Write that shit up!
Yes I would, thank you.
I'm stil in the process of playing this game, but as a story it seems really good. The character beats I've found along the main quest line have been pretty well developed. To see a character comfort another in silence during a cut scene or the tiny hints of things we as the audience are not told outright is pretty great. It seems to have more character development than most television shows and a story to rival more than a few recent blockbusters. Write the piece, Devin, I'd love to read it.
Yeah, this was pretty disappointing…..what was the point of this…..? Certainly not for fans of the game. And yes, that would defiantly be interesting.
Would love to read your write up.
Do it!
I would read that article too Devin. I am convinced that if developers took their time in fleshing out characters we could care for in a game like they did with RDR, the landscape of gaming would be very different. All too often, gamers are drawn into playing games that offer no real choices or decisions. Most games today don't tell a story. It's just grab whatever weapon you have and kill your nearest opponent and squat over their face and do a teabag dance. Maybe I am generalizing a little, but one thing I appreciate about RDR is that it makes gameplay secondary to the story, as a "ways to a means approach", and that's always a good thing as far as I'm concerned.
I hate that some people are going to watch this and unknowingly spoil a lot of the game. I didn't even want to watch it because I'm not finished with the main story yet.
I would be interested in reading that but not because I agree with you. I thought RDR's story was pretty cookie cutter material. Nothing we hadn't seen before.
Still haven't had the pleasure of playing (damn Bolivian customs caused a delay in the shipment) but, given your usual take on video games as storytelling, I'd be very interested in reading a piece where you get into that aspect of it.
I'd definitely enjoy a write-up of the game's story. I'm about 60% through it now. What an amazing game.
I would read the shit out of it. The ending of the narrative does some interesting things that I would love to hear someone actually delve into.
Only if the first sentences states that "Video games are art". Otherwise, no thanks, because only art can be analysed in the manner your proposing, and you cannot separate the story from the game elements…. though you are still going to…. aren't you…..
ehh what about metal gear solid 3? thats got decent storytelling, especially playing wise.
Man, yeah, this was a huge disappointment. I got my girlfriend to dvr it for me since I was at work, and just finally watched it. But yeah, it's exactly as you described, and the geopraphical mess-up upset me as well.
Would have loved some backstory on Marston, or hell, any of the characters. . . just something that I hadn't already seen before.
I'm probably the only one not interested in a RDR write up. While it definitely had the best story of any GTA game (I guess you can include it in that genre, but not really the franchise), not a whole lot happened aside from some character development. I mean, don't get me wrong, the characters were cool, but most of the side characters were just half-hazardly discarded around the second arc, and others were just as uncaringly introduced.
Again, don't get me wrong, loved the game and thought the story served the purpose, but I don't see much point in a write up.
I would read the hell out of that
I'd like to read that.
Sure, but it's important that you're only reviewing one aspect of the experience. Not unlike writing a review of the cinematography of the Godfather, without mentioning plot, themes, score, performances, etc. Of course that limited focus is fine sometimes.
Devin I'd be incredibly interested in a critique of RDR's story personally.
I'd be interested in that write up, Devin. Especially as a follow up to your previous editorial about Video Game narratives not being considered "art". Haven't played RDR (yet), but for me, the Uncharted games come closest to recreating a cinematic narrative (especially Uncharted 2).
I'd read it after I play the game.
Yeah I'd like to hear your take, I felt it was a little long in the tooth, but a great game and story. I felt it could have been wrapped up more powerfully after your time in Mexico. Thus leaving you wanting more. The game, not story post Dutch seemed like a stretch.
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