Red Dead Redemption

With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games opened up the western as a melancholic gaming space. A distant heir to Red Dead Revolver (2004), the saga truly took shape first with the odyssey of John Marston in 2010, a former outlaw crushed by the great era of American West modernization. A dusty open world, tense shootouts, and cinematic staging; Red Dead Redemption established itself from release as a reference, quickly reinforced by the horror expansion Undead Nightmare.

In 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 goes further back in time and follows the odyssey of Arthur Morgan within Dutch van der Linde's gang. More ambitious, slower too, it pushes attention to detail to its peak (from horse animation to camp management) and stands as one of the most accomplished open worlds ever created.